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#1 ·
Okay, I've been debating doing this for a while now. And, I'm kind of tired of the "I hate cops" threads. Have you ever wondered why a cop gave you the ticket rather than someone else? Is this mod or that mod legal? What would a cop do if he saw this or that happen on the road? As many of you know, or have been able to figure out, I'm an Officer with the California Highway Patrol (It is, therefore, my primary job to give tickets, take drunks to jail, and write-up accident reports). I've been doing the job for about three years, which doesn't make me an expert. I figure that it would be nice to allow you guys to "pick me brains" on stuff. I'd like to be able to answer questions that you guys have about certain situations, and what not.

Keep in mind that some of these answers are MY opinion, not those of the department, or even other Officers. Even if you do what I suggest, you might still get a ticket, or go to jail. There will have to be rules, though. Here they are:

Main rules are these --

1) RESPECT -- I'm not going to put on my flame suit, anyone that's going to post in this thread SHALL be respectful to me, and other Officers. Anyone who is not, won't get a reply. Call anyone with a shiny piece of metal on their chest a "Pig", and you won't get a reply.
2) HONESTY -- Be honest about what happened, and how you reacted. What you, and the Officer said.
3) BE NICE -- Not following this is the most important. Foul language SHALL be kept to a minimum! If you can't express your anger without first calming down and using adult words, then I have no room for you in my life.

Others are things along these lines --

1) Questions about Vehicle Code SHALL be in regards to California laws only! I don't work in other states, and therefore have no knowledge of their laws. If you bring up a law in another state, you have to post the law in question. Even then, I would only have limited knowledge in regards to it.
2) You can ask me what I would do in a given situation, but don't expect other Officers to do the same.
3) Other Officers can post replies to questions, but everyone SHALL follow the two primary rules.
4) I enforce the law, I don't write the law. If you have a problem with how a law is written, this isn't the place to air your concern.
5) After I turn the ticket in, I have limited knowledge on how to deal with it. My knowledge is limited to what I have encountered in my own experiences with getting tickets (yes, I do get them from time to time).

Questions about the CHP might be able to be answered on the Departments website www.chp.ca.gov

With all this in mind, let's see how this thread goes. I'll try to answer questions as best, and as quickly as I can. I don't have the ability to spend hours upon hours each day on these forums, so I might not be able to answer things right away.
 
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#2 ·
couple questions.

-Is your car modded?

-Is there any circumstance in which a front liscence plate cannot be mounted on the bumper, yet legal? (i.e. inside the front window)

-Do you give younger drivers (21<) a harder time?

-How can I get a 99-11 liscence plate/sticker?

-Would you ticket a Fanatic:hi: ?
 
#3 ·
-Is your car modded?

Yes, slightly :shhh:

-Is there any circumstance in which a front liscence plate cannot be mounted on the bumper, yet legal? (i.e. inside the front window)

It's supposed to be mounted on the front bumper. I think it looks stupid in the front window, but that's just me. You could hack it (which could get you in trouble) and mount it above the lower lip on you car. I saw this on an IS 300 and thought that it was a decent way to get around mounting the thing to the front bumper.

-Do you give younger drivers (21<) a harder time?

Nope, as long as they don't pop-off or cop an attitude with me. I stop cars, not drivers. Most younger people have a harder time following the rules, I know I did.

-How can I get a 99-11 liscence plate/sticker?

You mean 11-99, right? www.chp1199.org
Keep in mind that this is NOT a guarantee to get you out of tickets, or even being stopped. And, if you're going to donate for this reason alone, don't do it. This is a really good charity that helps out the families of Officers when they need it. Oh, just read about 'em on the site.

-Would you ticket a Fanatic:hi: ?

I don't know, probably, but it would depend... :p
 
#4 ·
I think the plate in the window looks bad too, but I just cant bring myself to drill holes in my bumper. So if you pulled over a driver with a plate in the window would you ticket him?

I realize that a donation to the 11-99 foundation doesn't prevent tickets, but I figure hey, it may help me in a case or two, while supporting a rather under appreciated branch of civil enforcers. I won't lie, Im not a fan of the CHP, but I just figure it's service is something I take for granted. Can I just call them up and put in a donation for...?

Ticket a fanatic? Cold blooded:p .
 
#5 ·
ModdedMouse said:
I think the plate in the window looks bad too, but I just cant bring myself to drill holes in my bumper. So if you pulled over a driver with a plate in the window would you ticket him?

I realize that a donation to the 11-99 foundation doesn't prevent tickets, but I figure hey, it may help me in a case or two, while supporting a rather under appreciated branch of civil enforcers. I won't lie, Im not a fan of the CHP, but I just figure it's service is something I take for granted. Can I just call them up and put in a donation for...?

