Car-Modifiers Face Legal Woes Due to Hobby

[joatmon]

http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/news/2004/7276.html"Auto Enthusiasts Say Police Unfairly Peg Them as Street Racers"

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Very glad I installed a Injen CAI with a Carb Sticker. How come? I highly doubt that you'd ever be driving your car in California. CARB restrictions only apply to CA.A very interesting article indeed, especially considering the fact that I've really been thinking of moving to the San Diego area and I love modifying cars. Hmm, I have to look up their laws now to see if I could use the same loophole that many here in PA use to avoid some of these problems. People who like to avoid the emissions testing here for whatever reason (often modification to the engine to make it run like an engine was MEANT to run) often will buy a small vacation cottage somewhere in Ohio (often the Lake Erie area) and register their vehicles to that address in Ohio. It is nearly impossible to prove your actual domicile in those cases, so it works pretty well. Or you can co-title your car with a good friend or relative in Ohio and register the vehicle through their address. Those are two easy yet rather burdensome ways to get around the crap from the state.So it looks like if I moved out there, I'd have to buy an outhouse in the Nevada desert somewhere dirt cheap and title my vehicles to it. This article has ticked me off in such a deep and fundamental way it makes me want to storm into the police stations out there and pound my fists on some desks while I get very irate. Whoever were the state legislators that signed the documents that gave the local police out there the power to drive around and act like jack-booted Nazi thugs should be hung in the streets. Like there are no problems out there with drugs and illegal immigrants to keep the police busy. I guess that it's just a hell of a lot easier to pull over kids who are obeying the traffic laws but are guilty of having an oversized tailpipe on their car. Gee, Mr. Officer, you get a big pat on the back for a job well done from me. I feel much safer now that you wrote some 19 year old kid a ticket for having too big of a tailpipe, or worse yet, those "high performance" racing gauges that we all know add at least 500 HP to the car while some slimeball is out there pushing drugs on junior high school kids. Way to go! When do we have a parade in their honor? A-holes. Total A-holes. I guess a kid in a nice car makes a better police target since they're basically seen now as potential fine money rolling around. Makes me wonder if the cops get "performance bonuses" for writing tickets that bring in more fine money. Hell, they could make this like a business (which it basically now is, I see) and offer the cops spiffs for busting certain kinds of cars. Bust a Honda or Toyota, get a $100 bonus that week in your pay. Nab a Mazda or Nissan and get an extra $75, and so on. They've reduced the police to a bunch of damn pirates sailing the high seas of the California roadways! Now there's a sure way to improve the image of police in schools and communities!I better quit now, I don't think that my desk can take any more of my fist pounding.

[shibaman]

Here in Elk Grove and Sacramento the police are doing the same thing. If your car looks modified you may be pulled over. I have seen many kids pulled over with their hood up being inspected. I received my CARB sticker for my Injen cai yesterday.

[Pablo1669]

"racing-inspired modifications like spoilers, tinted windows and custom rims and tires drive dangerously, said Steven Chan, third-year mechanical engineering major at UCSB."There is a lot this engineering student needs to learn about racing. I know I wouldn't hire him if I was looking for a Mechanical Engineer.

[Merzbow]

I think that's bull. I sometimes do a little skirmishing here and there but for the most part I just go to the car wash and hang out with the rest of the guys and their modified cars...the police harrass us there. I've come to realize that hanging out and watching the cars cruise by is just as exciting as racing. I rarely ever exceed the speed limit when racing, I allways drop off at te limit. The nearest drag strip around my house is 4 HOURS AWAY! If they were to build a strip near Detroit Maybe people would quit racing on the streets! I know my mom wouldn't let me take my baby to the strip, so maybe that's another reason kids street race? But man , I sure am glad we don't live in Cali with all those stupid emition smog laws That was an interesting article though

[MJN2]

Can you say "profiling"?I knew you could If they want to pull over vehicles with unsafe modifications, they should nail the people that lift their pickups and SUVS 4" or more. I've lost count of the number of those I've seen flipped over due to their high center of gravity.

