Front Plate - please read -rant!
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 281
Likes: 2
From: Indiana
Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
yep; and a expired tag should warrant a stop. But that's not the specific I was commenting on.
TINO, as an LEO you didn't offend me, yeah, expect to get stopped, but sorry to hear of your "negative" experience. Some of us do use descretion to make positive contacts.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
Originally Posted by nprsuit
The chief you speak of is an idiot .
Serious crime is low around here; there's a lot of "caught-in-the-act" arrests; and that makes him an outstanding police Chief.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,789
Likes: 894
From: Northern Illinois
Oldtimer
Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
yep; and a expired tag should warrant a stop. But that's not the specific I was commenting on.
Ever try to catch someone stealing something from a car at night? Ever try to catch someone running from you on foot at night? If you've ever been out at 3 a.m., you can hear a cop car (or any other car for that matter) coming 1/2 mile away. If I'm in your neighborhood stealing the tires/wheels off of your car at 3 a.m. and hear a car coming, don't you think I just might try to hide until the car goes by?
I can't begin to tell you the number of arrests that I made over the years as a result of a "minor" traffic violation. Everything from drugs, proceeds from burglaries, guns . . . you name it. I may not have been able to catch someone in the "act" of committing a crime very often, but I sure did come across some pretty interesting things that didn't really "warrant" a traffic stop.
Last edited by DevilDog II; Sep 3, 2006 at 11:56 PM.
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Sorry you got the ticket Tino. I really don't know why so many refuse to display a plate when required, but that's a personal risk you take I guess. Was there more important things the LEO could be doing - perhaps. But they were enforcing the law that the elected officials put in place.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 32,262
Likes: 35
From: Somewhere between mild insanity and complete psychosis
Originally Posted by Mike Mercury
interesting that they noticed your missing front plate.
It's a shame they weren't noticing:
* 12 year old girl walking to school as perv drives by trying to get her into his car
It's a shame they weren't noticing:
* 12 year old girl walking to school as perv drives by trying to get her into his car
Last edited by _Will_; Sep 4, 2006 at 12:22 AM.
Lifetime Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,702
Likes: 76
From: New Jersey
St. Jude Donor '05, '12-'13, '15-'16, '21
Originally Posted by DevilDog II
Expired plate, no front plate, no license plate light, only one headlight or taillight. What's the difference? They're all "minor" traffic violations in my book. I can count the number of times on one hand in my 35 years as a police officer that I actually caught someone committing a burglary, stealing a car, etc.
Ever try to catch someone stealing something from a car at night? Ever try to catch someone running from you on foot at night? If you've ever been out at 3 a.m., you can hear a cop car (or any other car for that matter) coming 1/2 mile away. If I'm in your neighborhood stealing the tires/wheels off of your car at 3 a.m. and hear a car coming, don't you think I just might try to hide until the car goes by?
I can't begin to tell you the number of arrests that I made over the years as a result of a "minor" traffic violation. Everything from drugs, proceeds from burglaries, guns . . . you name it. I may not have been able to catch someone in the "act" of committing a crime very often, but I sure did come across some pretty interesting things that didn't really "warrant" a traffic stop.
Ever try to catch someone stealing something from a car at night? Ever try to catch someone running from you on foot at night? If you've ever been out at 3 a.m., you can hear a cop car (or any other car for that matter) coming 1/2 mile away. If I'm in your neighborhood stealing the tires/wheels off of your car at 3 a.m. and hear a car coming, don't you think I just might try to hide until the car goes by?
I can't begin to tell you the number of arrests that I made over the years as a result of a "minor" traffic violation. Everything from drugs, proceeds from burglaries, guns . . . you name it. I may not have been able to catch someone in the "act" of committing a crime very often, but I sure did come across some pretty interesting things that didn't really "warrant" a traffic stop.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
From: Gilbert Az
Attitude
Originally Posted by Hatdude
That's just the thinking the government wants you to have! No, you most certainly do *NOT* have to "just" pay the ticket! You have several other choices actually. Go to court, maybe you'll get the fine knocked down a bit. Or... have an attorney deal with it and most likely clear it completely. I have an attorney deal with traffic fines like that. I usually pay the same amount either way (sometimes less) but would rather give the money to him than the state.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 14
From: Honolulu, HI
Got a ticket in college once for it...funny how they had a freaking huge problem with vehicle theft on campus that went completely un-answered but they always had enough time to get some easy $ with front licence plate tickets and tint job fines. I remember how pissed everyone was about the local police force.
