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Got this post from cg95660 in the General Automotive Discussion forum. So Repost?
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This was posted by the sacbee


California Crackdown on Modified Cars
$5 million in federal money will fund a Sacramento, California effort to stop drivers in modified cars.

Police in Sacramento, California announced Wednesday that they would use $5 million in federal money to begin cracking down on auto enthusiasts who modify their vehicles. The money will be used to form an undercover "Drag-Net" unit to stop motorists who appear to be driving modified cars.

The concept, which originated in San Diego in 2001, has been spreading throughout the state and generated significant revenue for the California Highway Patrol and local departments. In Santa Fe Springs, for example, twelve officers on Drag-Net duty issued 300 citations and impounded 50 vehicles in just one weekend. Several cities have drag-racing ordinances that allow police to auction off seized cars and keep the profits.

Under Drag-Net, San Diego officers come to train other departments how to look out for what they believe to be tell-tale signs of illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers. Police say this gives them probable cause to stop and inspect a vehicle and its engine compartment.

In practice, "excessive exaust noise" tickets are the most common violation. California law does not require police to measure sound levels objectively. Instead, according to the Calfiornia Highway Patrol, the "citation is based on officer's judgment."

Drivers of stock vehicles that come from the factory with some of the characteristics of modified cars have experienced harassment under this provision. One such motorist complained on an enthusiast website that the Calfiornia Highway Patrol was using these programs to make "driving while Asian" a crime, pointing out that the department's own website has several pages dedicated to Asian involvement in street racing and "vehicle modification."

Anyone receiving a vehicle modification "fix-it" ticket must visit a California Bureau of Automobile Repair office and pay a $35 fee to have their car inspected. If the car fails, a judge can impose another fine of up to $2000 for failing to meet California emissions requirements.

Article Excerpt:
"We're looking to make a heavy impact on speeding and street racing in this area," Sacramento Police Deputy Chief Steve Segura said during a press conference with local and state officials on Del Paso Road in North Natomas.
Source: Area law enforcers to receive training to combat street racing (Sacramento Bee, 8/4/2005)

 
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eh, I'm not -too- worried about it. like it was said in GAD, $5 mil isn't a lot of money ...

they'll **** off the wrong person, they're gonna get lawsuits and the program's budget will be annihilated.

 
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plus this is for people who are st raceing. they might sweat the ricers some of the sleepers. but mainly the st racers.

 
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lets examine this shall we...
"plus this is for people who are st raceing"
translation - this will most likely affect people that are into street racing

"they might sweat the ricers some of the sleepers"
translation - i have no idea

"but mainly the st racers."
translation - the police's focus will be mainly towards street racers

I would have assumed a mod would have taken an extra 6 seconds to see what was typed and if it made any sense before blindly submitting it.

 
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Yea I been hearing about this for awhile but whatever I dont care. I have finally been done with streetracing so I doubt it will hurt me. At the same time it might make them harrass anyone. Thats alot of money they cant just do that there would have to be a vote on that.

 
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he was probably drunk...

i think its bs.. they're targeting the wrong people. i dont see why they cant just go to the races and bust the people there... why do they have to bust every single person who just simply likes to fix up their car? i recently got a ticket for my tinted windows. how did i get it? i was coming out of the chp office and a cop followed me outside. same thing almost happened to me today except my windows arent tinted anymore so he couldnt do anything.

 
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Basically I think they are going to look for bodykits, exhaust, and all that dumb stuff that means nothing

 
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the cops have been using their program for a while now, and i havnt seen too much change going on so i think its not as effective as the cops hope it wouldve been.

 
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In what cities?

 
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dont go after front tinted windows =/

 
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why did it take 4 years to get 5 million dollars, but most of this stuff is bs, i mean come on probaly cause to stop you if you have stickers on your car bs , i mean how many cops will actually know what things are what is right, also the stupid one about the excessive noise from exhaust i think your allowed 95 decibels but since when is it left up to an officer, if i knew my car was below that i would go get tested somewhere then show the judge see it meets guidelines then the cop gets off without a false arrest or anything else added to his record

 
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This is pure Ghetto.

