Mongo

I've got an unusual road story....more like a rant that happened last night.

I come to a stop light (which isn't working because CalTrans had disconnected the lights to work on the new SR125 through Chula Vista). I take off and get the engine revs up to about 4500 RPM in first gear and a little over 3,000 in second. I see a cop coming in the oncoming lane, no big deal, right?

I come to the first stop sign, towards my house and just continue driving....wasn't going fast. Come to the second, I see lights behind me, definitely Crown Victoria lights. Okay, so there's a cop behind me. I'm turning left, all of a sudden this guy just cuts across a lane, and turns my way. He flicks his lights on when I'm up the hill turning into my residence, and pulls me over about 300 yards away from my house.

*knocks on window*

I roll it down.

"Can I see your driver's license please." police officer says.

So I hand him my license. He walks to the back of the car, then comes back. "Your tags expire this month, let me see your registration."

"Yup, I just got the car smogged last week and have already sent the paperwork into the DMV."

I bumble around for my registration and he says to stick it out the window while he runs a background check. Comes back and says: "Did you know it's illegal in California to have front windows tinted?"

"Yes sir, but when my father and I bought the car in 2001, it had the windows tinted already. This is the original tint from the factory too. It has that purple 1980s tinge to it. It's also falling off on my rear window."

"I don't see it falling off." he says.

"Well there's this big strip that rolled up and now I have a clear gap on my rear window."

He walks away again. I'm sitting there thinking, 'okay he's going to give me a ticket for the front window tint.'

The officer comes back and says: "You know I can write you up for a couple of things here. You have tinted windows and you were speeding. I'm very good at visual estimates and sound. But, I don't think you need another $350 ticket on your record."

(Irony of this, I was pulled over 3 years ago for doing 80 on the freeway by a cop having a bad day. Ticket for 80 mph is $98, not $350.)

The officer than continues saying "I'm giving you a warning."

"Okay. Appreciate it!" I replied.

He walks away, gets in his car, tries to make a U-turn, almost hits a parked car behind me across the street, backs up and takes off....

I sit there still...'okay what just happened back there??? I thought I was gonna get a fix it ticket for tinted windows for sure.'

A little factoid....the speed limit is 45 mph in my area, 4500 rpm in first gear equates to about 35 mph, a little over 3,000 in second puts me at about just a little above 50, but with no application of gas and going up a hill, car is losing speed. Cop is also in an oncoming lane with an island and plants between us.

The car has no mufflers, but just resonators.....something tells me that this guy pulled me over to hassle me merely because my car drones like crap at 4500 RPM, yet couldn't really find anything to cite me for. Not to mention guards red, even at night in city lights does stick out. I'm kinda bugged by it, but kind of like....'what was this about?' He could have easily given me a tinted window ticket, which costs only $10 to fix. I'm not going to lie, I should have gotten the ticket, and a fix-it does not show up on your DMV record, but what the heck???

As for the speeding thing he referred to, I admit I was going about 5-7 over, but let off the gas as I was coming up the hill approaching the stop sign.

Has anyone ever had something like this happen to them before? Think this officer was having a bad day or something????

Big Dave

I've been pulled over while going under the speed limit up in Northern Michigan (nighttime on unlit single lane backroads). The cop was following from a distance (we were the only two cars around) and eventually sped up to pull me over. He turned his lights on from probably 1/2 mile back and I pulled right over and waited for him.

After he checked out the car and asked me questions about it (year, make, etc.) he told me to be careful since there were deer all over the place. He'd "hate to see such a pretty car get ruined."

I figured he was bored and curious about what he was following.

Mongo

Yea, but I was going just a little bit over. People usually get stopped for going 10 mph+ the speed limit. I know that my neighborhood has lots of police, which is why I don't think about going WOT on the road I was on I also found it kinda humorous in a sick way that the cop was bragging that he's been doing this job for 15 years and is the best on his force for visual and sound estimates. The road was empty, I was coming back from school tired, but I wasn't hauling major ***, wasn't even thinking of it.

And WHAM.

I mean my cousin is a Sherriff and he has told me that the police do things like this every now and then (quota days). But, no ticket even for tint???? I'm not trying to ask for one...but what did I get stopped for then?

