A closer look

You might feel victimized by a speed trap, but at least you weren't Walter Arnold. In 1896, the speed limit in British towns was a blistering two miles per hour, and you were legally required to have a man walking in front of your car waving a red flag. Arnold boldly floored his carriage to 8 mph without his flag-waver. A local constable chased him down—on a bicycle—and handed him the world's first speeding ticket. Criminal syndicates clearly started early.