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so today i was driving on the free way and a cop was a couple of cars infront of me, my best frind was sitting in the passenger sit. We kept noticing that the he kept changing lanes without signaling. As we approached the guy, my friend, being the stupid kid he is decides to move his fingers in the shame on you position. The guy then sees him do it and pulls me over on the shoulder. Now the thing is i wasnt speeding or doing anything wrong, but he says my tint, which isnt even 60% is illegal and asks for my liscence and registration. He then goes to the front of the and while op there sees my blue turing indicators and wirtes me up for that, On top of that, my lisence plate was sitting in the back seat. On the ticket he wirtes that they are TRAFFIC INFRACTION. I guess it was just my luck to get a ****ing ***** to pull me over. On the ticket it says that I have to appear in court in August. My question is if a fix-it ticket goes on your record and if I have to appear in court or was this guy just a complete moron? Should I fight the ticket because I have barely any tint? And are the blue bulbs that Honda sold me illegal, even thought they are comepletely white when they are on? Is there any way around this, i mean i no im gonna have to fix all the stuff, but can i attend traffic schoolto remove it from my record?

STUPID *** COP

 
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Fight the ticket. The bulbs are ok as long as they light up white, and, as you said, you have barely any tint, which you can prove it in court. after that the penalty will not be so bad for the plate

 
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what we do in Canada (or you should say, Vancouver) push the court appointment back a couple of times. If the cop doesn't show up... YOU WIN !!! I don't know about US.
GOOD LUCK

 
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well you should tell them the whole story, including how the cop didn't signal when switching lanes. Also, how your tint isn't illegal ... and also how HONDA sold you the bulbs ... which in this case, I think the honda dealership would have to pay for the ticket?

 
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It's a fix it ticket. You don't have to go to traffic school, it doesn't go to your insurance. I would definately tell the judge the whole story (to get it on public record) and then file a complaint with the Police Department for wasting your time. Maybe you can get the officer reprimanded. Just because they are Police Officers does not mean they are above reprimand. It is called abuse of power and the offending officer can get SLAMMED for it.

my $.02

 
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did he check your tinit with a meter?.....if not i dont think he can write you a ticket. well they cant in ala. also i would do my damnest to find the captain and tell him about the tickets, and what the cop wasnt doing...signaling....just try to find the capt'n and tell on that *****.

 
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in the words of bone thugs "fu(k the police fu(k the police fu(k em"

 
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where is the tint? I was under the impression, any level of tint on the front windows is illegal, thats what a cop told me here. And i too got pulled over for the turn signal thing...it is illegal...i tried to find something in the CHP handbook, and couldnt find a thing other than you have to have amber turn signals. I did my research on that one. I dont know why Honda would sell you an illegal product, other than to rape you for more money. That you might be able to fight, but you have to understand that it is illegal.
I would suggest, take it to court, and be very understanding to what they say. Express your side of the fight, but dont actually make a fight out of it. The last thing a judge wants to hear is some guy (i dont know how old you are) mouth off on how the cop was wrong. The judge is 99% of the time going to take the side of the officer.
Im not tryin to tell you what to do, you handle it the way that you want, that was just my suggestoin. I have delt a lot with law in the past couple of years, no not cause i commit crimes, i have just taken a lot of law classes, and have had to do lots of research on things, and took the time to learn about the laws with cars and what not. About the court manner, i just know lots of police officers, and judges, and that is what they told me to do. But once again, i dont want to come off like your mom tellin you what to do...

 
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What Honda sells in the parts department does not have to be legal. They sell OEM parts and then they have aftermarket stuff you can buy. Usually the parts department is separate from the dealership(in ownership and responsibilities). As for the tickets, get a friend who actually cares about you. Your is modified, so dont instigate(or in this case, you and your friend are the ******). From what I heard, you are guilty as sin(whatever that means). Once he pulls your over, he has the right to check your car and if he sees you have modified the engine in any manner, he can ask you to pop the hood. I thought in cali you can have 35% tint in the front, then again, I have the 2001 law code book. In cali, you can go the judge and he/she will look at your case and do whatever she wants. The one in San Mateo will lower your ticket cost. I have been in court twice and gotten two tickets taken off and a fine reduced. the first one I honked at a pedestrian who was old and confused in the middle of the street on the 4th of july and got a ticket for speeding and not letting the pedestrian have the right of way. the judge dropped the pedestrian one(she did not know the code number) and reduced my speeding ticket to $30 bucks. That would have been 4 counts against me and I only got one!. Then the second one an officer in training gave me a speeding ticket and let me off for some illegal mods. He told me to goto court and contest the speeding ticket. A ticket for taking a turn at 30 mph and i told him I was going about 45. they did not have a gun or there lights on at an intersection. The guy never showed up and the judge, she was suprised. oh well, that is my experience. But then I got my Flex's. ON/OFF ramps at 50mph never felt so safe. I wish i had more power so I can go faster through the ramp. I was at redline in second going about 55-60 mph on the ramp and the tires were slipping too much and third you have no power. What to do? What to do? Front end clip from Japan w/ rear suspension and brakes from the Integra Type R. Ahh, what a dream.

