Two years ago this website led a successful jihad against traffic “scameras,” or roadside cameras which automatically clocked (and ticketed) passing motorists for speeding.
But what about old school speed traps? You know, towns which subsist on the revenue they make from ticketing passing motorists?
According to one North Carolina man, the town of Society Hill, S.C. (population 563) is precisely such a speed trap – and a national website tracking these government money-making machines would seem to confirm his assessment.
According to The National Speed Trap Exchange, Society Hill is among the most notorious speed traps in America – prompting motorists from around the state (and country) to avoid it at all costs.
“Park ranger at Cheraw state park said that’s how they make their budget,” one reader posted on the exchange. “I love playing golf at Cheraw state park, but will come in from Florence to avoid the underhanded police in Society Hill! I hope everyone who reads this avoids the town also! It will save you $185.63!”
“I’ll avoid this place like the plague,” another reader posted. “If my car breaks down in the middle of the town, (I’d) rather push it to another town than give this place one more penny of my hard earned wages.”
Damn …
(To read more of these anecdotes, click here).
Our North Carolina friend has been delving deep into Society Hill’s budget, and has discovered all sorts of discrepancies. For example the town has five full-time police officers on staff – which is a pretty significant force for a tiny municipality which sees less than a dozen traffic accidents on average each year. In fact Society Hill’s “law enforcement density” rating is nearly three times higher than the statewide average.
Hmmmm … wonder what all those extra cops are for?
Look, we’ve got nothing against Society Hill … but you better believe we won’t be driving anywhere near it anytime soon. And neither should you.
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37 comments
I would put Turbeville, SC up against Society Hill any day of the week in Speed Trap Wars.
I think the same about Mauldin.
You don’t know Society Hill then.
Our trucks used to run through Society Hill to Monroe and Marshville, NC.
They were often late in returning. If the driver’s weren’t stopped at the whorehouse/truckstop on Hwy. 52, then they were usually caught speeding. Either way, they left money in Society Hill.
Nolff you are correct.
pop 563
65% over age 22 =
a cop for every 70 adults.
sounds safe
Our former Governor David Beasley and his wonderful wife, Mary Wood, live there. Visit them some time. Check out the guest house. Just a lovely place. They are WONDERFUL hosts. So family oriented. The kitchen is always full of people. But, I guess, I won’t speed up the hill any more.
Ehrhardt, Bamberg County, South Carolina has been the reigning queen of small town speed traps since the 1960’s. This town was one of the first in America to discover the “local ordinance” exception to giving tickets, then keeping all the money and therefore, not having to split the spoils with the state. Folks are happy to comply as no points are assessed on their licenses. Ravenel, Charleston County got in on this deal in the 1970’s. Yep. Got a ticket in Ehrhardt just this past year. $ 100.00 bucks – cash – and no points on my license.
count me in on the Ehrhardt scam victim list. They have a damn speed limit sign hidden right behind a damn bush. Coming into town from Walterboro you see the reduced speed sign, followed by a drop from 55 to 45, and then the 30 or 35 mph sign is just up a bit behind a bush.
anything north of the I 385 and I 26 split in the Upstate is pretty bad, and so is scenic highway 25 from Just Junk Antiques to the NC/SC border. In NC you better wear your seatbelts. On Saturdays the Highway Patrol clocks cars coming down from North Carolina towards Greenville on Highway 25. You cannot help but pick up high speed–it is very steep– but as you approach the bend before the Cliffs you better slow your ass down.
I think they use Highway 25 north of scenic Highway 11 as training ground for new troopers in August and September of the year, and over the holidays they “hide” on the side of the roads leading into housing developments. Over the holidays they run in packs of 5 or 6, gittin’ em one after the other, especially for drinking. Get a designated driver.
Nobody has mentioned Greeleyville yet? Can’t believe it’s not on this list. Just a word to the wise: observe all speed limits in this town.
Or, St. Stephen.
Jonesville is also a notorious speed trap. Stay away from that place if you like to drive.
