When y'all basterdz get pulled over...
 

How is it that I hear about people getting cited for having illegal mods to a car when they get pulled over? I've been pulled over twice, once for doing a burnout onto a road, and once for speeding (warning both times :giggle:) but never once have I had a cop look at my engine bay.

So why is it that I hear about people getting cited?

That is mostly places in California where they have different SMOG regulations that require cars to be "stock" for the most part for emissions inspections. We don't have any laws restricting modifications in alaska, alabama, tennessee or georgia.

When I, as a ------, getz pulled over, I usually just bust a 187 on a huddah. Das bout it, aight?

Metro Atlanta has emissions checks, don't know about the rest of the state though. We had none when I was living in Augusta.

+1 on what CJ said, it's mostly in Cali, and more specifically mostly in SoCal. This is why I liked having a FL tag on my Miata when I was stationed in Cali last year. Never got pulled over in it out there though.

I think its cali mostly, TN it would never happen, TX i haven't been pulled over yet... knock on wood.

Title is misleading...

After hot import nights in orlanda the cops were pulling everybody over left and right and righting tickets for illegal exhausts and some shit about fog lights too close to the ground on really low cars.
It was one of the most unbelievably fucked up things I have ever seen. Almost all of these cars were hard parkers, just show cars, there was no racing, no crazy driving or anything. We were just leaving a sanctioned event at the end of the day, an event that had brought thousands of people to Orlando for the weekend in addition to lots of money to the local economy.
People like me who still had the documentation for my exhuast (racing beat) were unable to fight the charges because I live 300 miles away, so I had to just pay it.

Basically, Fuck the police.
If you have a problem with me saying that, fuck you too.
My dad was a cop and I dont know if he participated in bullshit like that, but if he did, fuck him too.

This is precisely the problem.

California is unique in that, in addition to having emissions tests, the laws here prohibit you from installing any aftermarket parts at all (even trivial things like air filters) unless those parts have undergone an expensive certification process and been issued what's called an Exemption Order. You may hear certain parts being advertised as being CARB certified, or CARB EO'ed. That's what this means- those parts have a certificate which says that it's legal to install them on a car in the state of California. If you get caught running any aftermarket parts on your engine that do not have a CARB EO, then you are busted, regardless of what your actual emissions are.

Fortunately, it's been my experience that enforcement of these rules are not nearly as draconian as enforcement of, say, the speed limit in a small, southeastern town. The only people I know of who have actually had their hoods lifted have been stopped for some other offense- typically street racing, exhibition, etc. Like the seat belt law in FL, it's not a primary offense.

/\ What he said.

Basically if you don't drive like an asshat, 95% of the time no one will ask you to pop hood.

You drive fast&curious and you will get harassed accordingly.

I was warned early this week (Friends apt. manager told cops) for driving "fast&furious" style around the roundabouts in the rain lol. No ticket, and I had a black person with me.

Thanks obama!

What he said. Fuck em.

:bowrofl:

Fuckin cop called me a street racer because I have a grassroots and a nismo sticker on my truck.

In NV they are really loose when it comes to performance mods... I dont think we have restrictions, since in Reno we have events like Hot August Nights, Street Vibrations, and the recent Import Blitz (thats the lamest name ever, but most of the people there are shameful anyways.), along with what Vegas holds is quite the list, like Hot Import Nights and much much more.

I know that is for sure NOT an issue around here. You can drive by in the biggest riced out "modified" pos on the road past 6 cops speeding and still probably won't even have them turn to look and see what it was. Too much murder and drugs around to worry about cars.

3k b-day NA6C\porncheif

Aww snap, I didn't notice. Thanks! I'd like to thank all of the people that made this day possible. First I'd like to thank.....

Well i have 4 point harness's and tinted out tail lights which are both illegal in ontario and its been over a year now and either the cops are really dumb and dont notice or they dont know.

Or they don't care. Most of the time they won't bother pulling you over for small stuff like that unless they're really trying to be pricks.

Cops in big city = don't care, cops in hick town = much care. At least in my experience around here. Never had a problem with a big city cop that has more important stuff to deal with, but do something in a little hick town and they will try to get you on anything they can. One night around 1am in a hick town I had pulled over to check if something fell off my car (just after the rebuild, thought maybe either something came off of a ratchet fell out from under the hood) and a cop came cruising up and spot lighted me. It was in the middle of NOWHERE, and I was safely pulled to the side with my running lights on. He gave me 20 questions, acted like a dick with an attitude, called for backup (their entire 3 car force :laugh:) and within 5 minutes every car in their squad was out there, all of them pacing around trying to look intimidating, and they tried to write me up for something, anything they could find. Searched over the car well, made a big deal about my gun (CCW) and claimed it was stolen, though they let me leave with it... and then claimed I had tried to ditch one of the officers a few miles up the road. Makes sense, I try to ditch then, then stop on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with my lights on... (I did pass one, but he never pulled out, probably taking a nap) an hour later after some more bullshit harassment and intimidation they gave up when they couldn't find anything solid against me and let me go on my way. I haven't taken my late night cruises there like I used to. Nice country, lots of pastures and nature smells. Generally nice top down roads.

