I got picked on!
04-08-2008, 05:30 AM
#1
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I got picked on!
I am driving to work in the Z [the DD is in for service] on RT75 nearing I70 when an unmarked rolls past in the opposite direction. Always looking at my mirrors, I checked the rear view to see the unmarked no six car lengths behind me. He zooms up and BAM!, the lights come on.
OK OK... I was not speeding or doing anything stupid. I have been driving this route to work for the last six years. Doing the right things and taking the right steps, I slowly pulled over, dropped both windows, and had all the necessary information in hand.
Trooper [Sgt no less] - "Good morning sir. I pulled you over for what appears to be a tint violation. May I see your license and registration."
Me - "Yes sir." He goes back to the car and returns.
Trooper - "Please put your windows up half way. Do you have paperwork on the tint installation?"
Me - "No sir." I put the windows up half way. He scans his hand behind the passenger window and looks at the rear glass.
Trooper - "Do you know the tint level?"
Me - "I believe it to be 35% sir."
Trooper - "It appears to be too dark. The legal level is 50%."
The Sgt. then decided to inspect more than just the tint. He asked me to cut the wheel hard left.
- Checked my suspension
- Checked my tires
- Checked my plates and holder, front and rear
Trooper - "Your rear tires are kind of low. The front tires have a tad more wear on the outside but appears fine otherwise." - He then checks my mileage. "I will be right back."
The Sgt. came back and issued me a repair order; reviewed the information and the process.
Trooper - "Should you put improper tint back on again after the inspection, it could result in your driver license suspension or worse. I should have been able to see an Asian male in a blue jacket driving while looking at the vehicle."
I acknowledged my understanding of the information and signed the order.
Trooper - "Please be careful when pulling out. Have a good day."
Definitely a weird stop considering that I have driven by MANY troopers, and Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges police, without as much as a second look. It all went down very polite and cordial though.
I suspect this - I do not take the Z out in any weather. It so happened that my Accord daily is in the shop for routine service. Given the overcast skies, the tint probably stood out like a sore thumb. DOH!
Oh well, I will refrain from driving the Z in the weather again.
Sorry - No Abui01-style pics. Btw - I have not been stopped in over 12 years, long over due I guess.
Be careful out there!
OK OK... I was not speeding or doing anything stupid. I have been driving this route to work for the last six years. Doing the right things and taking the right steps, I slowly pulled over, dropped both windows, and had all the necessary information in hand.
Trooper [Sgt no less] - "Good morning sir. I pulled you over for what appears to be a tint violation. May I see your license and registration."
Me - "Yes sir." He goes back to the car and returns.
Trooper - "Please put your windows up half way. Do you have paperwork on the tint installation?"
Me - "No sir." I put the windows up half way. He scans his hand behind the passenger window and looks at the rear glass.
Trooper - "Do you know the tint level?"
Me - "I believe it to be 35% sir."
Trooper - "It appears to be too dark. The legal level is 50%."
The Sgt. then decided to inspect more than just the tint. He asked me to cut the wheel hard left.
- Checked my suspension
- Checked my tires
- Checked my plates and holder, front and rear
Trooper - "Your rear tires are kind of low. The front tires have a tad more wear on the outside but appears fine otherwise." - He then checks my mileage. "I will be right back."
The Sgt. came back and issued me a repair order; reviewed the information and the process.
Trooper - "Should you put improper tint back on again after the inspection, it could result in your driver license suspension or worse. I should have been able to see an Asian male in a blue jacket driving while looking at the vehicle."
I acknowledged my understanding of the information and signed the order.
Trooper - "Please be careful when pulling out. Have a good day."
Definitely a weird stop considering that I have driven by MANY troopers, and Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges police, without as much as a second look. It all went down very polite and cordial though.
I suspect this - I do not take the Z out in any weather. It so happened that my Accord daily is in the shop for routine service. Given the overcast skies, the tint probably stood out like a sore thumb. DOH!
Oh well, I will refrain from driving the Z in the weather again.Sorry - No Abui01-style pics. Btw - I have not been stopped in over 12 years, long over due I guess.
Be careful out there!
04-08-2008, 05:57 AM
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Yup, tint level in MD is 35%.
http://www.tintdude.com/laws.html
He checked your mileage? Now, that is weird.
http://www.tintdude.com/laws.html
He checked your mileage? Now, that is weird.