My car at the time (Camaro) was broken in at least 4 times a year there. It got to the point where I just started removing the fuel pump fuse everytime I got out. Respect is earned, not given. They could have easily set up a "honey-pot" car.. at least attempted to do some fingerprint work, ior nstall camera's...could even walked a "beat" in the high crime areas instead of sitting in the damn squad cars all the time.
Revenue generation via speed traps, tint and front plate violations, etc shouldn't be a police officers main focus during their shift, and at to their credit it doesn't seem like it is for most cities, but you've got to understand the drivers fustration when the police force appears to be nothing more than a glorified meter-maids.
My car at the time (Camaro) was broken in at least 4 times a year there. It got to the point where I just started removing the fuel pump fuse everytime I got out. Respect is earned, not given. They could have easily set up a "honey-pot" car.. at least attempted to do some fingerprint work, ior nstall camera's...could even walked a "beat" in the high crime areas instead of sitting in the damn squad cars all the time.
Revenue generation via speed traps, tint and front plate violations, etc shouldn't be a police officers main focus during their shift, and at to their credit it doesn't seem like it is for most cities, but you've got to understand the drivers fustration when the police force appears to be nothing more than a glorified meter-maids.
Last edited by dagon138; Sep 4, 2006 at 01:52 AM.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 529
Likes: 1
From: Princeton Texas
Originally Posted by buzz12
Let me guess....you're from the Republic of Texas where everything and everybody is against you. After paying an attorney and fighting this that and everything you'll still end up just paying the fine..like everybody else. This bulletin just in...Texans are citizens of the good ol USA just like the rest of us. You are not special. And nobody is believing the story about you paying the lawyer LESS than the court. I'm guessing the state of Texas has done you some favors over the years. And please don't waste your (and my) time and energy with some full blown Texas BS response...I'm not reading or responding to it!
Pro
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 580
Likes: 0
From: New York NY
A few months ago, I finished my classes, went to the car to drive home, and noticed that the front plate frame was broken. I knew that if I were to drive the car (camaro ss at the time), the plate would of course just fly right off. So, i took the plate off and placed in the windshield (made sure it would not come out) and placed my broken frame on the passanger seat along with 2 of the remaining screws. On the highway, doing 50 in a 55, I was pulled over and got a ticket. I explaine to the officer that I was going home from school and that I had just taken the plate off a few minutes before, but to no avail, I now have to pay $150 or so. What should I, or could I, have done differently and avoid getting the ticket? Nothing.
I couldn't have been more polite to the officer and I drove the car once a week so I had no extra screws or plate frames or other tools.
Bottom line: state laws should provide for vehicles to necessarly have rear plates but not neccessarly front plates. After all, police officers check the rear plates when following a car and rarely are able to view the plates in the front.
I couldn't have been more polite to the officer and I drove the car once a week so I had no extra screws or plate frames or other tools.
Bottom line: state laws should provide for vehicles to necessarly have rear plates but not neccessarly front plates. After all, police officers check the rear plates when following a car and rarely are able to view the plates in the front.
Last edited by casisthefirst; Sep 4, 2006 at 02:37 AM.
Lepus-temperamentalus
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,827
Likes: 5
From: Roswell Ga
Originally Posted by Tino
I'm in my vert Friday morning on my way to work and it's about 7am. I am minding my own business top down beautiful sunny day and thinking (sad) this will be the last morning I drive my vette to work, you know back to school and many, many more cars on the road that causes no fun congestion. I am driving along and pass a cruiser with two police officers, they both look at me and no kidding it's one of those jealous type looks. One minute later they are behind me with the cherries going, I pull over and sure enough he starts asking me about my absent front plate. Long story short, $105 ticket 
Maybe I'm wrong to think this way but you would think they got bigger fish to catch 
I guess I will pay the ticket but one thing for sure I am not putting my front plate on, it will be the cost to enjoy this one luxury in my personal opinion, end of 
Tino
Maybe I'm wrong to think this way but you would think they got bigger fish to catch I guess I will pay the ticket but one thing for sure I am not putting my front plate on, it will be the cost to enjoy this one luxury in my personal opinion, end of Tino
Did you know that when you didn't put a plate up there?