[Fialchar]

Jesus H. Christ. A cold-air intake is enough to take you to jail there? I'm glad I live in Florida instead of California. Darned west coasters ;P

[MJN2]

Quote, originally posted by Fialchar »Jesus H. Christ. A cold-air intake is enough to take you to jail there? I'm glad I live in Florida instead of California. Darned west coasters ;PCali's emissions regulations border on draconian. When I moved to San Diego back in '92, the car I had at the time (purchased in IL) didn't meet Cali emissions. But, as long as I kept it registered in IL, I was fine.Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Then I thought to myself how about a person who goes and orders a vehicle and they can order a Turbo or S/C and it is installed by the factory/dealer and is sold with the car, can they nail ya for that too?I'm guessing not, as any "factory" upgrades are more than likely CARB certified, otherwise they probably couldn't sell them in CA.

[kostby]

What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks ever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'???THIS is OUTRAGEOUS!Unfortunately, there is no STUPIDITY DETECTOR to keep members of Congress and state legislators from passing ridiculous regulations. If you ever needed a reason to VOTE, here is it![End of rant]

[drummerdude]

Quote, originally posted by MJN2 »Can you say "profiling"?Yes! and i can also say... "do you have a search warrant?" Anything that is your property and they don't have probable cause they can't do anything. i would also say "Illegal Search and Seizure"

[johnsoax]

Quote, originally posted by Pablo1669 »"racing-inspired modifications like spoilers, tinted windows and custom rims and tires drive dangerously, said Steven Chan, third-year mechanical engineering major at UCSB."There is a lot this engineering student needs to learn about racing. I know I wouldn't hire him if I was looking for a Mechanical Engineer.I think you were a little hard on him. His full quote is "That is because police unfairly assume that all people driving modified cars are using them for illegal street racing, especially when owners of cars with racing-inspired modifications like spoilers, tinted windows and custom rims and tires drive dangerously, said Steven Chan, third-year mechanical engineering major at UCSB."That's not what we're about - those guys have never been out here before," Chan said, motioning to the yellow Mustang and a small blue sedan blaring hip-hop music through open windows and doors. "They're the cause-trouble type. This is what we do; we're not out street racing, we're just hanging out."

[johnsoax]

Well which is it guys, Is itQuote »Sgt. Don Clotworthy, CHP spokesman, said although the Goleta and Santa Barbara areas have not had a specific problem with street racing, other areas like San Diego and Los Angeles have. He said the goal of enforcement is to keep the problem from spreading as the popularity of illegally modified vehicles continues to grow.Or is itQuote »"Our concern was preventing illegally modified cars from racing on city streets," Nordyke said. "San Diego offered the training to us, and since then we now have the knowledge [to spot illegally modified cars]."I agree with everyone here who has complained about this crap. I can't believe that they get away with it.

[russ257]

look the fact is cali has dirty air so they passed strict emission laws. IF you get pulled over and your car doesnt meet those laws too bad. If these kids were smart they would make street sleepers that look totally normal but have a hopped up engine. I mean i doubt your car ever goes fast enough for that spoiler you have to generate some downfoce. just because you dont agree with the laws dont expect to not get in trouble when you break them.

[Pablo1669]

Quote, originally posted by johnsoax »I think you were a little hard on him. His full quote is "No, I got the part I wanted correctly, I don't see how tinted windows are considered "racing inspired" is it just me?

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by russ257 »I mean i doubt your car ever goes fast enough for that spoiler you have to generate some downfoce. just because you dont agree with the laws dont expect to not get in trouble when you break them. That was exactly the point. Just having a spoiler on the car doesn't effectively enhance the performance of the car, so why do the cops have to target you just for having one? This is just a poor excuse to assert more government control over people. And some can't understand why some people move to remote parts of Montana to be left alone.Also, there are times when laws need to be challenged because they just go over the line. This is one of them. If you want to stop illegal street racing, then do two things:1.) Build small local racetracks where enthusiasts and the little street punks can race legally. They could even be owned by the state and bring in revenue if done correctly.2.) Target/perform traffic stops on those who are actually street racing. They are operating on the assumption that just because you have some sporty looking stuff on your car that you are automatically guilty of illegal street racing. This is seriously WRONG and a fundamental violation of people's rights and even the constitutional process. It's the same reasoning as saying that since I carry a pocketknife around, I must be out looking to murder someone. They have carried the issue way too far and need to be put back in check. Too bad that the legal system out there is so screwed up or something might be able to be done about this.Not to pick on you or anything, russ, but if we were to follow your logic of blindly following the rule of law in every instance, then we would have to reinstitute slavery and several other things that would seem ridiculous today.