Don't drive like a ricer, don't act like a ricer, and you won't have ricer issues. I've been pulled over with drag paint on my windshield and expired registration and I didn't have the hood popped. I've been pulled over with an APR wing on the trunk and a carbon hardtop, and the cop asked about my launch control switch (it's for a fan, officer), and still didn't pop the hood.

If you drive a modified car in CA, here is your to-do list for getting pulled over:

1. Apologize
2. Admit to whatever he pulled you over for
3. Apologize again
4. Be polite

Your goal is to get him to write you a ticket and send you on your way, because that is a hell of a lot easier and cheaper than being an asshole, arguing with him, and having him say "well let's just peek under the hood there, son."

I got pulled over 4-5 times in the Miata in 2.5 years and never got the hood popped. Wearing 6-points every time, 3" exhaust, a-pillar gauges, none of it matters.

+1 to that list works every time ;)

+2 on what Sav said. That list is especially important if you plan to fight the ticket, if you get one. You don't want your stop to stand out in the cop's mind. Just be polite and cooperative with the officer and save the questions, hypotheticals, and arguments for the courtroom. (or the trial by mail, in Cali...)

Indeed.

I've been pulled over in the Miata twice in north SD county.

The first time was shortly after I'd installed my turbo and EMU, and quite frankly, I was doing some fuel tuning. I was sitting at a light waiting to make a left hand turn onto a road that had a large, straight, uphill section. Light goes green, I make the turn, get straightened out, and then lay into the power WOT.

Was just getting into fourth when the siren came on.

Now, understand the picture here. The center section of my dash is out, exposing the EMU and all the wiring. There's a tablet PC mounted on a post in front of the dash, with tuning software running on it. Various gauges in the car say "Boost", "EGT", "AFR", and so on. Merely possessing this car in CA is illegal.

After a 10 minute chat or thereabouts, during which time I violated most of the rules that were laid down in the "Dont talk to police" video (eg: I admitted to being a little over-enthusiastic, admitted that I was being an idiot, etc) I was allowed to go on my way with a written warning saying I'd been doing 55 in a 45 (or 65 in a 55, one of the two.)

Later, when I got to where I was going, I checked the datalog and saw that I'd peaked at 104 MPH. So an encounter which would have ended in jail wound up costing me absolutely nothing.


The second time, quite frankly, I was just being a douchebag. I'd had a really rotten day so far, and was driving to Fry's to pick up some parts. (Come to think of it, the first time I was driving to Fry's as well...)

At a signaled intersection, I was coming upon a right turn. The light went red just as I approached it, but knowing pretty much precisely how the long red-to-opposing-green delay is at most of these intersections, I upshifted and powered through it, making a bit of noise in the process.

The cop had been sitting at the opposing side of the intersection to my left, first in line, waiting to proceed forward into the space I was now sliding through. Had I looked, I'd have seen him as I approached the turn.

I pulled over. He appeared a bit angry, and I figured I wasn't getting out of this. But like the first time, after a brief and amicable chat during which I basically admitted that I had been driving like a douchebag, apologized, established the fact that I wasn't on drugs or intoxicated but merely exercising bad judgement, I drove away with nothing more than a verbal warning to "cool it down."



Factors which I attribute to my luck in these matters:

1: From the outside, my car looks more or less stock. It's lowered, but not slammed. My 15" wheels are not at all flashy. I have no stickers of any kind on the vehicle anywhere. My brake calipers are the color of 20 year old brake calipers. My exhaust, while a tad louder than stock, is not offensively so. I don't have a rollbar, or an aftermarket steering wheel, or racing seats or harnesses. IOW, apart from the two gauges on the A-pillar and the one in the eyeball vent, the car does not advertise itself.

2: I don't look like a hippie, or a punk, or a ricer. My haircut is usually short but unremarkable. I typically wear Hawaiian shirts and jeans, which around here is the standard dress code for "young professional in the tech industry who pays his taxes and doesn't cause trouble." I shave.

3: I am courteous and polite w/o sounding like a douche. Seriously- my grandmother, God rest her soul, racked up more traffic citations than I did during the last 10 years of her life, which I attribute primarily to the fact that she always argued with the officer. My position on a traffic stop is this: You are busted. You are the proverbial kid whose hand is in the cookie jar when the lights come one. This is not time time to rationalize or justify. If it comes to that, you can make your case before the judge later on. But the goal here is to avoid seeing His Honor in the first place.


Here's to hoping that my luck holds.

I agree with this with one exception.. If they haven't actually seen you do anything, never admit to anything.

Otherwise the above worked fine for me last night, expired tags and no ticket ;)

I'd add a #4 to your list Joe because my experience pretty much parallels yours with this addition...

#4 Don't be a 20something...

