My mechanic installed my TEIN S-Tech today and got pulled over by the Cops!

[mgwashburn]

Hey...I will be driving slow from now on,My local mechanic who is almost 70 years old installed my TEIN S-Techs today. He took it out for a test drive on US Highway 19 North in Holiday Fl. and did a U-Turn where it was not really allowed...next thing he sees, is a cop is following him right on his (removed). Now keep in mind that my Satellite colored Vibe has window tinting which cannot be seen through (yes Florida is kinda lax about that). So the Cop follows him almost two miles before pulling him over in a supermarket parking lot. Luckily he is a 3rd generation car mechanic and knows just about everyone in town, so he got off after rolling down the window and just smiling at the cop.So the question is, now that my car is lowered, are my days of partying late into the night and driving home after a 'couple' glasses of wine over? (Disclaimer; A COUPLE glasses of wine over the course of four or five hours with food, I am not indicating or advocating 'sloppy drunk' here)? Can anyone else tell me if they have had similar experiences of their car becoming a cop magnet after installing 18" rims and dropping it with lowering springs?Gosh, being single and in my late 30's I was hoping my Vibe would be a kitten magnet (synonym used out of respect for my fellow Vibers), not a cop magnet. Now that my Vibe is lowered, I will post some pics tomorrow.

[WaveAction]

i've never been pulled over in my old car..lowered 2.5 inches all around with 17"s and tinted windows..i dont see why you would get hassled..but then again we are in 2 different countries

[engineertwin2]

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »So the question is, now that my car is lowered, are my days of partying late into the night and driving home after a couple glasses of wine over? I know you are joking, but those days should be over anyways - shouldn't ever start! Drunk driving is no joking matter.Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »Gosh, being single and in my late 30's I was hoping my Vibe would be a ***** magnet, not a cop magnet. Well, I actually found that my fiancee almost didn't date me because of my owning a Vibe - the whole "what kind of guy drives a station wagon??? I don't think I want someone that practical!!!"

[WaveAction]

Quote, originally posted by engineertwin2 »I know you are joking, but those days should be over anyways - shouldn't ever start! Drunk driving is no joking matter.it's true..my ex girlfriend got killed in a car accident cause of a drunk driver..also had another friend killed on the highway a few years ago cause of one..

[mgwashburn]

Yes, I am NOT advocating drinking and driving, but certainly my last car was a 1998 Buick Century (my ex-girlfriend totaled my 2006 Golf TDI), and that Buick was absolutely invisible to cops. I could do 70+ in a 55 zone and the police would pull over a Mustang GT or a Ricer that I had just passed.So does this mean my days of driving 14 MPH over the limit are over?

[northvibe]

mines lowered and i get away with speeding a little..you have to remember cops dont really notice its lowered...they just see the wagon hahha.

[waveresponder]

ok so i got pulled over doing i think it was 76mph in a 55 on my way to meet some friends at the movies at around 945pm.....on the 3rd day of driving my brand new vibe...its the new color wave....was running a little late...lol....cop made me show him my registration and drivers license...he came back and said no lie..."keep it 70 and under ill be happy".........now fast forward about a week and half...got pulled over again...this time for tire valve stem lights that flash green when you hit a big bump or go above 40mph..i was doing 34mph in a 35mph zone..must of been a bump....cop wrote me ticket for about 110$..........so in my opinion.....it depends on who the Cop is that pulls you over....your connections....and whether or not you have a EMT-FIREFIGHTER rear window decal.....lol....also i think most Cops dont give us fire/ems personnel tickets...cause we'd give bad patient care to them or something ...but yah the cop that wrote me that ticket......what dumb@$$...he better hope im not on the ambulance or firetruck when he needs assistance...cuz he'll be the last person on scene i ask needs assistance .....but anyways..there are certain vehicles Police pull over more than others.. 1-anything thats fast and or sporty looking2- those that are tinted allot...or at least more than factory tint3- those that have a bunch of teens in them..4-those that are driving odd hours of the night when most normal people would be home sleeping...5-those that are really low to ground6-those with fancy rims/tires7-those with big spoliers8-any vehicle that has a bright and or unique color...especially the color red9- and last but not least...(im not racist...its the truth..at least around here) any vehicle that you can tell without having to take a second glance....a black person is behind the wheel...(usually because of tint either all the way around...or...all black exterior, chrome wheels, and tint combined)

[ColonelPanic]

