It Happened

[bigslim]

I knew it would happen but it came sooner than I thought. Today I was going to meet some of the other Motor City Marauder guys and a Michigan State policeman pulled me over for having tinted windows. I saw the way he looked at me when I went by him. Next thing I know he was busting through traffic to catch me (I was doing the speed limit). He pulled me over and told me to put all four windows down and place my keys on the roof of the car. He then wrote me a citation and said if I remove the tint off my front two windows by a certain date that I would not have to pay a fine. As I sat there I counted six other cars go by with tinted windows. I am deciding if I am going to pay the fine and take my chances again or just remove the tint. I guess if the cop hadn't been four feet tall he might not have been so angry.

[RCSignals]

I'm not sure how you can contest it, unless you arm yourself with a slew of pictures of cars with tint as dark or darker than yours.

Personally I think if there is going to be such tint laws for cars, they should apply to everyone, Government agencies, politicians, Police, etc, but they don't.

[Directedby]

You can just pay the fine and not remove it.

HOWEVER, if you get another ticket, the fine is much much larger. They keep record of each fix it ticket and if you pay the fine and get another it will keep on going up.

This happened to me for tint. Got a ticket, paid the $75.00 fine.

Got another ticket for the tint and the fine was $250. I then decided to remove the tint. and didn't want to go for a third at $325.00.

[bigslim]

It should be universal for everyone. I see different police agencies around here that have tinted windows. What makes them better or higher than anyone else?

[Paul T. Casey]

Many states have a so-called tint gague to measure the darkness. There is probably a law that states how dark you can go. I'd find out, and if you're within the legal limits, fight the ticket.

[DetGeno]

BIG, MI2QWK4U SAYS DO NOT PAT TKT PM HIM W/NUBER!

[rct]

The judge will tell you that the law is not arbitrary, only the enforcement of it is arbitrary. In other words, the other cars with tint as dark as yours just haven't been caught, and that doesn't make it ok for you.

The tinted window laws in NJ are so pathetic that I abandoned the idea altogether after only one visit to a tint shop. It ain't worth the agravation.

[Alan]

Did the officer actually use a device to measure light transmission through the window?

Not sure about the laws in your neck of the woods, but in Texas...I can't write anyone for tinted windows without actually measuring the amount of light transmitted through the film on the window. I can't just assume that the tint is "too dark". Check your local laws.

[Ross]

"I guess if the cop hadn't been four feet tall he might not have been so angry."


Oooohhh, do I detect discrimination against those of us who are vertically challenged?

[bigslim]

I really am not picking on the vertically challenged, I was just blowing off some steam. I'm not that tall myself. This guy really had an attitude. Told me if I continue to get stopped for the tint I could have my license revoked and I couldn't even go to the store to buy a loaf of bread. And to answer the guestion, there was no meter used.

[merc406]

I'm not sure but I think they have to use the meter but MI2Q. would probly know for sure. Oh, State cops seem to have an attitude problem, they pulled my daughter over for no reason but that it was 2:00am and had 2 friends in the car and gave her a hard time with a threatening tone--she's 26, clean record , let her leave 5 min. later.

[bigslim]

Hey merc. Nice to hear from you. I was told the law in Michigan is no tint on the front two windows unless it is a four inch strip at the top of the glass. I will find from Dave when I see him. I hope to see you and him Thursday at Duggans.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by bigslim
no tint on the front two windows unless it is a four inch strip at the top of the glass.

That's odd for the front side windows. 4" at the top usually applies to the windshield

[bigslim]

That's our crazy law here.

[rct]

NJ is no tint at all on the front two windows. Talk about a car that looks like A$$ if you tint it according to the law. Yikes.

[bigslim]

I found out why I was pulled over for the tint. Here in Detroit the State Police have been told to pull over MM's for any reason they can. It seems that most that are pulled over have weapons or drugs in them. I guess it is a car for the bad guys. The only thing questionable that has been in my car was my ex-girlfriend.

[merc406]

Ha ha, I mean oh, anyway's their's a Marauder on Lakeshore that has the mirror fad to tint on her windows, looks awesome, you seen this type before bigslim?

[bigslim]

I have seen this tint but not on MM. I'm sure it does look good.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by bigslim
I found out why I was pulled over for the tint. Here in Detroit the State Police have been told to pull over MM's for any reason they can. It seems that most that are pulled over have weapons or drugs in them. I guess it is a car for the bad guys.

:lol: so the Marauder is being "profiled"
Better call the ACLU