Well today i finally got pulled over for my window tint. Every vehicle that i have owned since i started driving i have had the windows tinted at least 20%, a couple even darker. I dont know what the officers problem was today, but he was exteremely rude and condesending to me. He walked up to my window and said, boy i have a laundry list of things wrong with this truck. First he said my exhaust was to big and to loud (has a muffler) second he said my wheels stuck to far out past my wheel wells and third he said my windows were to dark. I asked whats wrong with the exhaust and he said its louder and bigger then what came from the facotry. I said okay. Asked what was wrong with my wheels and he said they are not allowed to stick out past the wheel well, i replied okay. He said i have been a state inspection mechanic for 25 years (in other words why was i questioning him). He asked for my license and then walked back to his cruiser. I forgot that my license had expired on my birthday in Feb and i thought for sure he was going to hit me for that as well. He returned to my truck and said sign here, you have 20 days to pay or contest, then he walked off with out saying another word. Never mentioned once about my license being expired or anything. My old 01 was 10 times louder then my 06, that had straight exhaust into stacks. I am going to contest the ticket since he didnt put a light meter on my window or anything else, he just said they were to dark. I dont believe this will go on my driving record which is perfectly clean because it was not a moving violation. I am not mad about getting stoped or getting a ticket for the tint, more po'ed about the cops attitude. Ok off rant

 

As you stated, you got away with it for 15 years, now take your medicine.
He gave you a break by not racking you over the coals for the license. Give him the same break he gave you, his day could have been pretty bad before he stopped you.
As for paying the fines well the county needs the revenue.

 

He didnt even make metion that my license was expired, that what gets me, i would have guessed that would have been pretty obvious to him. My county doesnt need the revenue, we are one if not the most highly taxed state in the country with close to or if not the lowest average income state. If i was to go out and buy a brand new 09 Dodge off the lot and then go and register it for 1 year, i would be paying over $1000 in excise tax. I might not mind if we had roads that were not covered with potholes and bridges that were not crumbling as we drive over them, but on the other had, we have the best welfare system in the country

 

shoulda known there was going to be an attitude when he started off with boy. As far as having a bad day excuse he's a proffesional, should act like it. When we get pulled over by theDOT me and my drivers are polite and curtios no matter what kind of day we are having

 

I agree about the attitude part. As far as the ticket, consider yourself lucky that you got away with it as long as you did. He gave you a break on the license. You got off easy.

 

yeah, i got to get that renewed tomorrow, he was just very unprofessional, not even have a nice day or anything.

 

I never say "have a nice day". For most people, it just makes them more angry.

 

I have had a officer say to me "I hope your day gets better" I actually laughed at the comment.. Great tension breaker if you ask me.

 

We can have 15% tint here, but consider yourself lucky because they cut the tint here with a X and you have to remove it and still pay. Luckly I have never gotten a ticket for it (always roll my windows down when I get pulled over) but I have had friends that have.

I would just pay the ticket since it isn't a moving violation and you don't get any points, unless you were in the right.

Tobin

 

There are two kinds of law enforcement as far as I'm concerned, there are police officers and then there are cops. A police officer usually acts in a courteous manner in all aspects, has huge amounts of respect for the job and the badge and they don't want to bring a bad rep to it because of that, and they can tell the difference between when someone deserves the ticket and when the person just made a simple mistake. A cop is a cocky SOB that thinks just because the government gives you a gun and a badge that that makes you god.

A little over 2 years ago I had a run in with a "cop". I was sitting at the end of my subdivision road and to the right hand side of me is a sharp turn where you can only see for about 2/10 ths of a mile down the road and to the left is a long straight away. I get to the stop sign at the end of the road, look both ways, there's nothing coming, so I proceed to make my left turn. Well I get out onto the road and I look up in my mirror and here's this unmarked squad car racing up to my bumper, had to easily be doing 75 on a 55 mph rd. So needless to say he has to slam on the brakes because I'm probably only going about 25 - 35 at the time as I had just pulled out. (It was a cold November afternoon so the engine was nowhere near operating temp yet and I'm not one to get on it while it's like that.) Well after he slams on the brakes he proceeds to blip his horn at me and I didn't think anything of it because I did nothing wrong. Then he turns his lights on and pulls me over. He comes up to the door all pitching a fit about how I "pulled out in front of him" and "did you not see me there". I told him when I pulled out there was no one there. So he takes my license and registration back to his car and then comes back with a ticket for "Failure to Yield in a Left Hand Turn" and I go on my way.