Ticket a fanatic? Cold blooded:p .
I saw a thread somewhere in here about making a bracket that bolet to the underside of the front bumper. Pretty clean. Oh yeah, to answer your question, I'd probably write a ticket for that. It just looks too dumg to not deserve one :D

To join the 11-99 you call them, they send you an application, you send it in with your donation. I think........

Cold blooded? Yeah, a little bit, but I doubt that I've ever stopped a fanatic. If I have, Oh well. I have a job to do, right? My partner and I wrote 2 M3's in a row the other night on the 91 freeway in Anaheim...
 
#6 · (Edited)
ModdedMouse said:
I think the plate in the window looks bad too, but I just cant bring myself to drill holes in my bumper. So if you pulled over a driver with a plate in the window would you ticket him?

I realize that a donation to the 11-99 foundation doesn't prevent tickets, but I figure hey, it may help me in a case or two, while supporting a rather under appreciated branch of civil enforcers. I won't lie, Im not a fan of the CHP, but I just figure it's service is something I take for granted. Can I just call them up and put in a donation for...?

Ticket a fanatic? Cold blooded:p .
I saw a thread somewhere in here about making a bracket that bolted to the underside of the front bumper. Pretty clean. Oh yeah, to answer your question, I'd probably write a ticket for that. It just looks too dumb to not deserve one :D

To join the 11-99 you call them, they send you an application, you send it in with your donation. I think........

Cold blooded? Yeah, a little bit, but I doubt that I've ever stopped a fanatic. If I have, Oh well. I have a job to do, right? My partner and I wrote 2 M3's in a row the other night on the 91 freeway in Anaheim...
 
#7 ·
Hey frobie,
thanks for making this thread, I think itll help a lot of people clear up some questions and concerns...
what do you think about tint?
and...
dont you honestly think cops give people under 21.. maybe even 25 a harder tiem?
I mean, everytime Ive ever had a cop come up to me, I always put my hands on the wheel, car off, keys on the dash, and say "sir" every other sentence. But still I think cops pop an attitude with me, rather than the other way around.
oh and...
what about racist cops? more than we think there are?
My dad was a cop.. and knew more than well racism in the force.

Thanks,
Alex
 
#10 ·
frobie more questions to ya! (thx for making this thread)

what rights do i have when getting a ticket?

why do i have to sign? can i request more information on the ticket before i sign? i assume i get arrested if i dont sign the ticket.

Im asking this because I've been written up by a cop who "paced" me (no laser/radar), he wrote on the ticket my speed as "80+". isnt that abit questionable? could i have asked for more information i.e. traffic conditions? i didnt fight it, i just paid and did traffic school.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I'm a Peace Officer myself. So here's what I say, being from Minnesota and having done law enforcement work in Virginia, Wisconsin, and here in Minnesota. Don't mean to :bump:, just adding my $0.02 in case anyone wanders North or wants to hear from another police officer. Hope you don't mind.

-Is your car modded?
Yes, and it's not stopping unless my fiance cuts me off. It really IS an addiction. Minnesota has much more liberal laws and enforcement than in California when it comes to modifying cars. The big things that are enforced when it comes to mods is Tint, noise/sound, and plates.

-Is there any circumstance in which a front liscence plate cannot be mounted on the bumper, yet legal? (i.e. inside the front window) (In Minnesota)
On any vehicle displaying classic/collector plates, only the rear plate needs to be displayed. Same goes with dealer plates and In-Transit plates. It should be noted that many police officers will not enforce the front plate law if you drive a very high-end vehicle like a Maserati or Ferrari as they are typically not sold with front plate mounts as standard equipment, but not all police officers are like that.

-Do you give younger drivers (under 21) a harder time?
Typically, no. If they're polite and courteous, then I'm cool. If they give me any attitude or try to call a lawyer, then it's a one-way trip to ticketsville, but that goes for anybody I pull over. It also depends on what they were doing. I have zero-tolerance for alcohol-related offenses and driving, especially for minors. Under 18 drivers are also much less experienced, so I tend to do more "chewing out" than I do to older people, but that's about it. If anything, I have a tendency to be harder on females because they tend to think they can get away with stuff easier. If any female tries to flirt or cry her way out of a ticket, I will ticket on the spot.

-How can I get a 99-11 liscence plate/sticker?
In Minnesota we have similar Sheriff's Association stickers and so forth, and Other states I've been in have similar stuff as well. I have a tendency to not be as strict with these people, but that all depends on the offense and the attitude of the passengers in the car and their level of compliance. It's not a Get Out Of A Ticket Free card, though. And yes, I DO check the dates on the stickers(if they have them)...

