Aftermarket Parts Illegal for registered vehicles

[Jason Sundown]

Why is it that only regular registered motor vehicle owners will get summons, ticket for having say, dark tinted window any percent, loud mufflers, and any other thing the aftermarket industry throws our way. Why is it that the law enforcers and higher level officials what ever they may be can get away with it among each other. Why can't they go after SEMA instead of taking the easy way out and issueing tickets to the purchasers that don't go off roading with the products or for car show use only. Why??? For example, when I had my 64 Impala with hydraulics, every day police officers would ask me to hit the switches and give me thumbs up but then the day I got a $100 ticket at a stop light for 3 wheeling one had to pull me over and ticket me. tried to fight it in court but I already new the law that all wheels must me on the ground at all times. If they are going to be strict then be strict don't allow it one day and then not the next. It made me feel it was ok but then it's not. Does anyone feel the same or have an answer that is not convenient because of their title?

 

[Jim Reeves]

oops, wrong thread.

 

[shawn stonbraker 2]

Did the same thing Big Bear.:wacko:

 

[23Ballistic randyvanaken]

I recieved several tickets for just using hydraulics back in the day.. Not even during 3 wheel.. Here "Houston-Galveston Tx" area the tickets were under "operating a modified vehicle". Once I even took a law book with me to have them show what law I was breaking and where this law was..lol Need less to say I donated plenty to the state between my ages of 18-24 <img src=http://www.streetsourcemag.com/Chatroom/images/8172004115826PM11220.gif> :lol:



You live and learn.. Most of the tickets I recieved we were close to the beach, once a police officer gave me a citation for illegal neons while parked in the sand Yes I was young, 94-95 when neons were cool..

 

[CountyMounty]

Your post got a little confusing to me at the part about the ticket but I think I have a basic answer to your question. The reason why the law does not go after the manufacturers or sellers of the product is because there are people that buy their products and use them legally. It would be like telling Budweiser they can not sell beer because it might end up being used illegally or by someone who can not use it. Each state has different laws so a product may be legal in one state but illegal in another and in almost all cases almost anything is legal for use off of the public way. Why would you put the responsibility with the manufacturer, how are they going to know if it is being used legally or not, even if they asked peope could and would just lie. Many manufacturers will put disclaimers on their products indicating that it might not be legal for street use or legal in your state and therefore they are saying its up to you, the consumer, to make sure you are not breaking the law.



As for the reason for the laws in the first place it is not like a bunch of cops or legislators got together one day and said hey lets just mess with people and make a bunch of stuff illegal. There are reasons for each one and generally it is some type of safety reason or public nuisance issue like is the case with exhaust or loud music. I am not saying that I agree with all the laws or that you have to agree, but I think if anyone stops and really thinks about it ot just makes more sense to put the responsibility on the user of a product not the manufacturer in most cases.

 

[Preston Lasater]

I would have to agree and disagree on some of your comments. I believe that some of the reasons are bullshit. I got a ticket having a white led on the front of my car. How the FUCK is that supposed to harm anyone or make something unsafe? tell me... Heaven forbid headlights are white too... another thing...my license plate had two bolts put on the top of the front license plate and I parked my car and later came back and got a ticket for improper use of license plate. thats where I scratch my head and wonder why you can tell me that there are reasons for it. I'll tell you the reason, its because the city and the state want to make a couple extra bucks and they know that at least half if not most of the public won't go in to fight these lousy tickets because they don't have the time or the money to put the effort. So please stop with the BS. I think that our country has gone way too over-regulated as far as on the street and in the air (i'm a pilot and don't get me started... FAA MISSION STATEMENT: we're not happy til you're not happy). Sorry to rant off but I just don't believe this is a logical arguement. As far as the consumer goes, they should be responsible for what they put on their car, but at the same time the people who make the laws need to realize that putting a license plate on with two bolts (which is more than enough to hold a front license plate might I add) might not be a safety hazard. Please don't get me wrong I agree with all most of your statements exluding the one about the reasons... because the reason is very illogical and can suck my toe.

 

[LaRue Medlin]

PRESTON<< YOU BETTER CLEAN UP YOUR POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Preston Lasater]

I apologize for the vulgar language...but what do you supposed I do? come over and use a sharpie to black out the screen where it has words that bother you?... Don't mean to be a dick but I thought there was a thing called free speech.

 

[JK II]

1. This is a family orientated site. Its freedom of speech according to Rich since he runs this website.



2. Why go after SEMA? SEMA lobbies FOR the aftermarket parts to remain legal.

 

[Preston Lasater]

well like i said above... I apologive, if there was a little button up there that said delete or if there was a way I could go back to edit the post I would...since I don't know how to or there is no such way I can't.

 

[mookie]

Preston, there is an edit button next to your name on the post. You can go back and edit any post that you made.

 

[Johnny O]

The Edit button doesn't stick around forever. There is a time limit (unfortunately).

Also there is no free speech on a privately owned website. The site owner sets the rules. The First Ammendment only says that the government can't limit your speech. Doesn't apply to a web forum that you voluntarily belong to, your employer, etc.

 

[LaRue Medlin]

my edit button is still there, even on a post 6 months ago. I can still edit everything. I think Rich took the time limit away. Whether you can edit or not,, READ THE RULES for posting.

 

[Johnny O]

LaRue,

I hate to stray off-topic, but my post above yours was made about 45 minutes ago and my Edit button is gone now.

But yeah, read the rules. I belong to boards where profanity is okay and ones where it isn't. Doesn't matter a lot to me but the sites where it is not allowed stay more civilized.

