Smoked tails ticket?!
06-30-06, 07:22 AM
#26
Constant threat
Did he list on the ticket the exact violation as defined by law? I wonder how it reads, because OBVIOUSLY the FD as well as a host of other cars with "smoked" tail lights meets all DOT regulations. This is such a simple fact and so easily provable. There are tons of literature to support this.
I would have to say the cop was just a.) having a bad day or b.) is just simply ignorant of the fact some cars DO (or at least DID) have smoked lamps.
And as scotty 305 points out, our style of lamps are actually MORE visible due to the contrast, you definitely know when the brake lights are on.
Look...I support the police as much as I can, because I have friends who are cops and I know what they go thru and some of the **** they see....but I have NEVER understood 'traffic cops' that get off on bullshit like this! What next....tickets for having "concealed" headlamps???
I would have to say the cop was just a.) having a bad day or b.) is just simply ignorant of the fact some cars DO (or at least DID) have smoked lamps.
And as scotty 305 points out, our style of lamps are actually MORE visible due to the contrast, you definitely know when the brake lights are on.
Look...I support the police as much as I can, because I have friends who are cops and I know what they go thru and some of the **** they see....but I have NEVER understood 'traffic cops' that get off on bullshit like this! What next....tickets for having "concealed" headlamps???
06-30-06, 07:43 AM
#28
development
Originally Posted by scotty305
All cars that are street legal in the US need to have a red reflector and a clear reverse light visible on the rear; on most cars, this will be built into the main taillight (the part that lights up when you hit the brakes). On our cars, the reflector and the clear reverse lights are down low on the bumper; on a red FD it blends in especially well and you might not even notice it. The cop isn't used to seeing a taillight that doesn't have the red reflector material built into it, you might have to show him the reflector, and point out the little DOT label that's molded in.
Also, I remember seeing Mazda literature that talks about them using tinted taillights, because it makes it easier to see if the driver is braking: the lights are either red or black, as opposed to bright red and dim red.
-s-
Also, I remember seeing Mazda literature that talks about them using tinted taillights, because it makes it easier to see if the driver is braking: the lights are either red or black, as opposed to bright red and dim red.
-s-
Originally Posted by Sgtblue
They shouldn't. The ticket is stupid and it gives us all a bad name when they do that crap. He obviously rode the short bus to school...and didn't wear a helmet like he was suppose to.
All of the suggestions are good. But as soon as practical, BEFORE court, just see if you can get a few minutes with the County Attorney/DA or whoever prosecutes traffic. Make your case. Stay calm and as difficult as it may be, don't be critical of the Cop. I wouldn't drag your taillights in with you, but drive the car there and offer to let them look at it. Show them a few pictures of other cars and maybe even a simple letter from a MAZDA tech attesting to the taillights stock condition. Politely let them know your willing to go to trial. Approach it with an attitude of: "I just didn't want to take up your time with the matter" and how your sure the "Officer is just confused" yadda yadda. Chances are, they'll see the light (nice pun huh) and will simply drop it.
All of the suggestions are good. But as soon as practical, BEFORE court, just see if you can get a few minutes with the County Attorney/DA or whoever prosecutes traffic. Make your case. Stay calm and as difficult as it may be, don't be critical of the Cop. I wouldn't drag your taillights in with you, but drive the car there and offer to let them look at it. Show them a few pictures of other cars and maybe even a simple letter from a MAZDA tech attesting to the taillights stock condition. Politely let them know your willing to go to trial. Approach it with an attitude of: "I just didn't want to take up your time with the matter" and how your sure the "Officer is just confused" yadda yadda. Chances are, they'll see the light (nice pun huh) and will simply drop it.
this is your best bet...I'd listen to the Sgtblue
06-30-06, 10:26 AM
#30
They literally CAN'T give you a ticket for OE equipment. An original brochure should do the trick.
If that isn't enough, purchase one OE tailight assembly from a dealer, and leave it sealed in the bag from mazda, and bring your tailight and picture of it while it was on your car. Just sell or return the tailight after.
If that isn't enough, purchase one OE tailight assembly from a dealer, and leave it sealed in the bag from mazda, and bring your tailight and picture of it while it was on your car. Just sell or return the tailight after.
06-30-06, 10:28 AM
#31
Peter, the dirty part is, they can give you a ticket for ANYTHING, and then the responsibility to prove their error is on YOUR shoulders. They just write and go...
I've honestly contemplated at times suing the court for lost time & wages due to obviously BOGUS tickets that should have NEVER made it to court... But as always, we're the ones that will never come out on top. It's how the system's built...
I've honestly contemplated at times suing the court for lost time & wages due to obviously BOGUS tickets that should have NEVER made it to court... But as always, we're the ones that will never come out on top. It's how the system's built...
06-30-06, 11:20 AM
#32
Originally Posted by fdjon
I just got pulled over and ticketed for having "smoked taillights." In my stock 93 FD. Yes, you read that correctly.
Anyone else had this happen? The cop argued with me for a while about "the taillights need to be red and they can't be stock because blah blah blah and I'm going to ticket you anyways so you can contest it on your own."
