SC - Greenville County, Highway 25N

[danielf]

Greenville County SO and SCHP were both out this past week on Highway 25N above Travelers Rest (near the NC/SC border) in full force. There were at least four SCHP units (3 marked, 1 unmarked) and two GCSO units (both unmarked.)

The Greenville County units were working near 25N and Old Hwy 25, and 25N and Heritage Woods Trail. There are some nice places for them to hide right near there.

The SCHP units were further up the mountain, around the area where the divider wall begins.

The speed limit is posted at 55 in this area. From listening to the radio traffic between the units, a lot of the vehicle stops were for 75-80+mph.

[Safe_Speeder]

Greenville County SO and SCHP were both out this past week on Highway 25N above Travelers Rest (near the NC/SC border) in full force. There were at least four SCHP units (3 marked, 1 unmarked) and two GCSO units (both unmarked.)

The Greenville County units were working near 25N and Old Hwy 25, and 25N and Heritage Woods Trail. There are some nice places for them to hide right near there.

The SCHP units were further up the mountain, around the area where the divider wall begins.

The speed limit is posted at 55 in this area. From listening to the radio traffic between the units, a lot of the vehicle stops were for 75-80+mph.

Were they patrolling northbound or southbound traffic? If they were patrolling southbound, that's downright cruel! I used to drive down that road on my way to college, and would often reach 75-80 mph going downhill without even accelerating. Plus, there's never any traffic on that road!!! I think I only saw someone pulled over once, and it was in the area with all those peach stands. I'm glad to know that next time I go down there!

Also, watch US 25 just north of the NC-SC border. I got nabbed by a Henderson County sheriff there, WITH my Cobra XRS 9600 radar detector that had served me faithfully until then in operation. He said he clocked me at 90 mph (in a 65 mph zone), but I knew I wasn't going over 75-80 mph! He knocked the ticked to 10 over, he said because I'm from Ohio and anything more than 15 over in NC is a MANDATORY court appearance! However, this was in October last year. Not sure about the patrol activity since then.

[danielf]

They were working the southbound lanes. I am telling you they had their pick of just about EVERYONE traveling that road. Both times I went through, most folks were averaging I would say 70 to 80 mph. It is extremely easy to speed too cause of the hill. Shooting fish in a barrel? Yeah, I think so.

It is very hit-or-miss, though. One week they will be out all over that area; the next week nothing. So, you pretty much just have to always watch out.

You mentioned about the border... Last time I traveled over into NC, there was an unmarked Crown Vic with a customer right around MM1 on Highway 25. (Right after crossing into NC, obviously.)

[tjbender]

Out of curiosity, is that evil green Camaro still operating up in GSP? I can't even begin to count the number of guys on my hall freshman year at Furman who got tagged by that thing (I wasn't one of them, but only because I didn't have a car up there until the second semester ).

[danielf]

There's an outside chance that the Camaro might still be around, but I highly doubt it. I am not even sure which agency would've been using it. If it was Greenville County SO, then the Camaro is definitely gone; their traffic team uses Impalas and Crown Vics. If it was operated by SCHP, then I guess it could still be in service.

I will say that in all the times I've traveled up Poinsett Highway to 25N in the past year or two, I have not seen any sign of the Camaro. From what I heard, it used to sit somewhere before the Furman University entrance off Poinsett Hwy.

Anyone else from the Greenville area have additional info on this, particularly which agency (SCHP or GCSO) the Camaro was used by?

[tjbender]

That would be exactly where it was always located. Off in the big, open grass field just south of the Furman entrance at Poinsett, usually hidden behind a bush and tagging cars headed southbound from behind with instant-on Ka (usually the guys on my hall as they made late-night runs to Jack in the Box, it seemed).

It's been a while since I thought about that evil green Camaro that claimed so many victims from my hall, but I do recall one of the guys who got tagged mentioning that it was SCHP operating it. They probably still have it in service, but considering the reputation that thing seems to have garnered itself, I'd imagine they've moved it to another location by now where it isn't so well-known.

[danielf]

I will keep looking out for any remaining SCHP Camaros. I haven't seen any in a long time, but I guess there could still be some around. The unmarked HP units that I've seen recently have been Tahoes, Chargers, and a handful of Crown Vics.

[danielf]

There's another speed enforcement operation this evening by GCSO traffic units on Highway 25 in the areas of Heritage Woods Trail and Beaver Dam Road. This is above Travelers Rest heading towards the NC border. Watch out if you're driving through that portion of Hwy 25.

[danielf]

They are out again this morning doing another speed operation on 25 at Heritage Woods and also near 25 and Hwy 11. Watch out if you are in the area. It is three unmarked GCSO units.