Jim bailey - 928 International

Andy odds are he was hoping that a guy at night in a loud sports car might have had a couple of drinks and that is a BIG CATCH plus impound plus, plus...

TopDownL79

It does sound like the "I'm bored and need to pull someone over" routine. You (okay, your car) made an easy target, especially if it was somewhat loud. And red...

Mongo

Well if he wanted to make a house call about 3 hours later, he could have had himself a nice Chivas on the rocks and watched Super Troopers

I feel bugged still, but at the same time I don't this to happen again. When I was younger, around 17-21, I got about 3-4 tickets. I've become a more careful driver since then; the fact that I autocross has really helped control speed cravings too. I guess what I'm really getting at is I don't want anymore trouble. Last night kinda sucked because of that.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Andy odds are he was hoping that a guy at night in a loud sports car might have had a couple of drinks and that is a BIG CATCH plus impound plus, plus... You were guilty of conspicuous driving

Green Goblin

I just got pulled over in Salt Lake for expired tags also, I had everything completed just failed to get the new sticker on the plate. I saw the officer checking out my plate and he was one lane over from me. I proceded to get on the onramp and he was on me like white on rice. He asked for the usual and I abliged and even gave me a compliment on my car.

Andy

Bill Ball

Put a muffler on. Even I was annoyed by the noise my car made with the new x-over and no rear muffler.

F451

I had one of our local small town mayberry cops pull me over a few years ago. I was on my buddies motorcycle, a '01 GSXR 1000. I had borrowed it for the day, was thinking of buying it.

Anyway, I was about 1/2 mile from my house, in our neighborhood, came up a little hill, 25 mph speed limit. I gave it a bit of gas to get up the hill, was probably doing 35 or so. Definitely not trying to speed at all. With the pipes on the bike the exhaust note just started to come on, but not loud at all.

I proceed to cruised to my house in the maze of our developement, left, right, left, right, etc. I pull into my driveway, straight into the garage. Get off the bike, and as I'm pulling off my helmet, this police cruiser fly's into my driveway and screeches to a halt.

I'm like "what's going on, is someone robbing my house, did someone call an ambulance?"

This little cop, looked like he was about 16, hops out of his car, and he's literally hopping mad. Comes up to me all red faced and before I can even ask him what is up, he proceeds to start reading me the riot act about speeding. "I saw that stunt you pulled back there and if I had a radar on you, I'd be writing you a ticket right now!"

Whaaa???

I finally got a chance to get a word in and I mentioned something to the effect, of I don't think I was speeding, and I certainly wasn't trying to pull any stunts.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking, jeez, if its stunts he wants, he should have seen me earlier in the day when I was out in the boonies with the bike.

Anyway, he's still ranting, and I'm thinking, jeez, when did they start hiring high school kids for the police force, and does this kid have a date for the prom?

Finally he winds himself and jumps in his cruiser and peels out down my street!

What a dick! I live on a tiny cul de sac street with tons of kids! Including my own.

He was driving way more dangerous then me.

What an ***.

But he didn't give me a ticket. But if he had, I would have hired a lawyer for sure.

Anyway, glad you just had a bit of inconvenience and not a ticket. -Ed

Mongo

the car is no louder than a stock 360 Challenge Stradale, why, just cuz a cop has sensitive ears and is grumpy after 15 years of not being promoted?

I'm being stubborn The car just sounds great, I love it!

heinrich

That is a wonderful stop you had. here, they WILL give you a ticket.

Mongo

I have a friend that lived in Seattle. They really don't give any grief up there. I lucked out. I just hope I don't run into another cop that has the mentality of stopping me on the road for what I'm driving in, especially if I'm not breaking the speed limit to a point where I SHOULD be pulled over. I am trying to maintain a clean driving record here since I want to buy a daily driven shark. Insurance would love to see a speeding ticket while a policy is held under my name for a 928

tv

Just a dick combined with the tinting.

Mongo

dick or not....I'll keep an eye out for any police in my area and obey the speed limits. In the event that this happens again, and I am cited, I will take matters into court to fight against an officer's high horse attitude to the best of my avail. As for the tint, it's falling off. I'm going to get the windows retinted again, but with a lighter tint instead of this 30% crap. I saw a nice 50% tint that will still hide those rear interior panels bending upward.