So now i need to deal with this somehow. Any suggestions?
Anyone else had this happen? The cop argued with me for a while about "the taillights need to be red and they can't be stock because blah blah blah and I'm going to ticket you anyways so you can contest it on your own."
So now i need to deal with this somehow. Any suggestions?
you don't have to be rude nor anything. But let him know that you are not going to stand there and take his ****. IMO you should still file a complaint.
Originally Posted by Force13B
There very few cops out there that are car people. I sat on a curb for an hour while a cop called in to check if a rotary engine was street legal, then proceeded to ask me if i had any aftermarket parts 
I would have been pissed if a cop held me for more than 15 minutes due to his ignorance.
06-30-06, 11:32 AM
#33
You guys need to check your local laws. Several states have limits on how long an Officer can hold you (usually 15 - 20 min) at which point he must either make an arrest, or let you go. Note, he CAN give you a citation within that time period, but after that time period, he can't hold you any longer, even if he still plans on giving you a citation. Check your state's Code.
06-30-06, 11:50 AM
#34
sexy no jutsu
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pm thgermy, he just got one of these tickets and you guys can collaborate evidence.
maybe in the near future we should have a sticky with printable evidence for everyone to download and carry with them to avoid this bullshit that is starting to happen.
maybe in the near future we should have a sticky with printable evidence for everyone to download and carry with them to avoid this bullshit that is starting to happen.
06-30-06, 12:07 PM
#35
www.ticketassassin.com , fight it by mail rather than wasting your time in person. Forward a copy to the officer's superiors, if you want to pick a fight.
-s-
-s-
06-30-06, 02:16 PM
#36
el unico
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lol.I got a ticket for the exhaust being loud,which i really didnt care about after the cop said that the muffler hole was so big,he could fit his fist into it,and he did.....it came back out quick though,after being burned and dirty....stupid cops
06-30-06, 02:30 PM
#37
Originally Posted by montego
For future reference: Next time say "I am not going to argue with you because they are stock. So go ahead and give me the ticket, but know that I am going to file a complaint against you for wasting my time and money on something that is 100% legal. It is not MY fault that you don't know the difference between aftermarket and OEM, and I should not have to pay for that. My responsibility is to obey the laws yours is to know them and enforce them."
.
.
06-30-06, 02:49 PM
#38
Racecar - Formula 2000
When dealing with a policeman or other authority figure, NEVER challenge their authority. It is almost guaranteed to tick them off and they'll give you a much harder time!
Always say "Yes, Sir or No, sir," VERY politely. You can suggest things, but NEVER give them an attitude. If you are polite, logical, and non-offensive, you'll come out way ahead.
Dave
Always say "Yes, Sir or No, sir," VERY politely. You can suggest things, but NEVER give them an attitude. If you are polite, logical, and non-offensive, you'll come out way ahead.
Dave
06-30-06, 03:24 PM
#39
Not true at all. Me and Ramy know this first hand, as well as many others. Some officers are just on a power trip, not nice, or new and don't know what they're doing.
Originally Posted by DaveW
When dealing with a policeman or other authority figure, NEVER challenge their authority. It is almost guaranteed to tick them off and they'll give you a much harder time!
Always say "Yes, Sir or No, sir," VERY politely. You can suggest things, but NEVER give them an attitude. If you are polite, logical, and non-offensive, you'll come out way ahead.
Dave
Always say "Yes, Sir or No, sir," VERY politely. You can suggest things, but NEVER give them an attitude. If you are polite, logical, and non-offensive, you'll come out way ahead.
Dave
06-30-06, 04:06 PM
#40
el unico
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Luckily I know quite a few cops around the area to have a few PBA cards and bussiness cards.The front of my wallet has a slot for a pic or whatever,but instead i put 2 cop cards on there so when(notice i didnt say IF)get pulled over and they ask for license etc.i get my wallet and thats the first thing they see.They ALWAYS ask who that is on the card or how do I know them,and 95% of the time,it works......The other 5% is when they made me call one of the guys at his home number and he didnt answer the phone,so the cop answered with a ticket.
06-30-06, 05:31 PM
#41
Originally Posted by Aeka GSR
this may actually **** them off and they might start looking for other legal problems with your car.
Are you freaking kidding me? Are you that afraid of cops? I'm not saying that you have to be rude or disrepectful but for gods sake, man up! and say what on your mind to the police officer. Tell him where you disagree, you would be surprised how often you don't get ticketed because they know that they are in the wrong and they know it. I've been driving for 18 years now and I don't have a problem telling them what I think.
I have actually gotten off a couple of tickets this way, if they are indeed in the wrong. Just this year:
One the cop and I actually debated about how he determined my speed- he never went to court....
Another cop stopped me for speeding and we got into a discussion where also about what he though he saw. Now HE GOT PISSED. He threated to tow my car, he threatened to look under my hood, he threatened to write me up for reckless driving (which was a lie, I was driving 50 in a 35 at night that's not reckless), by using extorsion techniques he tried to get to admit that I was speeding. I will note that he never actually clocked me he just saw me go fast... Interestingly enough he admitted to me that he never clocked me but "he is well trained to spot speeders just by sight". lol HUGE mistake on his part. He gave my ticket, and when the time came for the arraignment of my ticket, interestingly enough there was no record on file. lol I bet $100 that the cop tossed it to the trash.