 
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cops won't stand to get made fun of.

 
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You can fight the ticket....and then beat your friend up for being a wiseass

 
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well i just told my parents and they really didnt care

i understand about the liscence plate but my tint is alomost as see throught an one with no tint, as for the bulbs ill change them if i have to

 
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i've been through this hundreds of times. Fix them then take pics. show it in court then replace everything back to normal!

 
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well, i think mostly everything to say to you has been said,

but let this stand as a lesson to everyone... if a cop is running lights or switching lanes without signaling, his ego has obviously been inflated but the badge and flashing lights...

don't mess around with him unless you can catch him ON CAMERA not obeying the lawas that govern us ALL...

it's to that end that i think i'm going to get one of those recording systems (like the cops have) installed in my car... but, of course...

unless it's stashed it could get used against u...

 
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Bingo! The cop would have probably looked the other way if your friend wasn't being a smartass, but now you have a ticket. So fight it, go to court, and explain your side of the story, including what you're friend did. That will put the reason you got pulled over, into perspective for the judge. Meaning, if the judge knows that's the reason you were pulled over, and not the fact that your car is obviously illegal to a cop on the freeway, that may help you out. Just don't make a federal case of it. I had a buddy fight a ticket once in traffic court, and I went there, cause I was a witness. Well, he started questioning the cop, and went ballistic, no kidding, he actually started yelling "You pulled me over because you thought I would be an easy mark, didn't you? So why are we here then? I'm not so easy a mark, am I?" Judge threw out the case, and he had to pay the full amount. Big surprise.

 
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BEAT YOUR FRIEND'S ***!!!! hahahaha.... welll as for the court date, call the police station where the officer works and ask when his vacation is and set the court date during his vacation... and when u get to court YOU WIN!!! (assuming that he didn't reschedule his vacation just to get u in court)

 
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One, your friend is an idiot. He caught the cops attention and then he got even. Why tease an angry dog?

As for the lights, if they are blue in CA, then you are in trouble. CA law is quite specific, no blue or blue tint lights anywhere. Period, not a discussion. You can argue all you want, but I doubt the judge will be so understanding, especially since this is a big item and they are really starting to make examples of people. As for tint, CA law also states that you cannot have ANY tint on the front windows. You can get by with a very light tint if you have a doctor's note BEFOREHAND. You plate has to be on there as well.

And in CA you have to go to the Highway Patrol to get the tickets signed off. When I lived in CA I amassed 53 fix it tickets. After a while they switched from fix it tickets to infractions which means you also have to pay and get them fixed.

You need to check out the CA vehicle code and find out which laws you are breaking. It is sad, but ignorance is not an excuse. CA has some of the harshest laws in the country and you are just beginning to find out.

Not that I am not sympathetic to your plight, but I was there too and simply learned what was worth it and what was not. In the end, I moved to a state that did not ride your rear end all time with stupid tickets. Here in Alabama I can run a turbo and be legal, as long as my exhaust is not too loud. And they do have stereo tickets here, but personally I think booming in a quiet residential neighborhood is just stupid anyway. Read the vehicle code, learn the lesson and go on. And I won't even make the comment on whether I like the lights, but if you do the crime, you may have to do the time.

 
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I would fix it and go to the police station and they write them off or send it the ticket with the receipt and/or picture. BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOUR FRIEND or Find one with an IQ higher than a walnut. As much as everyone says cops arent above the law in some ways they are. Dont question them stay out of there way and hopefully theyll stay out of yours.

 
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lord lord, blue bulbs to the front and rear on your headlights and taillights are illegal everywhere!!!! You have to have orange to the front and red to the rear. As far as the tint i dont know where its at so i cant comment for that. your license plate wont be able to get fixed you need to just change your bulbs out and TAKE YOUR CAR DOWN TO THE COURT and have an officer look at it, here where i work pictures dont cut it. Personally i think theres more to the story then your telling.

Injen

 
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nope there is no more to the story, i really have Barely Any Tint.

 
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what about HID's? Would a cop pull over a BMW becuase his headlights are a bluish/purple? HID isn't halogen colored.

 
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my moms infinite has them HIDs also

 
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no because those go through standards through local dept. of transportation depts.

Such as TYC projectors come with a card to prove that they are dot certified. and they have the same affect.

Injen

 
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I dont know about the lights , in Texas they have to be amber in the front. And just tell them the tint was stock.I guess you are screwed on the lissnce plate.You should be able to take drivers ed or at least deferd.

