I was riding my motorcycle down to Laguna Seca last Sunday to watch MotoGP racing. It was a nice, leisurely cruise down Highway 101 until a CHP pickup truck lit 'em up in my rear view mirror. It took me a moment to realize he actually wanted me to pu... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Fortunately the burnout was in Missouri, and the cops were in Tulsa. 76k miles, 15 years on the road, never been pulled over in my 55 chevy. But when I was younger, I got stopped all the time driving this It just had a warmed over 396, 4 speed, and a 17 yr old driver. Cops found things like non-working tail lights, missing registration papers, cracked windshield, etc to give me "CS" for
I don't have fenders on my 33 pickup and the exhaust is loud but I haven't gotten any grief for it yet.....
Last year I was pulled over in my '52 Merc by a police officer because my tailight was out. I didn't have registration (hadn't registered yet after owning it for 4 months) and I had a plate on the car that was some random plate was bought at a swap. When I pulled over I was sweating bullets because in NY where I am from they'll tow it for shit like that. But here in NC, the police officer pulled me over just to tell me that I should get that tail-light checked out so I don't get rear-ended. He didn't care enough to ask for registration and talked to me for a bit about the car. He was just trying to help a feller out I love NC.
I live in one of those " small southern towns " where the POLICE get a good bit of their revenue from tickets ... so both my 32's are 100% legal. Both also have the NSRA Safety 23 sticker. My little town is known to be a " SPEED TRAP " and to target vehicle violations. The POLICE are under paid and mostly jealous of anyone with anything out of the ordinary or half way nice. They just LOVE to right exhaust violations ...
All about the money as if there isnt a real crime going on out there..but real crimes suck revenue, not generate it
Ignorant statement. One of my homeboys is a cop/SWAT guy, and busts his ass. He has some cool shit and a nice house to boot. All boils down to how hard you are willing to work for it.
That Reminds me that I need to install the License Plate light on my car. It also makes me think about all the guys out there with non matching titles/vins and hokey paperwork, where a small traffic stop can lead to a seizure or your vehicle. It's not as off topic as it seems...
I'm perfectly legal except for no front license plate. I carry it, along with the bolts, correct wrench, etc. to put it on, but if they are going to get bitchy about that, then I'm probably going to get a ticket instead of an opportunity to put it on. I know it's against the law, and I take my chances. If I get cited for it, it's nobody's fault but my own. No big deal.
Its not only like that in small towns... I live in Avondale, a suburb just west of Phoenix. Now while I have never had trouble I didn't deserve in Phoenix, here in the burbs I get hassled quite a bit. While most police will ask for license and registration, here in the 'burbs the first question out of a patrolmans mouth is "What year is this thing?" Luckily for me, AZ has a 1964 cutoff for things like two tail-lights, seatbelts, and mufflers. Not so lucky for me is the fact that these small town cops know about some fairly obscure statues and use them freely. My last one was for not staying stopped at a STOP sign long enough. I got "waste of a finite resource" once because the cop didn't belive that an old VW "needed" a turbo... Judge threw that one before I could even plead a case. I wonder how many of these tickets are total bullshit, just written with the hope that you'll pay and not ask for a hearing?
Your homeboy MAY be cool ... but these guys are NOT. I myself have no problem with the POLICE busting vehicle violations and enforcing the law. My stuff is legal and the towns POLICE tough enforcement reputation helps keep the rift raft out of town. .
