Speaking of glass...

[deerejoe]

Well............it had to happen.
Left the farm and went into the 'big' city to cruise around and enjoy the sights.

Passed a parked city police patrol car and noticed the young officer giving me the once-over...figured he was awe struck with my shiny, black MM.

About a mile down the 4 lane he suddenly appeared in my rear view mirror with lights poppin and siren blaring.
I pulled over with him close-in behind me.

I watched him slowly walk up to my rear passenger door and crouch down as if to draw his weapon...I immediately lowered my window and he jumped up and carefully came closer to where he could look into the car.
"Place your hands on the wheel where I can see them", he said.
"Do you know why I stopped you", he asked.

"No idea, officer", I said.

"You have gangster glass on your car; and it's illegal", he replied.

Long story, short...he took a 'reading' with an instrument on my door glass to determine the amount of light diffusion which calculated to 6%.
Missouri law states a maximum of 35% allowed on driver/passenger door glass.

My fine day was topped off with a $95.00 ticket and this parting bit of advice: "We don't like fancy gangster cars around here...get that stuff off and act like a respectable citizen"!!

Wonder what Al Capone would have said to that??

[Petrograde]

:mad: our tax dollars at work! How petty! Speeding? .... ok Reckless Operation .... ok DUI .... hell yes! But, getting pulled over for tint? How stupid.:mad2:

[bigslim]

So that's how they treat you out in the hicks? I have 35 front and 25 rear here in the Motor City. I hope i don't get pulled over. Here in this city we have a lot of true Gansta's.

[03SILVERSTREAK]

Originally posted by deerejoe
"We don't like fancy gangster cars around here...get that stuff off and act like a respectable citizen"!!


I wonder what would happen if the bunch of us show up at his town for a "Ganster Car Convention"
:uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :shot: :bandit: :bandit: :bandit: :pimp: :pimp:

[RF Overlord]

Originally posted by deerejoe
"We don't like fancy gangster cars around here...get that stuff off and act like a respectable citizen"!!

Sounds like you got pulled over by Sheriff Buford T. Justice, or possibly by the fat cop from the old Dodge commercials: "You in a heap o' trouble, boy!"

And I guess you're not black; you'd have been posting from the Crowbar Motel... :rolleyes:

[cyclone03]

Sounds to me like the Chicago group needs to make a little side trip to Missouri on the way to Dallas...

[Ross]

Hmmmmm, waiting for some of our LE members to post on this one... The law IS the law, but then, some cops just seem to be looking for trouble where there ain't none.

[LincMercLover]

Never had a problem with mine... Then again, I ride with the windows down a lot... :D

[Fourth Horseman]

This is exactly why I chickened out and went legal on my tint. I'd like 35% all around, but it's not legal here in Utah. :( Sorry to hear you got stopped for something so petty, deerejoe.

[HookedOnCV]

Minnesota also has 50% VLT maximum tint on the driver and passenger windows. I was pulled over also (I might have been doing 7-8 MPH over the limit on the highway) and had my windows tested by the LEO. They DO allow for variation in the factory tint (+/- 5% maybe?).

Afterward, I went back to the shop that did the tinting and found that the tint manufacturers actually allow for factory tint as well. My tint film is 55% VLT, plus the factory tint of 90% VLT or so.
The officer testing my window said I was borderline at 45% VLT, and luckily didn't issue a ticket.

Todd

[engine23ccvfd]

I dont mind that he gave the ticket "the law is the law" but he should of done so w/o the smartass comments!

Thats how cops get a bad name!

[O's Fan Rich]

Window tint is only for those with something to hide!!!!
Take a look at all them Florida cars with the dark tint jobs. Those older folks down there , with their squinty eyes, and turn signals flashing, they are ALL up to something!!!
The other reason to have dark tint is being real ugly. :)

[03SILVERSTREAK]

Originally posted by Rich_Long
Window tint is only for those with "something to hide"!!!!
Take a look at all them Florida cars with the dark tint jobs. Those older folks down there , with their "squinty eyes" and turn signals flashing, they are ALL up to something!!!
The other reason to have dark tint is being" real ugly". :)


That's strange . Most of us on the .net have window tint on our MM . So that means as by Rich_Long , we must have something to hide , or have squinty eyes , or were all real ugly . :puke:
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[TAF]

I'm not an LEO, but my thoughts on tint...