 

alright.....the lights...everyone is stuck on the lights....according to the CVC, (at least the one i looked at...2002) the turn signals can either be amber or white....if they are bluish looking, but light up white, you can get that one dismissed....those are fix it tickets, and last i heard they only cost like 10-20, and then you take them to the police station to get em signed off, and then turn them into to court...but since they are just fix it tickets, you can just switch out the bulbs, get the tix signed off, and put the others back in. voila!!

and FYI, in case ya missed it in the previous posts, ya only got the fix it tix cuz your friend was bein an ***....cops don't always use lights and sirens when they are goin to calls....he could have been on one and you wouldn't know...i would make your friend pay for the tix, and if i ever let him ride with me again, he will be sittin on his hands so that this never happens again.

 
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Okay, I'm going to play devil's advicate here. While the turn signal thing is inexcusable, the lights and sirens being off sometimes is. Take this from someone who is involved in Law Enforcement, and is trying to be a cop. (me) Cops, contrary to popular belief, cannot flip on the yelps and strobes whenever they want. They, like everyone else, are governed by local and state law. While LEOs can break the laws sometimes in order to enforce them, they are not above the law individually. In order for a police car to respond to a call, the dispatcher must order a "Code" run. Here in CO, Denver calls it a "Code 10." When the dispatcher clears the call as a code run, all cars in service can proceed as quickly as possible with yelps and strobes. There is a simple municipal reason for this. If a car is going to a domestic violence call, or something with a moderate need for promptness, the dispatcher won't order a code run. Now, while the police officer in legally allowed to run the red lights (break the law to enforce it) in order to get there, this is a personal call of his/hers. If he/she gets into an accident running a red light on the way to a call, he or she is held directly responsible because it was his decision. On code runs, used to urgent calls such as a robbery in progress or shots fired, and the cop gets into an accident at a red light with his lights on, the department is held responsible and is at the mercy of the insurance companies. Get it?

As for the lights, you may be screwed. Even lights that glow white still have a bluish tint to them. Only Law Enforcement, Fire Dept, and Paramedics can use blue lights in most states, if not all of them. All there has to be is any bluish tint in order for a judge to pin you to the wall. Also, officers need Probable Cause or Reasonable Suspicion in order to pull you over. While he basically sounds like he pulled you over because your friend was being an idiot, he can still say he had PC in court, and you could never prove otherwise. It isn't smart to go in there and argue he had no PC, because in reality, there are so many obscure statutes that may make your car illegal that you don't even kknow about. For example, here in CO, dice hanging on the rearview, or a cracked windshield, are both considered obstruction of view, but no one gets pulled over for it. All he has to say is that when you pulled next to him, he saw your blue bulbs in his mirrors. Also, even if the tint wasn't technically illegal (which it sounds like it is if it's on the front windows), he had probable cause to pull you over so he could check. I would go to court, and if you present your case, do it in a respectful manner. You had better know what you are talking about though, because the prosecutor can nail your testimony to the wall if he senses you are unprepared. Don't try to be a smartass or fock with the cop on the stand. I've done it, and I won because he really did have no PC, but I've seen other people do it and get reamed. And let's face it...cops know more about laws and statutes than you do...don't push it. Judges don't like smartass kids who come in to their court and try to smear the record of someone who's job it is to protect society at large.

Sorry, I just don't understand why people are such di(ks to cops. There are so many reasons they can pull you over for, but they never do most of the time, because in reality, ticket-writing is a focking hassle. But when you're a di(k to someone, don't you expect them to do what's in their power to fock with you back? It's not like he changed without signaling and then pulled someone over for doing the same thing. If he was, then you could call him a *****. But your friend focked with him first, and if you were in the cop's shoes, you'd probably do the same. Cops have one of the most dangerous jobs ever. I know, I have friends that are cops, and I ride with them a lot. But believe me, just because I'm going to be one, and have a a lot of friends that are, they are not always right. But he was minding his own business on just another stressful day. He was just throwing it back. I would just face it...and make your friend help out with the fines.

Mike

 
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I think we can sum up this thread in one easy sentence. Don't be obnoxious to other people! I wholeheartedly agree that police officers have a terribly tough job. They try to protect people and most of the time they are met with resistance and hostility.

I work at a club, so I leave a bar at closing time. Now we all know that it is the job of a police officer to watch patrons at this time to eliminate the drunk drivers. For a long time after work I was getting followed. Being a fixed up lowered Civic with tinted windows and exhaust probably only made me stand out even more. How did I rectify this? Simple, whenever a police officer would come by, I would simply be nice to them. After a while they all knew I worked there and I was no longer being followed around.

It sounds so simple, and it really is. IF your buddy had not been teasing the police officer, he most likely would have kept driving. He was probably following a driver that driving erratically and was trying to keep up. Then your friend caught his attention and your car became the target.

Sure each of the items are trivial, but they are still illegal. I am sorry that you are learning a tough lesson at life. After all it is human nature to focus on the person or persons that stick out.