I can see where Society Hill is a speed trap due to the cops/civilian ratio (which is UNBELIEVEABLE)
But……
You’ve got to put Wellford & Duncan PD’s as a tie for first place – especially Wellford.
Both have cars on I-85 WAY PAST their town limits (North & South bound) from exit ~62/SC 101 at BMW (for Duncan PD) to exit 68/SC 129 (for Wellford PD) and damn near 5 miles from the town limits on US 29 headed towards Spartanburg – again, Wellford PD and on a county road 3 miles from the town limits hiding and waiting for rolling stops at a 4 way stop sign yep, you guessed it, Wellford PD again
Of the two, Wellford is the worst (but that is relative to comparing a weasel to a ferret – both are part of the weasel family but one is a little more devious and blood thursty). As I posted some time in the past, i have personally observed a Wellford PD set ABOVE a stranded motorist on the SC 129 ramp and not give any assistance whatsoever, I called the SC HP and reported the situation and the dispatcher informed me that those assholes do that all the time). One night, I almost hit one of the Wellford PD patrol cars who was damn near parked on the I-85 entrance ramp at exit 66 (solid black unmarked Dodge w/ heavy tinted windows – I see it driving around Wellford all the time)
Duncan is bad enough but Wellford takes it to a whole new level
I would include Lyman but they are blocked from using I-85 but they all work closely together and sometimes where you see one you will see the other. Not surprising since they are all inbreds sharing the same town limits (which don’t mean a damn thing)
Sure is funny, they partol the roads WAY out of their town limits but try to get a pothole fixed from one of those fucking small town dickheads. They are excellent at writing tickets but forget about taking care of anything else.
BTW, I’ve not gotten a ticket from any of these small town jerks but you can never let your guard down. I go through all 3 town limits every day to/from work so I know better.
That said, I have little respect for all 3 PD’s
Spartanburg H/J did have an article some years back when Duncan business owners told the Chief of Duncan PD (natty little dude from California sporting a Hitler “stash” who is long since gone) to back the fuck off because people were boycotting Duncan stores due to his agressive “revenue enhancement” practices. Word got out and I didn’t support Duncan businesses myself even before the story hit the paper.
But that was back when town budgets aren’t as stretched as they are now. They have reverted to those “revenue enhancement” practices for a couple of years now.
It’s my understanding this is common practice across the US.
If there was a decent bus system I’d sure use it just to choke those SOB’s down a notch or two.
But knowing the Duncan/Wellford PD, they would probably ticket the bus riders if the driver was speeding!!!
Since Wellford has two titty bars within their town limits taxing them should be sufficient.
Throw in a whorehouse and all should be good…..
But the titty bars probably reward them handsomely for looking the other way(so to speak)
How could I have failed to mention the same. You are spot on. I’m through that stretch several times each week.
Where the hell are the real city limits??
GREELYIVILLE HAS BEEN TERRIBLE FOR MANY YEARS. ONE GA RESIDENT GOT CAUGHT ON THE WAY TO MYRTLE BEACH AND SAID ON THE INTERNET THAT HE WOULD JUST REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF THE FINE FROM THE MONEY HE PLANNED TO SPEND AT THE BEACH.
Watch Woodrow St. going out of Irmo to Broad River Rd.
Two words… South Congaree
Sect members are all for law and order,except when theyre NOT for it!
All these “horror” stories about people getting caught speeding?
Sad,very sad!
Has the Sect which controls this state considered “legalizing” speeding?
That might stop all this!
Actually, I’m leary of a lot of law enforcement types these days.
There’s more than one bona fide military Special Ops professional voicing concern & writing columns about the militarization of civilian police departments.
Many of them can now be considered para-military organizations (and some police units actually consider themselves as such).
I don’t trust them.
God forbid if no-shit wide spread civil unrest actually does happen. Those types will cream in their jeans to use all of their toys.
It won’t be the Feds busting your head it will be your local friendly SWAT team.
“ol Chuck Wright can’t WAIT till he gets his own personal drone.