As an officer...I would not want to have to approach cars, at night, with full tint that I couldn't see through.

Just my opinion...and I'm at 35% on mine...GA limit.

[03SILVERSTREAK]

Originally posted by TAF
I'm not an LEO, but my thoughts on tint...

As an officer...I would not want to have to approach cars, at night, with full tint that I couldn't see through.

Just my opinion...and I'm at 35% on mine...GA limit.

I'm glad that your tint rating is acceptable by GA law , but this is not so much about tint , it's about why people decide to put tint on there windows . I have dealt with this question to driver's for a long time . some do it for style , others for possible criminal activites , but most if not all of us are Law abiding Citizens here on this board . for some to opinion those three reasons as"ALL"is like saying ALL with tint have something to hide . Trust me I know what it's like to aproach vehicle's with darkened windows .
as you would say-Just my opinion...
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Warpath]

Originally posted by deerejoe
...Wonder what Al Capone would have said to that??

He probably would have replied with a tommy gun.

If you are wondering why it is illegal, try driving around at night with sunglasses on - especially dark ones. Wear a helmet while your at it.

[deerejoe]

Today, I had the 5% tint removed/replaced per Missouri law.
I would just be hard headed not to comply after yesterday's citation.

One respondant wants to know why (we) I did it initially...style has to be right up at the top.
Cooler interior temps. with an already hot (heat) black car might be another reason...summers here tend to be very hot and sultry.

But to exceed legal parameters is not really smart on my part...I certainly knew the limits when the tint was installed.

The officer gave valid reasons for the law: driver safety...night vision is seriously reduced with 5%. Driving around with your window down to see at night is rather silly!!
One may want to get a convertible...no restriction (top down) on your vision with that.

The other reason has already been addressed...safety for the police officer.
I agree that it is scarey to approach a vehicle with black glass; day or night.

So, I pay the fine and pay again for the new (legal) tint.
This tint caper has cost me nearly $500.00 total to date!!
Now THAT'S stylish.

[prchrman]

Too many LEOs getting killed trying to do their jobs...if seeing in cars helps save lives (and I see how it could) I am for it...and as for the cop being a smart alex...we must have more than 2 smarty pants on this board...

[O's Fan Rich]

Ahhhh, sarcasim. So misunderstood....so often confusing.
Oh well, I tried!!

[deerejoe]

Originally posted by Rich_Long
Ahhhh, sarcasim. So misunderstood....so often confusing.
Oh well, I tried!!


Rich_Long:

I got your drift right from the start...nothing like a bit of injected humor to salve an otherwise somber moment.
Thank you.

[sailsmen]

If the law is truly for LE safety then why doesn't the law just state that when pulled over by LE you must roll your windows down whether you have tint or not?

In our state on the state level alone every other year 1,500 new laws are passed and each one reduces our freedom!

Thats 56,250 new state laws over the course of a lifetime.

[dwasson]

That's strange . Most of us on the .net have window tint on our MM . So that means as by Rich_Long , we must have something to hide , or have squinty eyes , or were all real ugly .

Guily of all three I guess

[Petrograde]

Here's what I always do when pulled over:
- turn the car off
- roll down all the windows
- put my hands (holding the keys) on the driver's door

Cops like to see your hands, I've been told by LEOs in my family. I like to put the cop at ease as much as I can!

[O's Fan Rich]

When I was last pulled over ( long time ago!) I rolled my window down, placed my hands on top of the steering wheel and waited until I was given permission to reach for my wallet.
Oh, wait, I lied, last time I was pulled over was July 4 1999, and I was on my motorcycle. No tinting involved. I just removed my full face brain bucket.
No sudden movements!!

[dwasson]

Cops like to see your hands, I've been told by LEOs in my family. I like to put the cop at ease as much as I can!

I always to not scare people with guns. Maybe it's just me ...