I live 40 mins from Sacto, and I'm not too happy about this. Cops will go after anyone who they see fit... this means cars that have legal mods like Body Kits and so on, any car that LOOKS like it might be a racer.

The problem is that Civics are the #1 more notorious car for "street racing", it's a stereotype for sure... but what's ironic is that we are likely the slowest car stock that's in the "street racing" community. Cops are going to go after our 105 hp cars with body kits and tint while the "stock looking" wrx's go free. The only guy in norcal that I know of that has a turbo has it legally (registered in Wisconsin) so what is it exactly that they are going to be hunting for? Slow cars that look fast.

 
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Whoa when did we get the english teacher? I'm sorry if my post made no sense to you. And your stupid mod comment was not called for.

If you didn't understand my post you could of quoted me and said wtf u talking about?

To make my post understandable. This law is aimed more to the people who st race and go to the st races. Once in a while a avg joe will get hassled. But I wouldn't worry about it unless your doing something stupid on the st.

 
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Time for that sticker saying "ALL SHOW NO GO" with a smaller "Please dont pull me over" sticker underneath it!

 
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^ hey that's a pretty cool idea. If I get some made, who will be interested?

Team ALL SHOW NO GO
Please don't pull me over.

 
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asssholes... eh... gatta quite down my exaust a little... and i'll be ok... o yea... take off that huge spoiler...

 
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i got pulled over for having a carbon fiber hood.
cop: you know why i pulled you over?
me: no
cop: that's a nice hood you got there, got anything i should know about under it
me: no
cop: you mind poping your hood for me
me: okay
So i pop it and he goes to open it but can't do it w/ one hand since he's holding his little ticket thing in his other hand. So i go open it for him (keep in mind my engine is perfectly stock w/ only an AEM sri) so he looks around looks at the intake and under the car for some reason gets up and tells me to have a nice day and drive safely. So him and his buddy hop in there car and take off.
Man now that was a load of BS. I thought i was getting pulled over for my tinted tails. Whatever as long as I didn't get a ticket i guess...

edit: this happened in torrance

 
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^ damn ... when was that?

 
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that was last month. I also got pulled over the month before for driving through a "know" street racing street. Although i was driving a 03' Explorer at the time. i thought that was funny. Cop came to my window:
Cop: You know what your doing is a felony?
Me: What do you mean?
Cop: Supporting illegal street races
Me: I don't know i'm just trying to get home
So he asks for me license and all that mess. He comes back and tells me if he see me there again he's gonna tow my car and impound it. I was like whatever i did nothing wrong. If he would of took my car I would have sued the hell out of everybody Yeah i don't have good luck w/ cops

 
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^ wtf!? ... it's a FELONY to drive through a street? ... that is quite literally the biggest piece of bullshit I've ever heard.

I'd file a COMPLAINT to the city for that

 
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Yeah i thought i was pretty stupid to. That happened in compton btw. Yeah i didn't get names or badge #'s or anything i just wanted to get home i was tired. He didn't even have a reason to pull me over either. I even had the cruise control on at 38 in a 40 zone. Cars completly stock, wheels and all.

 
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One other thing i got pulled over for but i wasn't sure if he was right or just BSing me. Anyway this was about 6 months back i got pulled over my car was pretty stock just wheels and cf hood. But anyways the cop pulls me over:
Cop: You know why i pulled you over?
Me: no
Cop: License and registeration
So i give him everything and he leaves to his car. Comes back like 20mins. later.
Cop: Ok Anthony I pulled you over cause i was following you and notice your tags are backwards.
Me: Really?
Cop: Yeah so you should get that fixed cause someone might think that.....he mumbled the rest i didn't he a word he said but right after he just told me to drive safe
So yeah i thought about it and he's right my tags are backwards but is that somehow wrong? Like for me to get a fix it ticket or something?
That's one happened in redondo beach

 
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^ ROFL

funny stories.

 
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new one every month

:sigh: