Zhadman Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/05/576.asp *sigh* It's funny how California is the unofficial home of the billion-dollar-a-year (or more) aftermarket industry... and is the least car friendly state in the US. This is the exact reason I'm not doing a THING to my WRX that will make it look modified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 As I've posted in other forums, there are periodic crackdowns like this generally caused by a few sensational accidents and/or Hollywood sensationalism (The Fat and the Furriest). Politicians (including DAs running for office) exploit the situation to gain some points with the car fearing soccer moms. Given time this too shall pass. Oh, and BTW, those of you living in states other then California, take note. This is coming to your state soon. Its another way for local agencies to get money and for your local Congressmen to gain easy political points before the mid-term 2006 elections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Since we're not supposed to do the political thing here, anyone wanting to debate might want to check this out: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 I think this post is fine because its directly related to what we do here at HydridZ. If it turns into a bash Democrats or Republicans thing then I'll kill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Here in Arkansas, two kids racing (at least one had NOS) hit a motocycle rider (may have killed him). First response by the legislation was to ban NOS in any CAR instead of doing the right thing and nailing the DRIVER for HE did. :banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Good old California, Fox just reported tonight that of all the vehicles registered to the state (purchased by the gov) they can only account for half of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaparral2f Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 God, I'm glad that I live in Oregon! Oops, I meant to say its even worse up here so everyone is better off not coming here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynekarnes Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 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 California Highway Patrol, the "citation is based on officer's judgment." actually that statement is incorrect ... and exhaust is spelled wrong ... though i don't doubt that the pole lease are cracking down on the hondas and other rice rockets out there, my associates tell me it's a safety thing ... wild kids with less than 2000 hours of driving experience behind the wheel of a car capable of maiming and killing innocent motorists and pedestrians at speeds in excess of 72 mph. california has a noise law, officers are required to use a decibel meter at a prescribed distance measured in feet from the vehicle at idle and higher rpms. it is not at the discretion of the officer, though in some communtities officer barney fife may insist that it is and judge po dok may agree, the law says otherwise ... the laws regarding noise and other vehicle modifications, for various states can be found at sema.com specialty equipment manufactures association's web site ... with all the inaccuracies in that article, i suspect the author did very little research and shot from the hip with what he/she believed to be true. but, one thing is for sure ... the cops are looking to make quota and a few bucks for the city, while slowing down and thinning the herd of giant rear wing equipped, coffee can exhaust pipe tipped buzz bombs, pulling them over and passing out tickets is an easy way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Same thing is going on up here in Canada as well.. at least in Ontario. Never mind we pay the most taxes, have the highest car insurance rates, and have about 20 hoops to jump through JUST to get any used car on the road, than any where else in the country.. The cops are 'cracking down' on us the same way and here, and it IS at the officers discresion to say how loud 'too loud' is. I know several people who have had to pay tickets for just that, and while their cars were not whisper quiet, they were nowhere near as loud as some bikes in the area.. I know plenty of guys that ride too, never heard of them getting a ticket for being too loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynekarnes Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 The cops are 'cracking down' on us the same way and here, and it IS at the officers discresion to say how loud 'too loud' is. was that way here in california as well. through petitioning and the automotive parts industries getting on board, our legislators got together with enthusiasts and suppliers and came up with a noise standard, so that way it wasn't up to guy behind a badge to bully some guy with loud pipes. this was about 5 years ago. there is a customizer here called california concepts. they modify brand new cars and trucks for chevy, chrysler, ford and a few others. customers were getting tickets pulling off the lots in their brand new trucks and cars. back to the dealerships to complain ... a friendly cop who liked cars would sign off the fix it ticket ... week or so later a non car type would write another fix it ticket ... dealerships had enough, banded with sema, car clubs, magazines ... helped to get the noise standards passed here in california ... you all may need to do the same ... light a fire under your reps ... get standards set , so it's not up to some bully with a badge to arbitrarily decide he's writing a ticket because some kid has a green mohawk and loud exhaust. i agree about the harleys ... motor on down the road causing windows to shake and yet, very few of them get a ticket ... years back, they would have... but with these wealthy yuppies running around on harleys, more of them than the traditional biker ... generally cops don't hassle people with money. contact your local and provincial reps ... see if you can get some standards set. then it's a fair and level playing field ... what's loud to me may not be to your neighbor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 i agree about the harleys ... motor on down the road causing windows to shake