Every once in a while, somebody tells you something so obvious, so simple and so brilliant that you wonder why the hell you didn’t think of it yourself. That’s exactly what happened when Dan, a reader from Long Island, contacted me about The All-New Speeder’s Guide to Avoiding Tickets.
Dan had an idea that was so good it caused me to go back and start rewriting parts of the book. Thanks a lot, Dan. Just what I needed. More work! But I gave Dan a 1 year free seat at the Insider’s Advantage for his trouble.
Because this was so worth it.
For years, I’ve been refining a system for dealing with speeding traffic stops. I’ve been pulled over more than 100 times in my driving career, and I’ve managed to talk my way out of most of them. In Florida, I’ve been stopped seven times in the past 14 years. Five warnings, two tickets, both resolved without points or insurance surcharges.
My most recent encounter, on September 1, 2026, ended with a written warning from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.
My system worked. But Dan realized the name needed some work.
Previously, I called it the ADM System, which stood for Admit, De-escalate and Mitigate. It was accurate, but let’s face it, ADM sounds like a government agency or a company that processes soybeans.
Dan suggested something much better.
Now that’s a name you can remember, especially when you see those flashing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror. And it actually improves the sequence of the system itself.
D — De-escalate.
This is where everything begins. When an adrenaline charged officer approaches your vehicle, his first concern isn’t your speeding ticket. It’s whether he’s going home safely at the end of his shift. Your job is to neutralize the threat and make him feel comfortable. Hands visible. No sudden movements. No attitude. No arguments. Be polite, cooperative and respectful. You want to turn what could be an adversarial encounter into a normal conversation between two human beings.
A — Admit.
This doesn’t mean jumping out of your car screaming, “I did it! I did it! Lock me up!” It means admitting without legally admitting. You’re not there to conduct a roadside trial or argue constitutional law with someone wearing Ray Bans, a badge and carrying a gun. You can recognize the officer’s concern without volunteering a detailed confession or making his case for him. The point is to establish rapport, not to win an argument.
M — Mitigate.
Now comes the part that saves you real money and points. Once you’ve established a positive interaction, you want to give the officer a reason to exercise discretion. Maybe you have a clean driving record. Maybe there are circumstances worth explaining. Maybe you can persuade him that a warning will accomplish everything a ticket would, without the fines, points and potential insurance increases. You’re trying to negotiate the best possible outcome right there at the curb. Think of it as a plea bargain before the ticket is even written.
N — NOW!
This is Dan’s finishing touch, and it’s brilliant. Do it NOW! Not when you’re sitting in traffic court three months later. Not after your insurance company raises your premiums. Not after you’ve spent hundreds of dollars hiring a lawyer. The best time to deal with a speeding ticket is before it exists. That’s the entire concept behind the DAMN System.
And here’s the beauty of it. Even if the officer writes the ticket anyway, you haven’t surrendered your right to contest it later. Which brings me to the most important rule in the entire book:
Don’t Argue with the Cop. Fight the DAMN Ticket!
I spent decades practicing law, and one thing I learned is that knowing when and where to fight is always more important than knowing how to fight. The roadside is not a courtroom. The officer isn’t the judge. And arguing with him about whether his radar gun was properly calibrated is probably not going to improve your afternoon. Save that fight for another day.
Dan’s suggestion has caused me to revise the book, update the website and rethink how I explain the system. And I’m delighted he did. Because a good idea is a good idea, regardless of who comes up with it. Sometimes the best marketing concepts are hiding in plain sight, just waiting for someone to point them out.
So Dan, thanks for creating more work for me. I owe you one. And to everyone else, the next time those flashing lights appear behind you, don’t panic, don’t argue and don’t make a bad situation worse. Remember four things:
De-escalate. Admit. Mitigate. NOW!
And if you haven’t already gotten the book and learned the complete system, what the hell are you waiting for?
Get the DAMN System before you get pulled over again!
Visit SpeedersGuide.com.
Because another DAMN speeding ticket is the last thing you need.