 

[Pat Freeman]

"We're not happy 'til you're not happy." Dead on! (DC ADIZ)

 

[JK II]

I hate to stray off-topic, but my post above yours was made about 45 minutes ago and my Edit button is gone now.

But yeah, read the rules. I belong to boards where profanity is okay and ones where it isn't. Doesn't matter a lot to me but the sites where it is not allowed stay more civilized.

Thats wierd. Mines still there on my 1st post from 5 days ago.

 

[Geoff Barker]

If you go straight to the Forum page you can post by entering your password at the same time but if you want to edit you have to log in your password on another page first, otherwise you will not get an edit icon.

 

[Johnny O]

[OT] Okay, that works. Ya learn something new every day. [/OT]



Anyway, I remember back around 2001 I got pulled over and got a "fix it ticket" for having tint on the side glass of my Ranger. Hmm, now I know it's not really legal in PA but I'd had tint on every vehicle I'd owned for the past 14 years and never got hassled. Just had to take it off and go back to the police station to show them. OTOH, in Florida the cops themselves have tint. I'll be the first one to say da law is da law, but a little more consistency would be nice. On the third hand, there are so many laws now that it's unreasonable to expect the cops to know them all.

One definition of a police state is that there are so many laws, you can always get busted for something.

 

[CountyMounty]

Preston I guess that your post was directed to me. First of all the main point of my post was to state my opinion of why the manufacturers should not be held responsible for products that are legal under certain circumstances but rather the consumer should be responsible to use the products legally. I cant imagine it being the other way around, people need to take responsibility for their own actions.



Certainly I did state my opinion about the reason for most of the motor vehicle laws and I stand by that. You will note that I said I do not agree with some of the laws. Our Title 29-A laws contain all kinds of motor vehicle laws that I have never used in the field and frankly do not even know about, but I still believe that all or atleast a very large majority of them came about do to some safety or public nuisance issue. Every year or actually a couple times a year I recieve a break down of the new laws that the state has enacted that contains not only the new law but the reason why the law was brought about. Almost all of them cite a specific issue that has already occurred or is suspected to occur.



I do not understand the ticket for your license plate. If you are saying that you are required to have four bolts on your plate and you only had two I would be a bit upset myself if I came back to find a ticket that resulted in a fine when a warning or a "fix it" ticket would be the correct course of action in my opinion. Even though we both agree that two bolts should be sufficient I would have to disagree that the original reason for the law was to make money, there was a safety reason, someone apparently felt that it needed to be secured to ensure that it would not fall off and either strike another car or more importantly be found and illegally attached. It is even possible that this did happen and then the law was passed. I am not saying that I agree with the law just that it was not originally enacted to gather fine money. Now you could argue that the reason for writing a ticket instead of a warning was to garnish money for the city or state (and I wouldn't debate that).



I very rarely write anyone a ticket for a "vehicle defect", it is almost always a defect card (aka fix it ticket). The only time that I would actually write a ticket for it is after having issued a warning and the problem was not corrected. There was another recent post on here about headlight covers and how having them on at night contributed to an accident. This is a very common reason why I pull over a vehicle and some people throw a fit about there being a law against it. I tell them to remove them and give them a defect ticket. If I were to catch them again a couple nights later I might give them a real ticket. They are legal to have on your vehicle in the daylight hours and if not driving on a public way so therefore many people buy them. If they chose to have them on at night that is their problem and they are responsible not the manufacturer that sells them.

 

[Preston Lasater]

i totally agree with you (firedog) about certain laws that are brought about by unsafe actions, like for instance the headlight covers. I personally would never buy those because I want people to see me while i'm driving and would rather steer clear of any situation that could persuade an accident. I just do not believe this country is "free" anymore. I believe that we are ran more by the government more now than ever before (excluding the time when britain was here). The problem that I face is how stupid people can do certain things to make the public unsafe in order for the states to make laws that pertain to one specific situation that has happened it the past. using a reference... when 9/11 happened (may they rest in peace) does that mean we start discrimination? stop using flight as travel? be afraid and have to look back over our shoulders each day? go about our lives and complain when we got onions on our burger instead of pickles when people around the world would give their left hand for onions or pickles? I don't believe that is a free way of life anymore. I understand about safety and regulation to keep our streets safe; however, just because a guy shoots up a school or commits suicide by firearm does not mean we have to ban firearms. its not the weapon that made it happen its the stupid person who caused the gun to point and shoot.



with all of this rambling on I just want to explain that I understand that a reckless driving ticket is reasonable but just because one person does one thing to cause a problem does not mean we have to change our way of life by making laws in order to keep a small minority happy while the others get tickets for small mindless things such as a license plate.



Also... I also agree that the consumer should be responsible for any actions taken by using the product not the manufacturers... why should we sue browning or smith and wesson for a fatal shooting, or american or united for not making security as tight. It seems that some people have to blame others when something bad happens to them because they're too stupid to realize that its their own fault.



I'm not the type of person to bash and don't think i am because i'm not. I just am stating an opinion in my mind which seems to be logical.



might i add that i have been pulled over by a cop while an audi zoomed past me and he pulled ME over even though i was in the other lane next saying i was racing the other car when it would have been physically impossible for me to get up to 50mph in the short distance that I was pulled over from a complete stop? (at stoplight) He then stated that he paced me and was going to let me off easy and just write me down for 9 over which i had to fight because I felt that it was ethically not right. It later came that he wanted to change it a street racing contest but long story short I ended up getting dismissed in court.



I'm not saying I don't like cops, I have family and friends that are cops. I am glad that they are there to protect us against the stupid people in our society. Please note that I am not judging person by their title but their actions. I hope i haven't pissed anyone off from this i just felt like i needed to address my own opinion. I'm a very open-minded person. Thanks again and I love this site.