At the time I got this ticket it was 2 days after we had had elections and a new sheriff was elected so it took another year before I actually had to show up for my court date. There was no way I was going to pay the fine and take the points as I knew there was nothing I did wrong on my part. So I have my court date and the cop tells his side of the story and makes it seem like he was 50 ft. from the end of the road and I pulled out in front of him and he had to slam on his brakes and leave skid marks behind. Then I proceed to tell my story and say how nothing was coming so I pulled out and here I see him coming up on my bumper at a high rate of speed. The judge asked the cop how fast he was going and he choked for a minute then said "uh, the speed limit", obviously having no clue even what the speed is on that road. The judge ended up believing the cop and found me guilty, but I wasn't finished yet.

I talked to my attorney so that I could have a new trial brought up on the case. In the time leading up to this new trial, my attorney found that in the cops fit of frustration while writing the ticket he wrote me the wrong statute for which he said I committed. "Failure to Yield in a Left Hand Turn" refers to if I was going east on the road and then made a left hand turn and in turn cut off the car coming west. There is a statute for what he said I did but he didn't write it. So I go into the new trial date and the case gets thrown out, end of story, because the cop doesn't show up. Most likely someone got word to him that he wrote the wrong statute and if he had shown up it would've been more trouble than good for him. Anyway, that's my event of the only time I've been pulled over.

I don't mean this as a put down to law enforcement or a showing of disrespect towards them. I have a lot of respect for police officers, two of my Uncle's are retired officers and any law enforcement officer has a very dangerous job that most of us wouldn't want. I have no problem with a speeding ticket or a violation that I know that I'm guilty of, I will own up to that like a man. Cops on the other hand, I don't care for them and there the reason most people have a bad view of law enforcement.

 

Courious what the fine is? Might not be worth the headache of fighting it.

 

In 35+ years of LE work it seems that everyone has a horror story related to a cop that gave them a ticket. IMO most complaints come from traffic stops. I will be the first to say--yes there are different kinds of officers, just as there are different kinds of plumbers or store clerks, etc, some good some not so good. Generally someone that has been treated well by a LE officer will tell 3 or 4 of their friends, people that have been treated badly will tell everyone they know. LE officers are paid to be professionals--their not allowed to have a bad day and take it out on the citizens they serve. They are held to a much higher standard than others. Most realize this obligation and act accordingly--others we hear about over and over and over again!!!! Many many people call in a complaint in a second, but how many times have you called in and said a LE officer did a really good job and you just wanted them to know????? That might be something to think about----Our system might not be perfect but it's sure a lot better than the rest I've seen around the world!!!!
Just my .02!
Jay

 

The last time I got pulled over I was on a 300 mile round trip to see my dad in the hospital after his heart atack. I was on my way home and had decided to drive exactly 55 for a change( I have a heavy foot). I wanted to see how good of milage I could get out of the truck. I was abought 30 miles from home when I came up on a lady doing 45-50 in a 55. It was in one of the only hilly areas between home and the hospital and I wanted to pass her. I had to punch it to get around before the next no passing zone and hill. Just as I was pulling back in and letting off the throttle so slow back down a state patrol poped over the hill and got me. I dont remember how fast he said I was going but somehwere around 65. I couldent help but laph when the officer came to my window. I am the person that always speeds and somehow I almost never get pulled over. I havent had a ticket in years. I think the officer thought I was out of my mind. I was laphing cause its just my luck that the one day I actualy intentionaly drive exactly the speedlimit I get pulled over. I was suprised he dident give me a sobritey test but he just handed me the ticket and went on his way. I figured that I had it coming anyway even if I hadent been speeding that day.

 

How would anyone know if he gave him a break over expired license. That is just speculation. He could have missed it. That being said, I am glad someone does the job. I would not like dealing with the public, and the drunks, and people thinking the whole world is against them.

 

Never called in and told anyone they did good... but I have written a letter or two to say they did good! Its better for all parties when its on paper.