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Penalties for loud stereos

Old 01-26-2006, 06:41 PM
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Default Penalties for loud stereos

Just heard that next Friday the city of St Louis will be trying to pass a law making loud stereos illegal.

First offense- $250 fine, possible 4 day impound of vehicle, possible confiscation of equipment.

Second offense- $500 fine, impound of car (possibly confiscation), confiscation of equipment.

Um, STUPID!! I think there are bigger problems to worry about than that. Those penalties seem kinda harsh. They say it's if you have woofer(s) 10" or larger facing the "outside" of the vehicle. Well, the way i look at, even if it's in my trunk, it's still facing inside my vehicle, just a smaller part of it.

Anyway, I'm pretty about it.
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Old 01-26-2006, 06:45 PM
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MANY cities have ordinances for certain decible level car stereos. This is certainly nothing new.

Now if their way to determine "loud" is by the speaker size and where it's pointing is only as you listed above... then I'd complain to someone and if anything get them to implement a decible limit. That way they can't just go around saying "hey, you have a big speaker."
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Old 01-26-2006, 06:48 PM
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Don't forget the other penalty.....hearing aids by your 30th birthday.
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Old 01-26-2006, 06:56 PM
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how can you measure a db limit though? as soon as you get pulled over, simple adjustments could be made to decrease db's considerably.
would they try to make it as loud as possible? who would do the test? would it be measured form inside or out? under what conditions? with the windows up or down/ doors open or closed?
this is exactly what i'm saying, it's way to vague and the potential penalties are too severe.

right now we have noise pollution tickets. If they decide it's too loud, then that's the final word. $100 fine and you're on your way. they don't try to take $1000's of dollars in stereo equipment/ possibly even your car. it's just ridiculous!
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:02 PM
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We have a decible law in California for car stereos. And its all on police discretion. If they think its too loud they can give you a ticket. Just like with exhausts. If they think its too loud they can give you a ticket. They don't need a meter.

Sounds like that law is just a more strict version of the noise pollution law. Too many people thinking "Its just 100 dollars and I'm on my way." So too many people just turning up the stereo when cops leave, or just turning them down when they are around. Its Louis's way of detering people from breaking the law.
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:04 PM
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^^^yeah that's pretty much how it is for us too (for now).
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by matt_a
Don't forget the other penalty.....hearing aids by your 30th birthday.

huh?
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:10 PM
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I have a system in my car and its pretty loud. But when I am in traffic I turn it down. Sitting at lights and all I turn it down to a level that it cant be heard. I just do it out of respect. Now when I am cruising and it cant be heard in a single area for an extended period of time, I turn it down.
I love a loud system but out of respect i trun it down when others are around. I hate sitting at a light and a car pulls up and its so loud i cant hear the person I am talking to. Thats just respect.
Most places cops just have the authority to say yep its to loud, heres your ticket. Its hard to get a real reading of DB levels,.
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Nick06tC
I have a system in my car and its pretty loud. But when I am in traffic I turn it down. Sitting at lights and all I turn it down to a level that it cant be heard. I just do it out of respect. Now when I am cruising and it cant be heard in a single area for an extended period of time, I turn it down.
I love a loud system but out of respect i trun it down when others are around. I hate sitting at a light and a car pulls up and its so loud i cant hear the person I am talking to. Thats just respect.
Most places cops just have the authority to say yep its to loud, heres your ticket. Its hard to get a real reading of DB levels,.
I couldn't agree with you more. I never listen to my stereo at full volume, and i would probably never have any problem (never have before). However there is a considerable investment in my car audio, and if it was taken away, well let's just say i would probably make national headlines.
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:29 PM
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Totally agree with you. Many people participate in car audio shows and is a great hobby. If that law makes it legal for a visual inpsection to result in a fine. that is totally wrong. I mean I don't go around fining fat women 1,500 bucks for wearing spandex....

Same principle.
People don't want to hear your loud music so I fine you....

People don't want to see your fat **** in spandex so I fine you...
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Old 01-26-2006, 07:48 PM
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Originally Posted by TimmyT
We have a decible law in California for car stereos. And its all on police discretion.
Yup... I got a ticket in Burbank, CA, for loud stereo, it said "amplified music" in the violation box. About 95 buck if I remember correctly.

I could have fought it and won, because there is no way for them to prove the music was "amplified", but I didn't have time to go to court.



-THE DON
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Old 01-26-2006, 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by TimmyT
Totally agree with you. Many people participate in car audio shows and is a great hobby. If that law makes it legal for a visual inpsection to result in a fine. that is totally wrong. I mean I don't go around fining fat women 1,500 bucks for wearing spandex....