A number of Police Departments across are already lining up for theirs. To back that up there have been responsible articles concerning the legality of police departments utilizing this new method of checking out citizens in the privacy of their homes. Basically, if you can be on public property (like the street beside your house or the skies above your property), you are fair game.
It won’t be the Feds peering into you house with IR or other high-tech drone or vehicle mounted hardware, it will be your friendly local law enforcement agency
watch yorself if you make the trip to Gainsville for a ball game in Starke,FL they have those flashin DOT message boards that say “Starke is a speedtrap Please slow down” flashing over and over as you enter the city limits
Don’t forget MacBee where it all started back in the 70’s. They even had a little “free speech” spat when a local posted a billboard on his property warning drivers to “Watch Your Speed”. The billboard was still there last year.
Weren’t the then-mayor and police chief of McBee indicted a few years back over “privatizing” the ticket-scheme money?
Starke, Florida is not nearly as bad as its two neighbors to the north and south – Lawty and Waldo, respectively. Both towns are the only two towns that were ever officially classified by the AAA as speed traps. There used to be pretty big billboards put up by AAA just before the town limits of both proclaiming speed trap ahead. They zap people on US 301 for going just one over. Both towns are essentially ghost towns; sad that they care more about that then they do about, oh, I don’t know… development?
As for this state, Yemassee has been equally notorious in the Lowcountry, particularly if you’re on US 17 Alt / US 21.
Lester Maddox had billboards warning motorists of the notorious speedtrap at Ludowici (sp?) Georgia, and for a while had the Georgia Highway Patrol watching that cars entering one side of town were leaving on the other and checking if they were delayed. Or so I once read.
All the Paulbots rant about oppression and government abuse of power can’t be bothered to talk about the very real abuse of power which all these towns conduct on a daily basis. Stop following Ron and help us fight the small town power.
I’m from the area and yes it is a notorious speed trap. Knowing that the place is a speed trap, I was on way to see my dying Mother and knew to drive under the speed limit. Still I was pulled over. When my friend who was with ^^me asked what was the problem the Barney Fiff cop didn’t have an answer except this is a warning and where are you headed. So we drove off again under the speed limit intentionally. Then a few miles away I was stopped again while cars passed ^^me speeding. Another cop. Told him the same information. It was the most unbelievable experience. I could only surmise that the type of car I was driving was the target.
How could you leave out Scranton and Coward on Highway 52 south of Florence?
Next time thru Society Hill, note the “Enhanced Traffic Enforcement Next 2 Miles” sign on the south edge of town.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Society+Hill,+SC&hl=en&ll=34.498723,-79.866486&spn=0.007737,0.012596&sll=33.423378,-79.124072&sspn=0.11691,0.178871&oq=society+hill&t=h&hnear=Society+Hill,+Darlington,+South+Carolina&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.49864,-79.866564&panoid=kC_KmtGx_p39D6zMW6Z2WA&cbp=12,72.37,,2,4.23
Two years ago, I was stopped just outside Turbeville supposedly doing 52 in a 35. In doing me a “favor” and writing a local ticket, I only had to pay $400.00!!! I checked with the police chief in my hometown and was told the state “suggested” fine was $189.50. I went to court and asked for a state ticket. You should have seen the look on their face.
… did you get the lesser ticket?
Springdale,SC-37 ain’t 35.42 ain’t 40,and they’ll search your car..
I live in Clarendon County and traveled all over this state and let me tell y’all Turbeville is the worst. You better not go through town with dark tinted windows, it will cost you around $500. They have 4 full time officers and pay there salaries with traffic fines.
Been burned in Turbeville as well as Society Hill.
I went through this God-forsaken hell-hole of a town and received a ticket for going 56 in a 35, though it was questionable. It was awfully close to having changed to 45. He was sitting on a dirt road that was angled to the main highway. But here’s the funny part…when he ticketed me he told me the fine would be $180, but that if I wanted to pay $220, it would never show up on my insurance. Oh, and by the way Duck Shooter, I have been fortunate enough to have received a ticket in Turbeville as well. Didn’t get raped as bad in Turbeville, although I think the speed limit had changed where they clocked me.