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04-08-2008, 06:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Alberto
WTF? Legal tint in MD is 35% since when is 50% legal? Godd@mn bored a$$ cops
I just got harassed for the no front tag a couple of times but never for tint
04-08-2008, 06:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Bill_the_Cat
Trooper - "Should you put improper tint back on again after the inspection, it could result in your driver license suspension or worse. I should have been able to see an Asian male in a blue jacket driving while looking at the vehicle."
04-08-2008, 06:52 AM
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One Whacked Cat
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Originally Posted by Paul350Z
Sounds like you finally got caught for your evil crime! 
Originally Posted by nanjingbabe
=( happened to me too... but did not get anything for the tint...
Originally Posted by Alberto
WTF? Legal tint in MD is 35% since when is 50% legal? Godd@mn bored a$$ cops
Originally Posted by SS728
Yup, tint level in MD is 35%.
http://www.tintdude.com/laws.html
He checked your mileage? Now, that is weird.
http://www.tintdude.com/laws.html
He checked your mileage? Now, that is weird.
Originally Posted by bb1314
Should've recorded the conversation and call the cop a WASIS and get out of it at the court
Originally Posted by mdracer76
why did he look at your suspension and tires? WTF?
04-08-2008, 06:54 AM
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Originally Posted by mdracer76
why did he look at your suspension and tires? WTF?
04-08-2008, 06:54 AM
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Legal is 35%, do you have MD tags or VA?
VA legal limit is 50% in front, 35% in back.
Either case just goto a police station or ask a cop nicely to meter your windows. If it checks out fight that ticket!
VA legal limit is 50% in front, 35% in back.
Either case just goto a police station or ask a cop nicely to meter your windows. If it checks out fight that ticket!
04-08-2008, 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Alberto
WTF? Legal tint in MD is 35% since when is 50% legal? Godd@mn bored a$$ cops
Sorry to hear that man. Did u get his name and badge number? That stop imo was questionable. Especially to start running a basic inspection on your vehicle. What an a$$. I would think he'd have better things to do then run random roadside vehicle inspections.
04-08-2008, 07:12 AM
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Just got pulled for nothing but tint on my DD altima coupe. Had 35% film on it which I thought was legal but I read a paper posted at MVA saying 50% film is legal blah blah blah. Good luck getting it signed off on, only 2 days out of the week for a 1.5 hour window BS. 
and the whole inspection is a load of chit man
and the whole inspection is a load of chit man
04-08-2008, 07:26 AM
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Be careful out there!
Apparently, there is a 60-day crack-down going on for tint.
From the Frederick News Post -
"Police began a 60-day crackdown on drivers with illegally tinted car windows on Monday." - This went effective on 3/3.
The full article -
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sec...?StoryID=72037
Apparently, there is a 60-day crack-down going on for tint.
From the Frederick News Post -
"Police began a 60-day crackdown on drivers with illegally tinted car windows on Monday." - This went effective on 3/3.
The full article -
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sec...?StoryID=72037
04-08-2008, 07:33 AM
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f-ck police collecting taxes and harrasing people driving to work and school. I wish they would focus on catching real criminals for rape, theft, and killing... not this petty tint bs.
04-08-2008, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Bill_the_Cat
Trooper - "I should have been able to see an Asian male in a blue jacket driving while looking at the vehicle."
His lack of corrective lenses is not your burden...
None the less, this was a routine mechanical inspection, they do this to A LOT of cars now that states are doing away with inspection stickers.
Basically it's a good excuse to be stopped at any time.. he was probably looking for modifications. If one mod is found, it usually leads to another which usually leads to a $2500 EPA fine for a catless exhaust system.
I got stopped once at dawn on a Sunday morning on the interstate with ZERO traffic going 89 in the Z. The officer completed a full inspection, including checking the mileage, tires, suspension, TURN SIGNALS, and looking under the hood. I was pretty patient and had nearly new Z rated tires and almost new brakes/suspension parts.
He explained the dangers of speeding and blah blah blah and asked if I had kids or was married...
After all that, he said I really shouldn't be going 89mph but if I was going to, that I had "proper equipment" on a controlled access freeway during a time of little to no traffic, and let me go...