Slow down, trust me - it's NOT going to kill you... You probably won't be as late getting where you want to go as you think you'll be. And good god, stay off the booze before getting behind the wheel. If you wanted to remain invisible, driving something even remotely sporty looking is not the right thing to do. Especially throwing tint on, lowering it, putting on custom wheels or the like. Now they can't see your age, from the outside it looks like you're just another young kid out there breaking the law with your fancy car.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn » did a U-Turn where it was not really allowed...next thing he sees, is a cop is following him right on his (removed). That is why the cop pulled you over. If you turned around in the middle of the highway at an emergency turn around that is why the cop pulled him over. Not because your lowered.Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »are my days of partying late into the night and driving home after a couple glasses of wine over? Shouldn't do that in the first place. you know the answer to that question.Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »Gosh, being single and in my late 30's I was hoping my Vibe would be a pu55y magnet, not a cop magnet. Yea good luck on that one. My wife was hit on by another girl driving my old cavy not the vibe. My wife doesn't like driving the vibe.

[kevera]

The Vibe gets me some

[mgwashburn]

Well thanks Kevera, I appreciate that.Trust me, driving my previous car, a 1998 yellow Buick Century with Dyna-Ride suspension and a simple AM/FM Cassette radio (two blown speakers and the cassette player would always eat my old cassettes) was definitely making it difficult. Being the gentlemen, I would pick them up on the first date, but after that they would either not be interested in a second, or suggest that maybe they should drive. Not good.Since I picked up my Vibe, my whole life has changed, girls love me, they all want to ride in my Vibe! Unfortunately, with that, it looks like the cops love me too, but definitely not because the want to ride in my Vibe . So I will cross my fingers, I haven't had a speeding ticked in over 12 years, we will see what happens.Any other good 'the cops picked on my Vibe' stories out there?Marc

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by kevera »The Vibe gets me some Mav's Fusion Vibe got him some and married. so ya...and no, not a good idea to be drinking at all and driving home. granted, we've all pushed the envelope a little, but as you get older, you should get wiser. all it takes is a slowed reaction time for bad things to happen. main thing, try not to draw attention to yourself and certainly make sure you know what your surroundings are. i have found that if you see the cop and notice he's there, don't do stupid things that will draw unwanted attention from him. trust me, i was NEVER pulled over in the vibe, but i have been pulled over at least 4 times in the Legacy. all times were doing stupid things that warranted my getting pulled over.

[VivaVibe]

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »Vibe has window tinting which cannot be seen through (yes Florida is kinda lax about that) Now, I will have to differ with that opinion. I purchased my Vibe used with tint already installed. A week later I was pulled over and ticketed for illegal too dark tint. He told me to remove it immediately or I would get another ticket if I'm seen. I did so, and then had it tinted again with a legal percent. Lucky for me the dealer made good on the cost.I don't see the Vibe as being a magnet for either ladies or cops. But, I would say the more radical the mods, then the more you will be noticed. And if you don't want special attention don't drive foolishly, like speeding, driving after drinking no matter how little, improper lane changing, passing too much, etc.Recently I read that in Florida they are targeting drivers for 3 MPH over the limit (no longer 5 allowed), crossing solid lines, blocking an intersection, going through instead of stopping on a yellow signal. Officers will vary on how they enforce, but these are apparently the latest hot items.I say be sensible, relax and enjoy your nice ride.

[mgwashburn]

Haven't a problem yet with my tint and for all I know its within the Florida Legal Spec (it was done before I purchased the used vehicle)...posting pictures of my car in the next post. But will have to say that Florida is all over the map regarding enforcement.I want to post a long rant regarding DUI enforcement here (Pinellas and especially Pasco Counties) or 'the lack of enforcement'. Where I grew up in Massachusetts, you couldn't drive anywhere late at night as the police would pull you over 'without cause' just to check you out. Not bad since M.A.D.D. has a huge presence in New England.But, here in Tampa Bay, especially on U.S. 19 N., driving after 9pm on a Friday or Saturday night, at least 50-70% of the drivers are not only drunk, but will be seriously weaving between lanes. I know this does not occur in many other parts of the country, but here the high amount of unemployment and the fact that over 20% of homes in Pasco County and provable 8-10% in Pinellas County are being foreclosed on is creating a huge, depressed mess. Bank robberies are occurring 2-3 times a week now and it kind of reminds me of that movie 'Fun with (removed) and Jane". This is the reality here currently.Sad but true. Folks, unless you are wealthy, DON'T MOVE TO FLORIDA, as jobs here are few and far between and the best most of us do is work for WalMart at $7.50 an hour, or working at an ALF/Retirement community changing out bed-pans.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn » the best most of us do is work for WalMart at $7.50 an hour, or working at an ALF/Retirement community changing out bed-pans. I really don't know how people survive on 7.50 an hour. House, kids, car payment, house bills, health insurance. It adds up