I ridden Harley choppers and fatbobs from the early 70's on. I found out quickly that it made life a lot simpler if everything was close to legal. I think I've mentions license checks on the side of the road that took about half the day and talking to some sort of LEO almost every day on road trips. It was just part of the deal until doctors and lawyers decided Harleys were the next big thing. I still try to go "legit". It makes life simpler, which is why I just shake my head at open headers/shakey paper work/etc. that I see and hear about pretty often around here. Larry T
You are in California right? I got a ticket in '82 on my Hawg for my tail light being too dim. High noon on 101 in San Mateo, Calif. my tail light wasn't even on. Of course that was after they frisked me and gave me a lecture about everything else under the sun, including how I better watch out for the Hell's Angels. At least that one gave me a chuckle. Most of my rods have been basically legal for a long time. I did get a lot of grief when I was still in high school a lot of it legit. But in that time frame I also got a ticket for allowing a motor vehicle to be driven illegally. I sent a friend after parts for his car in my car and he got a speeding ticket. Some how that translated into my allowing him to drive it illegally. Anyway I for the most part have all my "saftey" equipment in good working order not because of the law but because most of it is a functional part of my vehicle. I mean hell it does rain here, and I do need to stop on occaision. It seems that once business men started having a mid life crisis and buying "hot rods" things seemed to settle down for most of us. I get stopped once in awhile so the cop can check it out but it is not a fishing expidition like the time on my bike in San Mateo. For whatever reason the local constabulary seem to give us a wink and a nod.
I never argued that fact. I hate guys that puff up once a badge is pinned on them too. I was simply pointing out the inconsistencies in your statement. There are good and bad in every profession.
In New York the only equipment you need is what was required the year the car was manufactured. So for my '32 it's pretty much steering, brakes, headlight, one working tail/brake light, and I think that's it. If you have a windshield you're supposed to have a wiper.
i live a hour out side of phoenix, iv never had a ticket yet.. i do not drive like a idiot tho for the most part.. at least not in public anyhow, there is a strip of the freeway that runs by my house on high way 60.. it goes through this little town called gold canyon, anyhow.. they try to pretend to be like Scottsdale. but apache junction, my town wont let them be there own town... at any rate the cops through that 5 mile section pull over everyone.. they always have like 3 cops on that 5 mile section.. they have not messed with me yet but have nailed my brother 3 times for nothing and my sister once. so if you driving through Arizona on high way 60 and you see a speed sign telling you 55mph up ahead drop down till you get out of gold canyon.. or you will get a ticket even for a mile above. chris.
South Dakota is pretty relaxed. Never got hassledbut I don't drive like a squirrel either (no offense to Squirrel)
I have no fenders, wipers, or turn signals but I don't have any problems here in Tennessee as long as I drive responsibly. I've noticed I don't even get a passing glance from most cops I see on the road. I have been told however, that I shouldn't go into Virginia with a car like mine.
No, I'm not legit. Most of my cars lack some small thing. I moved here to a 12K pop town to escape the So Cal rat race. I drive within the limits because they enforce them rigorously. I hear stories of CS pull-overs, but haven't had it happen here. In my 20s I was getting pulled over at least once a month, mostly for CS. Doesn't happen now. I've had legit tickets and a few CS ones. A couple of pure BS ones too. I've got away with stuff too, though. I hear the police here are handing over dispatch to the county sherriffs. I hope they are better than the San Diego Sherriffs. They were the biggest CS tossers ever. Oh, and another for those travelling AZ; The town of Heber just off the 17 on 69. Slow it down, a notorious speed trap!
When I first started driving the Plymouth daily about 17 years ago, it was a weekly deal to spend time by the side of the road saying such phrases as "What can I do for you today officer...". As a matter of fact, I once had an AZ highway patrol cop begin his stop by saying "You know, I had to follow you for 9 miles before I could find something to pull you over for!" Gee, thanks. Turns out, he just wanted my louvered license plate claiming it was "mutilated". I'm pretty sure it's still hanging on some supervisors wall. My car has gotten progressively faster and better handling over the years, been driven more and more, sometimes more agressively than back in those days, and yet my amount of time by the side of the road has become less and less over the years. Matter of fact, it has been about 8 years since my last traffic stop. Either the world has become that much more dangerous, or my hot rod has become that much less a threat...
you know there is a funny thing about stereo types........ congratulations on knowing an exception to the rule, basing an opinion on 25+ years of run ins hardly can be considered ignornant, rather I'd say my opinion is the exact opposite, an educated opinion of how law enforcement is the majority of the time. but to answer the question, all my vehicles are 100% legit officer, as far as I know, and if it isn't give me the fix it ticket and it will be for the re-inspect...