There are some things that suck about being a bit "older" than most of the crowd here but the fact that LEO's tend to not mess with me when I KNOW they've seen me do something mildly stupid isn't one of them. Sav's list is also good but I think he's better at looking contrite than most which helps.

This rule takes precedence over all over rules. Actually, it's the only rule.

Rule #1 - Be white or you're fucked. (However, white people don't realize this and think all the other rules are applicable.)

Yep. Because its all part of the fucking global machine to oppress everyone.

To your 'white people dont realize this..'

Get out of Kalifornia, go live somewhere sane, drop the chip on your shoulder, and realize that the world is not full of closet racists just waiting to bust person x because of y. I have no doubt that in your fucked up corner of the world there are plenty of racists. But frankly in terms of race relations the entire bay area strikes me as some island of regressive crap compared to the rest of the country.

Regarding what to do when pulled over.

Most cops (beleive it or not) signed on to stop killers and racists and crack dealers. They did not dream of citing illegal modifications when they were in 6th grade or whatever. Generally if you cooperate with them, keep your fucking hands visible (wait to get your paper work out untill the cop asks) they will not go Nazi on you. On two separate occasions if the police wanted to they could have put my ass in jail. I have gotten two total speeding tickets ever. One was in a construction zone, the other in a residential neighboorhood with kids around. Frankly if I had not gotten a ticket I would have been pissed in that case becuase I HATE people who speed in residential areas and I was speeding.

Elected officials on the other hand come in a much wider range of flavors as near as I can tell. And guess what. If the captain get a call from the mayor saying that he better be all over some 16-28 year olds in Civics and WRXs to prevent possible street racing F&F style, the captain will do it. Regardless of weather the order is given because some bitter old rich bitch called in the complaint and reminded the mayor of how much she donated or not.

I think im at 6 or 7 but only 2 are on my driving record as of last month :)

Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

So CO is progressive compared to CA? I think the mountain top your wooden shed is built on has made your brain cells hypoxic.

Its just that the Bay Area sucks. Thats going by the reports I have gotten from everyone I have known who has lived there. And it's not really representative of all of CA either, let alone all of the US.

Hate to disappoint you, but the vast majority of the people in this country are not seething closet racists.

And anyone from the Bay talking shit about the air quality here is pretty laughable.

There is definitely something to this, though to a large degree, I think it's very much related to my #2.

A person in their 20s who has a respectable haircut, is clean-shaven, wearing a shirt with buttons on it and pants that fit correctly, is, in my experience, more likely to be viewed as "an adult" that someone in their 30s or even 40s who has long, spikey, or unkempt hair, is wearing a T-shirt, a ball cap, etc.

You know the old saying about how the suit makes the man? There is truth here.


There may well be an element of truth in this, and yet, I've never been quite clear on where I personally fall on the spectrum.

To be certain, my name does not denote whiteness. My demeanor and diction are that of an upper-class good ole' boy (meaning that I occasionally say y'all and have just a bit of a southern twang which comes and goes, but I am also capable of pronouncing the word "nuclear" correctly, and have never used the definite article "them there.") In terms of physical appearance, the rather complex breeding choices made by my parents and grandparents have produced a rather unusual offspring, in that I look neither white nor Spanish. My skin is a tad darker than your average Caucasian (basically, I look like I have a tan all the time) and I do wear a Clark Gable / Ringo Starr mustache (depending on how long it's been since I trimmed it), but God help me if I let my hair grow out or even attempt a beard- either one results in a mess of tight curls that would look entirely appropriate with a keffiyeh and a AK-47.




Harsh...

I've lived in quite a few places over the years. Florida (north and south), Georgia, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, NYC, and I have to say, SoCal tops 'em all. I left here a year and a half ago, spent some time finding myself, so to speak, and was very happy to return this past month.

Yes, we have the most draconian smog laws in the western hemisphere. But the flip side of this is that we have, on average, the most easy-going, nonchalant LEOs I have ever seen. You have to really try to get pulled over around here.

Heck, I remember a couple of years ago during a club run through the mountains, we did manage to attract the attention of a patrol officer. He tailed our group of a dozen or so cars for a while, before we decided (of our own accord) to pull over into a clearing. The officer came to the front of our group, spoke for a few minutes to the group leader, and let us go about our business. Now if that cop had wanted to, he could have written a dozen referee tickets right then and there, and if he'd really wanted to, he could have made a pretty good case for Speed Contest, or at least Exhibition of Speed.

But he didn't.

I think you're correct as well Joe, the image you present definately makes a difference. I'd be inclined to disagree with only two points, I don't think a clean, tucked-in t-shirt makes a big difference, nor do I think a ball cap worn the way they were intended to be worn has much effect either. If you're a slob in a thrashed t-shirt with your hat on backwards, you're probably not going to make a particularly helpful impression.

You're also spot on about how low-key the CHP is, in the situation you described the WSP (WA state) would have written everyone for contest of speed, reckless or other major infractions assuming they didn't arrest everyone and impound all the cars. The local LEO in WA tend to be even more "enthusiastic" in their pursuit of revenue.