Same principle.
People don't want to hear your loud music so I fine you....

People don't want to see your fat **** in spandex so I fine you...

HAHAHAHAHAHA
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Old 01-26-2006, 09:10 PM
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law is like here in chi too. Everytime i see a cop, i lower my tinted windows and lower my radio. I do often, but i rather freeze in the cold with lowered windows then paying a 200 dollar fine.
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Old 01-26-2006, 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by oldmanatee
Originally Posted by matt_a
Don't forget the other penalty.....hearing aids by your 30th birthday.

huh?
That's actually a good point to make, for the benefit of the younger members. Thankfully it's loud high frequencies that lead to greatest hearing loss, bass tones don't cause as much damage, up to a point.
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Old 01-27-2006, 08:22 PM
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u know what bugs the hell outta me. those laws on which the cops decide if an exhaust or system is too loud cuz those are made because they must meet a quota(cops have to report a certain amount of tickets at the end of each month.)so its not the subject of lowering noise polution, if it was they would have a more accurate way of deciding if it is too loud or not...the way i see it, its ones opinion on how loud something is... here in Miami the only place i lower my stereo is at tyhe beach where the piggies are like maggots on a dead animal.Oh...and most of em down here are sneaky they will pull u over for noise...and decide to search ur car for no reason.
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Old 01-27-2006, 08:29 PM
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BS!!!

Solution: Get a trunk full of 8" subs in a crazy SPL enclosure! =)
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Old 01-27-2006, 08:32 PM
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I got a summons to court a few years back here in NY. It said "unreasonable noise". I went to court, they said don't do it again for 6 months and they'd throw it out. I think it was a good thing though cause I was younger then and didnt value my hearing. Now I listen to music at a comfortable level. But i'm sure I would've been much more ____ed off if I got a fine.
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Old 01-27-2006, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by jroc

u know what bugs the hell outta me. those laws on which the cops decide if an exhaust or system is too loud cuz those are made because they must meet a quota(cops have to report a certain amount of tickets at the end of each month.)so its not the subject of lowering noise polution, if it was they would have a more accurate way of deciding if it is too loud or not...the way i see it, its ones opinion on how loud something is... here in Miami the only place i lower my stereo is at tyhe beach where the piggies are like maggots on a dead animal.Oh...and most of em down here are sneaky they will pull u over for noise...and decide to search ur car for no reason.
I cant think of any state where cops have a quota, I am 99% sure that you might be misinformed.
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Old 01-27-2006, 09:42 PM
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Vapid said:
jroc wrote:

u know what bugs the hell outta me. those laws on which the cops decide if an exhaust or system is too loud cuz those are made because they must meet a quota(cops have to report a certain amount of tickets at the end of each month.)so its not the subject of lowering noise polution, if it was they would have a more accurate way of deciding if it is too loud or not...the way i see it, its ones opinion on how loud something is... here in Miami the only place i lower my stereo is at tyhe beach where the piggies are like maggots on a dead animal.Oh...and most of em down here are sneaky they will pull u over for noise...and decide to search ur car for no reason.


I cant think of any state where cops have a quota, I am 99% sure that you might be misinformed.
Sorry Vapid, here in NY, I know the cops have a quota, becaus emany counties are working to do away with it, due to unnecassary tickets. IN addtion, so does NJ, CT, DE, pretty much every state up here. If WA cops dont have quotas, then I definately need to consider a cross country move.
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Old 01-27-2006, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by SSH_Motorsport
Vapid said:
jroc wrote:

u know what bugs the hell outta me. those laws on which the cops decide if an exhaust or system is too loud cuz those are made because they must meet a quota(cops have to report a certain amount of tickets at the end of each month.)so its not the subject of lowering noise polution, if it was they would have a more accurate way of deciding if it is too loud or not...the way i see it, its ones opinion on how loud something is... here in Miami the only place i lower my stereo is at tyhe beach where the piggies are like maggots on a dead animal.Oh...and most of em down here are sneaky they will pull u over for noise...and decide to search ur car for no reason.


I cant think of any state where cops have a quota, I am 99% sure that you might be misinformed.
Sorry Vapid, here in NY, I know the cops have a quota, becaus emany counties are working to do away with it, due to unnecassary tickets. IN addtion, so does NJ, CT, DE, pretty much every state up here. If WA cops dont have quotas, then I definately need to consider a cross country move.
Whoa, you are correct!!

"The New York Police Department violated state labor law by setting traffic summons quotas in a Brooklyn precinct and then penalizing officers who failed to meet them, an arbitrator has found."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/ny...10b00f&ei=5070

But they are still Illegal
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