In 1962 I was in my '51 Ford, I got stopped by an Arlington Co. Virginia cop for running a red light (actually turned from yellow to red when I was half way through the intersection). He gave me the ticket along with about a dozen other violations on the car, which he said were all valid violations. Operational spotlight on the passenger side, loud exhaust with non stock mufflers, car too low, windshield height too low (it was chopped), No rear view mirror inside, back convertable window tinted dark red and too small, distracting paint (flames all over) illegal exhaust cutouts, illegal exhaust modifications (flame throwers), lewd painting on trunk (sexy woman with short skirt pushing a baby carriage with big engine sticking out of carriage and name underneith "Miss Carriage") plus a few others I have since forgotten. The cop didn't show for court and the old judge thru them all out except the traffic light and gave me a warning about the exhaust violations and a $20.00 fine plus court costs. Arlington County police were tough on us back then, but things have changed alot since those days, but I still refuse to live there.
Went through a local small town radar trap in the '56 a few years ago doing 35 in a 40 because I knew the trap was there. The car is 100% legal so I couldn't figure out why I was stopped. A young buck with his palm resting on his pistol came up to the window. "Hi, officer. What's up?" "Just wanted to tell you 'nice car'" All my cars have been 100% legal for the year of manufacture. I do carry the single windshield wiper for the '38 and the proper allen wrench in the tool box when there's no chance of rain. I also have seat belts because I still have the original door latches, two tail lights and license light. No third brake light though.
I don't have.... fenders bumpers turn signals wipers license plate light mufflers dot approved tires seat belts speedometer or a top And I like it that way. Rich
"To serve and protect". I wonder what the new motto will be as more and more police departments are forced to become revenue producers? It has to be really tough on those men and women who believed in the earlier motto! Like the originator of this thread we all are probably going to discover some statutes we didn't know existed!
Spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums world wide... How do you tell the rift raff from the hoodlums?
Cops suck. I know they're just waiting around the corner 'til I get my shoebox running so they can totally fuck with me. When I had my '63 Falcon Sprint running, I used to get hassled fairly often. Orange County Sheriff's pulled me over--with a colleague in the car, on the way to work--'cause I'm sure my primer looked disreputable. Same thing in Bellflower with L.A. County Sheriff's. And in my dad's '67 Chevelle, I actually got stopped at gunpoint for "acting suspicious." Bastards! Of course, they saved the best excuse for my '95 Civic shitbox. Long Beach cops ACTUALLY told me my license plate light was out (it wasn't). I love how smart they are.
Mostly legal but got pulled over for no right brake light ( I knew it ) he ran my info and found everything in order, when he came back I told the officer " You know 49 Mercury's only had a brake light on the left side and duel brake lights only came out in 1952". He said Huh , really I didn't know that, said cool car and left me go. That night his chief called and told me how full of shit I am and if he or his boys see that car in his town again I'm in for a world of hurt ! I've been kinda by-passing that town
Driving an OT bagged full size truck home from work I got smoked and harassed a few times. At the time I was a heavy equipment mech working outside so I wore a bandanna to keep the sweat out of my eyes. My best guess is I got smoked because I have a shaved head and looked like a chollo with the bandanna on. For some reason I haven't been harassed in any of the HAMB legal cars I have owned. Not sure why but my point is I have been there too. I didn't dig it at all, but to say that ALL cops are dick is ridiculous. Hell there are cops that are HAMB members.
I haven't written a ticket in 19 years, I have educated people on the particular vehicle code they have violated. If you got a license, plates on the car and a good attitude your golden. flip side is a bad attitude and I know all the laws, don't get pencil whipped over attitude. my junk is legal and I check it before any travel.
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