andrewdustin

So today, on my way to school, I am driving along minding my own business and listening to my jam. I turn at a green light and immediately after a CHP flips the lights and pulls me over.

Like usual, "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Me "No sir"

"Your tail lights are black"

Me- ***blank stare***

"That is illegal in this state"

me- I was not aware of that.

Long story short, he decides to walk around my entire car and ask me questions about every little thing he can. He askes about me not have my plate up front (my fault i know), asks about my exhaust, asks if i have done any work on the engine, etc.

At the end, i know have a "fix it" ticket to get my tails fixed and get my plate put back on the front. I already put my stock tails back on for now, but i do not want to put my plate back on because i do not want to put two holes in my bumper. Any suggestions for this?

I know that I am at fault for having the illegal modifications, but this guy was looking to catch me on things. i was not driving aggressively or even in a way that would bring attention to myself. he was just a bored cop who wanted to give me a ticket.

PS i have had my car modified like this for two years or more and now i am getting a ticket for it, crazy!

Murbyrne

you can put your front plate on through your honeycomb grill, you dont have to drill into the bumper

burstaneurysm

^ Yup. Two bolts a couple washers and a few hex nuts. It's 3 bucks worth of hardware and it's super clean. It looks better too...

Big_Bird

^^^^yep and yep, that what's I did!

CXT

::gasp:: a CHP that got bored and decided to do his job.

snowromance

well what did you expect? when you tint over your tail lights like everyone loves to do for some reason it severly diminishes their light output. that is dangerous. i've seen numerous people with vehicles like this and in the daytime your tail lights are basically worthless when it comes to alerting other drivers of your braking. At night you only see it because there is some light, but it's nowhere near the rest of the vehicles on the road.

nothing wrong with customizing your car but when it jeopardizes other people's safety... that's a no-no. hate to not be on "your side" on the matter, but it's true.

IowaSciontist

Yeah, never mind all the drug runners, people smugglers and other criminals on the same road at the same time, it's alot easier to pick on the kid with tinted tails on his way to school doing no harm.

jct

yes i'm glad i don't live in cali...

CXT

How do you think they catch the drug runners, people smugglers and other criminals? By pulling them over for something they did illegal, be it speeding, or tinted tails. It is their job to enforce the law, not just the really serious ones.

SEXB909

Now here is something for you. you can have the front plate on your car, BUT it has to be in the middle of the bumper. A CHP dude told me at a gas station 2 nights ago. I was like anything else?????? I have no exhaust, not too low, no racing decals, no motor mods. He was a little disappointed.


Oh 1 more thing, your lucky you dont have to go to the State Ref either. Be lucky you didnt get that. Hence why Im stock now.

geo46_2

iTrader: (1)

bummer

Metro273

Some of you who complain about the cops need to realize that tickets are given out at an alarming rate towards the end of the month. Gotta meet that quota!
Also, considering that it's a bad economy, they'll hand them out for ANYTHING...

You people in Cali need to realize that, yet some of you still push the limits!!!

andrewdustin

Thanks for the suggestions on the plate location guys. I'll be sure to look into it.

VIP_CAMO

cali sucks ...cant wait to be back in kc...

Tomas

Middle of bumper is BS - firmly attached and unobscured on the front of the vehicle is good.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5201.htm

divisii

^+1 vehicle code says a front plate must be mounted anywhere, horizontally on the front of the vehicle; BTW, this is why the windshield would be also wrong, too. Try to obey the law, & give cops respect the respect they deserve.

Front plate is supposedly for red light cameras, & any tints for visibility.

IMO these laws were not made to catch anyone, they are money generators.

SEXB909

whoa! good find Tomas. I will print this and put it in my glovebox today! haha

ZOMGXB

+1

If the drug runners and people smugglers were thoughtful enough to drive down the highway firing an assault rifle out the window, it would be a lot easier, but in the meantime cops are restricted to traffic violations.

Don't you watch 'Cops?' I can't tell you how many times a cop pulls someone over for having a tail light out and I'm like "that's kind of BS," and then the person has a suspended licence and an unregistered handgun and 4 oz. of cocaine on the front seat.

It AMAZES me how many people doing very, very bad things will also speed and run stop sighs. Derrr...

The solution is best summarized by one of Jim Carrey's lines in "Liar Liar": "STOP BREAKING THE LAW, A-HOLE!"

Tomas

Gee! I didn't expect the posting of the California law on plate positioning to be so popular.

Just for laughs it might be a good idea to take a quick look at the rest of that section, too...

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/tocd3c1a9.htm

Some good info there that can help keep you out of trouble.

(BTW, having the plate on the dash, visible through the windshield doesn't cut it for two reasons, (1) it's not on the front of the car, and (2) it's "covered" by the windshield...)

andrewdustin

Thanks Tom. That will help when i decide to re-attach my plate. I will print out this section as well when i take it for inspection in case they try to give trouble. Thanks again.