Last edited by Montego; 06-30-06 at 05:33 PM.
06-30-06, 06:02 PM
#42
marky
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Originally Posted by montego
Are you freaking kidding me? Are you that afraid of cops?
You can't win an argument with the law on the road, so why challenge it? I've been pulled over way too many times and have only had 1 warning (never a ticket) because of my attitude.. politeness gets you a lot further than confidence, anyone who argues that is simply wrong when it comes to this particular situation.
And the policemen around here are jackasses.. you get pulled over for things like (real situation): "You were parked behind a blacked out car at that house."
It's not a competition when you get pulled over. The driver isn't trying to prove anything, that's the cop's job.. and "manning up" will only dig the hole deeper.
I guess a lot of it has to do with the area you live in, but for 90% of the country, being polite will get you a lot further than being right... maybe the cops around your area are just out of the power trip mindset.
06-30-06, 07:10 PM
#43
Originally Posted by Aeka GSR
this may actually **** them off and they might start looking for other legal problems with your car.
But as Scrub said, at other times (when I'm not in the "I'm 100% illegal" FD LOL) I give it back to 'em, ESPECIALLY when he's already written me a ticket. At that point, it's fair game. No further damage can be done (or I can really wipe the floor w/ him in court if it does occur). So at that point, I give 'em a piece of my mind. Really.
Originally Posted by Scrub
Not true at all. Me and Ramy know this first hand, as well as many others. Some officers are just on a power trip, not nice, or new and don't know what they're doing.
And yea, especially in the Northern VA (particularly Fairfax County), the cops are on the BIGGEST power trip. You gotta know your rights inside and out, because the Judges are incredibly corrupt too.Oh and montego, in the Commonwealth of VA
lol a cop can ABSOLUTELY write you a speeding ticket by visually estimating your speed, even w/o the assistance of any other devices. The only thing he can't do is assign a given speed; thus, it falls under the "Speeding: Generally" charge. Here's the DIRTY DIRTY part. They'll automatically assign you 4 points, when it SHOULD be 3. It's up to you to contact the DMV and have the correction made. This happened to me, and I contacted them *several* times, and when it was STILL left as is, I made SUCH a fuss, that not only did they bump it down to 3, they went ahead and removed one more point from my license lol. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and BOY do I squeak 
~Ramy
06-30-06, 11:51 PM
#44
Will work for horsepower
I dont mean to but in but if you had pointed out the japan and dot legal print on the smoked housing itself he may have been smart enough to read. if not you could say in court he chose to ingnore the mfg proof, he would have looked stupid in the eyes of the judge!!!!! good luck/ ps if you look you cant miss it.
07-01-06, 12:30 AM
#45
Rotary Freak
I have the 93 and 94 brochures if the OP needs them. I could 'scan' and post the photos if you like; let me know.
As for arguing with a cop...
When I delivered pizzas one winter night there was a traffic light that would not turn... It had been like that for hours.
A cop came along and decided to ticket me because I came to a stop and then proceeded through the red light.
When he told me that I ran a red, I told him that the light was broken.
I told him that it hadn't turned for the past x hours and I don't think it is going to fix itself anytime soon. I told him that I was delivering and that I had been thought the intersection about 50 times so far.
He said I was obligated to sit for a while to see if it would turn and insisted that he was going to give me a ticket.
I told him, he was being a dick. That he was just looking to give me a hard time because since he had to have been on patrol for at least 3 hours, he already knew the light was broken and that I knew what I was talking about.
He got a really pissed look on his face and then let me go.
As for arguing with a cop...
When I delivered pizzas one winter night there was a traffic light that would not turn... It had been like that for hours.
A cop came along and decided to ticket me because I came to a stop and then proceeded through the red light.
When he told me that I ran a red, I told him that the light was broken.
I told him that it hadn't turned for the past x hours and I don't think it is going to fix itself anytime soon. I told him that I was delivering and that I had been thought the intersection about 50 times so far.
He said I was obligated to sit for a while to see if it would turn and insisted that he was going to give me a ticket.
I told him, he was being a dick. That he was just looking to give me a hard time because since he had to have been on patrol for at least 3 hours, he already knew the light was broken and that I knew what I was talking about.
He got a really pissed look on his face and then let me go.
07-01-06, 03:08 AM
#46
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Originally Posted by gafu mazda
after the cop said that the muffler hole was so big,he could fit his fist into it,and he did.....it came back out quick though,after being burned and dirty....stupid cops
07-01-06, 04:47 AM
#48
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Originally Posted by ptrhahn
They literally CAN'T give you a ticket for OE equipment. An original brochure should do the trick.
07-01-06, 11:34 AM
#50
No it's not Turbo'd
FDnewbie, That must be because Traffic court is not a trial by jury. Since I just had to do my jury service, and the judge ended up rambling about Burden of Proof, and the fact that an officer has no "Edge" on testimony just because he's an officer.
-DC
-DC