If the answer to these two questions is yes, then pay the fine and STFU.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,789
Likes: 894
From: Northern Illinois
Oldtimer
Originally Posted by casisthefirst
Bottom line: state laws should provide for vehicles to necessarly have rear plates but not neccessarly front plates. After all, police officers check the rear plates when following a car and rarely are able to view the plates in the front.
Personally, I think front license plates are pretty useless from a law enforcement standpoint. If I was curious about a car traveling in the opposite direction, I'd turn around and follow it. I wouldn't give someone a ticket for not having a front license plate, but I'd sure use it as probable cause to stop a car and do a little snooping. If I found something, great. If not, I'd send them on their way. I don't have a front plate on my car either and if I get stopped, I'm well aware of the consequences. It's already been said by other police officers who've posted on this topic, but traffic stops for "minor" violations frequently yield bigger things. Unfortunately, until they change the motor vehicle code in the state's that require two license plates, it's something we have to deal with.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,353
Likes: 0
From: Richmond Hill Ontario
Hold the presses ........
I knew when I posted this rant that it might stir some opinion on both sides of this issue but it was not intented to get this much mileage
and C5 folks bantering back and fourth at each other. Not sure what else I can say on this topic but I for one have let this go and as I said above rant is way over
I knew when I posted this rant that it might stir some opinion on both sides of this issue but it was not intented to get this much mileage
and C5 folks bantering back and fourth at each other. Not sure what else I can say on this topic but I for one have let this go and as I said above rant is way over
Last edited by Tino; Sep 4, 2006 at 02:48 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,335
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From: Buckeye Country OH
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Funny story......I'm driving to get my marriage license with no front plate here in Columbus, OH (very near Easton). Officer pulled a euey and lit me up. I was upset with his choice of stops to make this morning to say the least. When he was walking up to give me the citation, a Jeep rear ended(pretty hard) a sedan directly next to us one lane over, about 5 cars back from a redlight(I was stopped right before an intersection). He did not go over and see if anyone was hurt, he just kept talking to us and explaining the ticket. I told him....there ya go, I hope noone is hurt while your explaining this nonsense to us. Where are the priorities we wondered?
I have never had a front plate on either vette, nor will I.
I have never had a front plate on either vette, nor will I.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,703
Likes: 1
From: Don't taze me 'Bro! VA
Originally Posted by c5BlackBeauty
I run without a plate here in Jersey but I know I'm running a risk by essentially breaking a state law. You take the risk.....you pay the price if caught. Bigger fish to fry? Yes probably, but its still breaking the law. Just my .02 cents.
Put the tag on!
And they did
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,786
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
Tino, put the plate on and take a picture to bring to court.
I say screw that law, not putting it on, haven't done so on every car I've owned and not starting now. I'm also going to drive somewhere between 5-20mph over the limit depending on conditions. Come and get me
Yeah I'm a real outlaw
I say screw that law, not putting it on, haven't done so on every car I've owned and not starting now. I'm also going to drive somewhere between 5-20mph over the limit depending on conditions. Come and get me
Yeah I'm a real outlaw
Pro
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
From: Richmond Hill Ontario
Originally Posted by JACKAL0PE
Isn't it the law that you have to run a front plate where you live?
Did you know that when you didn't put a plate up there?
If the answer to these two questions is yes, then pay the fine and STFU.
Did you know that when you didn't put a plate up there?
If the answer to these two questions is yes, then pay the fine and STFU.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 223
Likes: 1
From: Chesterfield, MO
Just orderd a license plate bevel from vette shop. I have selectivly ignored the law long enough and though putting a front plate on is analogous to puttting a mustache on the Mono Lisa the bevel will at least mean it is a trimmed mustache. What a dumb law.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
From: Richmond Hill Ontario
Originally Posted by blazeone
Tino, put the plate on and take a picture to bring to court.
I say screw that law, not putting it on, haven't done so on every car I've owned and not starting now. I'm also going to drive somewhere between 5-20mph over the limit depending on conditions. Come and get me Yeah I'm a real outlaw
I say screw that law, not putting it on, haven't done so on every car I've owned and not starting now. I'm also going to drive somewhere between 5-20mph over the limit depending on conditions. Come and get me
Yeah I'm a real outlaw 