[VivaVibe]

Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »Haven't a problem yet with my tint and for all I know its within the Florida Legal Spec (it was done before I purchased the used vehicle)...posting pictures of my car in the next post.Legal tint in FL is 30% for front driver and passenger, 15% in rear. Quote, originally posted by mgwashburn »Folks, unless you are wealthy, DON'T MOVE TO FLORIDA, as jobs here are few and far between and the best most of us do is work for WalMart at $7.50 an hour, or working at an ALF/Retirement community changing out bed-pans..Again I will disagree with this statement too. I used to live in Tarpon Springs, and all over the Tampa Bay/Pinellas area. Still have family and friends there, so I visit often. And, yes it is tough there, although you don't have to be rich to live decent. I would say there are pockets where it is tougher; some metros (your area is over populated in my opinion), and in many rural areas it is hard to find good paying work, but still possible. I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time MG. But, you may have to move to another part of the state to find what you need. Here in Jacksonville unemployment is low, there is plenty of good paying work; many bottom jobs start at $8 to $10 per hour. (note: those from the northeast or midwest have a much higher cost of living than here) Housing is reasonably priced with a wide variety of types and prices despite the slow down, and they are still building like crazy. Quality of life is good with lots of cultural, entertainment, dining, sports and recreation available.For anyone wanting to move to Florida, I would suggest careful research of the area you are thinking about. It is a very large state with a wide variety of life style choices and community dynamcis.

[Mavrik]

the cop would have ignored him had he not pulled that fast little u-turn.

[Sublimewind]

Here in Michigan it's a 75$ fine for turning around on the HWY..... You have to ba an "authorized" vehical or you have ot go to an exit... I HIGHLY doubt it was because of the mods... though they do keep an eye on people with mods, as long as you aren't doing anything WRONG, you "should" be fine... I've been driving my Subaru here for 4yrs now without a single ticket or problem and my Impreza RS sticks out like a sore thumb here....

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by waveresponder »....but anyways..there are certain vehicles Police pull over more than others.. 1-anything thats fast and or sporty looking2- those that are tinted allot...or at least more than factory tint3- those that have a bunch of teens in them..4-those that are driving odd hours of the night when most normal people would be home sleeping...5-those that are really low to ground6-those with fancy rims/tires7-those with big spoliers8-any vehicle that has a bright and or unique color...especially the color red9- and last but not least...(im not racist...its the truth..at least around here) any vehicle that you can tell without having to take a second glance....a black person is behind the wheel...(usually because of tint either all the way around...or...all black exterior, chrome wheels, and tint combined)you forgot #10, those that have ricey lights in illegal colors in odd places

[rebbierae]

First, yes, I think the mechanic did get pulled over for the illegal u-turn, not because of any mods. Second, you are getting hacked on enough for the driving after wine comment, so I will refrain. Third, I was just thinking, hmm, late 30's, single, drives a Vibe...cool. Then I saw the "kitten magnet" comment.

[mgwashburn]

OK, I give up.With all the negative comments regarding my law-breaking mechanic, my enjoying a glass or two of wine at a party and the fact that I am single and enjoy the company of women, I have decided to make some important changes in my life that you will all be grateful for.First, I will be calling the Department of Homeland Security and turning in my Mechanic. He did break the law and should probably rot in jail with the rest of those good-for-nothing terrorists.Second, I am henceforth and immediately going to join a Monastery and become a monk. I will be sure to join one that does NOT allow any alcohol intake (because we all know many Monasteries brew beer or cellar wine) and of course I will henceforth become celibate for life.Under the circumstances, it seems like the right thing to do since it seems my fellow Vibers all seem to be celibate, teetotalers and never break the law or incur moving violations. Does anybody know of a good monastery that I can join that has hi-speed internet? And, location is key! I need to be able to get my wind-surfing, mountain-biking, kayaking, scuba diving and water-skiing fixes in, so please make sure they have a good vacation program. thanks,

[rebbierae]

Wow, someone can't take a little razzin'!

[manicdan]

i know of this one really awesome monastary over in Vegas, i saw it on CSI, its great there cause they have all those tourist and u can be an instructor for crazy extreme sports things ur interested in. and if u ever get lonly u can buy a woman, cause me and my friends have a saying, it dosnt count if you paid for it.