and yet, very few of them get a ticket ... years back, they would have... but with these wealthy yuppies running around on harleys, more of them than the traditional biker ... generally cops don't hassle people with money. Yeah, try living around Milwaukee! Some people say that when all is quiet, all you hear is the ringing in your ears... but around here, all you hear is a V-twin taped, ripping through the gears in the nights air. Seriously, I have yet to see a Harley rider pulled over in all my years here. On another note, I have been pulled over for doing well over 100 mph on a '98 YZF600R on a city street near home here and let go by an awsome officer who "had trouble catching up" to me. He flipped the cherries on at a light and me knowing he got the plate, because he was right behind me (was a friends bike), I reluctantly pulled over into the bus lane. He asked me if I had my motorcycles liscense, which I did and showed him, he then told me to slow down. I asked his name, he told me and I sped off. Looking like you have money has nothing to do with it. Riding something other than a Harley, well... !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatRaveR Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Motorcycles are held to a higher noise standard than cars (about 10db higher than the car standard if I recall correctly). Though I agree, the noise they generate is more obnoxious than most cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zguy95135 Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 but, one thing is for sure ... the cops are looking to make quota and a few bucks for the city, while slowing down and thinning the herd of giant rear wing equipped, coffee can exhaust pipe tipped buzz bombs, pulling them over and passing out tickets is an easy way to do it. There's no quota Besides haven't we known that California legislation is retarded for a long time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 This isn't a west coast thing. In Virginia, I can't alter my exhaust, use non DOT stamped lights, tint my windows beyond 50% on the front doors and beyond 30% on all others, alter or lower the suspension with bags or hydraulics, use a CAI (Emissions), NOS, remove ANY polution controlled device (This is not only federal, but VA. has its own laws, so it's a two-for ) , use racing harnesses, and any host of lighting that has "colors" like neons anywhere on or within the vehicle. They have even gone so far as to debate making spinners illegal. Welcome to the communist wealth of Va.! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 I recently just found out about the virginia thing, that you can't even lower a car or have any non-stock exhaust either, they are really cracking down, when most of the cars that are lowered and have an exhaust do not seem that loud, its the honda guys that hit redline on ever shift(like one of my buddys) that make the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonsZ Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 ... the cops are looking to make quota and a few bucks for the city, while slowing down and thinning the herd of giant rear wing equipped, coffee can exhaust pipe tipped buzz bombs, pulling them over and passing out tickets is an easy way to do it. Be happy that they have a quota, but it's not what you think, I know an officer who would be happy to write more tickets in his 12 hour shift, but he was specifically asked to tone it down when he was breaking records on ticket writing. Now he spends hours of his day wasting time. (he says there is no minimum, but if you did not write at least a few, you'd get asked what you were doing all day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonsZ Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 This isn't a west coast thing. In Virginia' date=' I can't alter my exhaust, use non DOT stamped lights, tint my windows beyond 50% on the front doors and beyond 30% on all others, alter or lower the suspension with bags or hydraulics, use a CAI (Emissions), NOS, remove ANY polution controlled device (This is not only federal, but VA. has its own laws, so it's a two-for ) , use racing harnesses, and any host of lighting that has "colors" like neons anywhere on or within the vehicle. They have even gone so far as to debate making spinners illegal. Welcome to the communist wealth of Va.! Mike[/quote'] California has all these laws and many more, but since there are so many people, they usually don't think it is worth spending a hour doing paperwork for a $10 fix-it ticket unless they can get a bunch of them at once. I've seen a bust at a gas station, I was stuck at the pump and had top be searched, luckily, my Honda was 100% stock (on the outside). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 What its going to take to stop this is a citizen doing the following: 1. If there is no "normal" probably cause or reason for the stop other then suspicion of modification, the citizen must refuse consent to search. 2. If the officers say they are going to search anyway, request that a supervisor be present before the search begins. 3. Takes notes if possible of everything said, who was present, etc. 4. Once a ticket is issued, hire two lawyers - one to fight the ticket and a second for a civil suit alleging illegal search. 5. Start writing lots of checks and be willing to push this to the California Supreme Court and on the the 9th Circuit. If its gets to the 9th Circuit, you'll win for sure. Until someone is willing to do that or gets SEMA behind them, this kind of stuff will continue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Which means it will never stop... Such is the life... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 5. Start writing lots of checks and be willing to push this to the California Supreme Court and on the the 9th Circuit. If its gets to the 9th Circuit' date=' you'll win for sure. Until someone is willing to do that or gets SEMA behind them, this kind of stuff will continue.[/quote'] This is one of the few occasions where the ACLU might be able to make themselves useful... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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