Marilyn,
I feel for ya! I got a speeding ticket last December headed up to our deer camp for a long week-end over New Years. I KNOW better!!! Like you, I'm one who sets my cruise on the interstate at around 74 or 75 mph - they usually don't stop people going 4-6 miles over speed limit (this from a highway patrol friend - the one who helped TJ with his test last week) - they want those that are going 10 miles or faster! Anyways, speed limit is 55 on the highway I was traveling - had TJ with me, the 2 furbabies, and was "lost" in conversation with my son, definitely not paying attention! Yep, busted! Didn't even realize it but I was going 70!!! I almost passed out when he told me that. He was very nice but still gave me a ticket
I now set my cruise on 58 mph when I head to the deer camp, make a point to note that I do that.
As for the radar detector, they are great at alerting you however, know that if you are "alone" (no cars in your general vicinity) and you are speeding, most of the time, they "catch" you. A lot of the highway patrol officers are getting "smart" and they have new laser radar - they will wait til the last second to "flip" the switch and if you are alone and speeding, they got ya. I use one but, like you, it's just for alert - they may have someone pulled over ahead of me and it's alerting me to be on the look-out (I'm one of those drivers that pulls over to the other lane if a vehicle is pulled into the emergency lane).
So sorry about your ticket and the boring class - I had the option to take it and the night they were having it (and the night I needed to go to have ticket kept off my record), I had a meeting at work I couldn't get out of so mine will be on my record for 3 years. That's okay though, this was my first ever speeding ticket - and it is my last!