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Police do not need a warrant to go through your car if they suspect drugs or weapons. As for under the hood, dont know. You are right about the drugs, silver. But going under the hood when drugs are not suspected IS a violation of search and seizure provisions. This is actually harrassment. They are hiding behind the ridiculous logic that if you have sporty gauges or other sporty looking things added to the car, that it is sufficient probable cause to start poking around under the hood of your car. Next it might be regulations on what you are allowed to say in your car. This mentality out there frightens me very much.

[AKLGT]

really, this is no different than racial profiling. instead it's car profiling... and what about all the bmw roadsters or corvettes out there? do the cops target those guys as well?up here, i don't really have to worry too much about it. i may drive kinda fast, but i'm no dummy. i slow down when there are other cars on the road. not willing to risk other people's lives.... and i spose in places like LA or Miami where they have probs w/ illegal street racing, i can see where some of them would be targeted.i have illegally tinted windows, and yes, i do drive w/ the stereo blasting alot. but i don't dress like a hoodlum either nor do i think i look suspicious in any way. if i get pulled over and handed a ticket for them, well i accept those consequences. it's do it at your own risk. i may race someone to the next street light, but i hardly qualify that as "illegal streetracing" like they are refering to. i loved the FF movies, but i don't condone that kind of high speed racing on public streets. just not safe and not worth risking my life or others!

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by MJN2 »Cali's emissions regulations border on draconian. When I moved to San Diego back in '92, the car I had at the time (purchased in IL) didn't meet Cali emissions. But, as long as I kept it registered in IL, I was fine.Then I guess my idea of buying an outhouse in Nevada and registering my cars to it would work then. Well at least that is a little bit comforting.Quote, originally posted by MJN2 »I'm guessing not, as any "factory" upgrades are more than likely CARB certified, otherwise they probably couldn't sell them in CA.This is correct. If a factory add-on didn't meet the CARB standards, then it would probably just be available in every state except CA.If I lived there, I'd be trying to get CARB stickers left and right. I'd stick them on EVERYTHING from the spoiler to the rear view mirror just to be a *******. Hell, I might just have the whole car painted up to look like a CARB sticker. But that would probably break some other law and I'd get carted off to jail.But seriously, couldn't you roam junkyards in CA and look for junked cars that had mods on them and yank off any CARB stickers that you could find on them and stick them on your car's aftermarket parts? Or maybe keep calling companies like Injen and just keep asking for more stickers? Just tell them that you lost the one they already sent, it got lost in the mail, etc.? When there's something that I feel is ridiculous and I really want to get around it, I become an evil little mastermind and very stubbornly determined to get around it.

[russ257]

just trying to play devils advocate a little

[Merzbow]

When I become dictator of this country, a few things are going to change;)Special cities will be built just for street racing and pedestrians will not be allowed in it...Drag racing on the strip is all good and fun but there's just something special about being in a city environment This countries law system is DEFINATELY getting out of hand and completely un-acceptable...not to sound anti-patriotic or anything, but we may as well consider this country not to be free anymore if they start regulating our cars! They already banned Freeon or whatever that air conditioning fluid was so now air conditioners are just fans blowing semi-cold air at you...I remember actually being ice cold in my dad's '95 dodge van but now in the Vibe it's just like a normal fan blowing on you!

[russ257]

yeah who needs an ozone layer?

[Merzbow]

(removed)! That about sums it up right there...If we somehow get rid of that dumb o-zone layer, we wouldn't have all these emition laws!!! LOL j/k...the o-zone wont be gone for hundreds or maybe thousands of years so I don't really care...I know that sounds selfish so I'm sorry but that's how I feel