-Would you ticket a Fanatic ?
Discretion would really apply here. I would ticket a fellow Bimmer enthusiast, but it'd have to be something pretty extreme for me to do it because I understand the mindset. As long as you're not acting retarded, I'll probably let you off with a warning. It also comes down to whether they pulled over right away or not, and how they acted when I approached them. Respect is always the key.
 
#12 ·
Ok
here is my quesiton(s):
If its raining and you are in an empty parking lot sliding your car when there aren't any cars around is it violation? My guess is yes but what if you are in a private parking lot, for example mall parking lot.

Would you give a ticket for that kind of violation?

Does becoming peace officer require you to know how to slide the car in controlled manner (drifting)??


BTW thnx for making this thread many more questions coming up :)

Stickky this! LOL
 
#13 ·
Thanks for doing this frobie!
Based on my own experience, I've come to believe cops are more likely to ticket for differential speed than absolute speed (within reason). Put another way, you are more likely to be ticketed for how you are going fast than how fast you are going. Is this actually the case or have I just been lucky?
 
#14 ·
bunnykiller67 said:
what do you think about tint?

dont you honestly think cops give people under 21.. maybe even 25 a harder tiem?

what about racist cops? more than we think there are?
Tint... I've posted my thoughts of it in other threads before, it goes like this. If (hopefully when) California legalizes tinted front side windows, I'll be on of the first in line to get it done. If I wouldn't get in trouble for it at work, my car would be 35% all the way around (I think that looks the best, MHO). Until then; As long as I can see through the front windows to see if the driver is wearing a seatbelt, then I won't stop the car JUST for tinted windows. I may throw in the tint if I stop them for speeding.

Age issues... I can only speak for myself on this subject. Keep in mind that I mostly work freeways and make stops on cars, not drivers. I think, and studies have proven in the past, that younger driver's take more risks than those with more experience. I did (it took me two weeks after I got my license to spin a car into the grape vines :D ). For the most part, I don't give verbal warnings to anyone, younger people included. The one thing that I WILL rip into someone under the age of 21 for is drinking and driving. That, obviously, is a MAJOR :nono:

Racism... I'm sure that there are cops out there that are racist, but it isn't as common as people think. I feel it's usually someone does something that warrants either a ticket, or a chewing of the trunk, and they thought they should get a warning. The cop writes them a ticket, and they claim the cop wrote them the ticket JUST because they are such and such a race. I don't know which force your dad worked for, or how long ago it was, but in today's Politically Correct (which I hate) world, there's no tollerance for anything ressembling racism!
 
#880 ·
Racism... I'm sure that there are cops out there that are racist, but it isn't as common as people think. I feel it's usually someone does something that warrants either a ticket, or a chewing of the trunk, and they thought they should get a warning. The cop writes them a ticket, and they claim the cop wrote them the ticket JUST because they are such and such a race. I don't know which force your dad worked for, or how long ago it was, but in today's Politically Correct (which I hate) world, there's no tollerance for anything ressembling racism!
I don't know what world u live in if u don't think cops are racist. Maybe u are white, and u had no trouble growing up. But that's ridiculous.
 
#16 ·
Speeder said:
Frobie,

Awesome idea :thumbup:

In fact, I think you should put a link to this thread in your sig. Although that may bring in the trolls :dunno:
I think the link would bring the trolls. My guess is that they don't want to take the effort to click through the forums to get here, but that with the link, they'd gladly come in and poop on this parade. :) So, for now, the directions in the sig' will have to do. :p
 
#17 ·
tdevil said:
(thx for making this thread)

what rights do i have when getting a ticket?

why do i have to sign? can i request more information on the ticket before i sign? i assume i get arrested if i dont sign the ticket.

Im asking this because I've been written up by a cop who "paced" me (no laser/radar), he wrote on the ticket my speed as "80+". isnt that abit questionable? could i have asked for more information i.e. traffic conditions? i didnt fight it, i just paid and did traffic school.
I did this thread more for MY peace of mind, than anyone else's :D

You have to sign the ticket because it is NOT an admission of guilt. It is simply a promise to take care of the ticket before the date at the bottom of the ticket. If you refuse to sign the ticket, you will get arrested, and taken immediately before a judge. Keep in mind that if you do this on the weekend, then you'll get to spend the whole weekend in the pokey!

I pace people ALL the time. Best thing about it is pulling over the person with a radar detector after pacing them while speeding. It just entertains me. I write people up for 75+, 80+, 99+ all the time. There are a couple of reasons why:
1- You were fluctuating speed between say 80 and 85.
2- You were actually going a steady 80, or 85, but most judges don't allow traffic school for more than 15mph over. If I write you for 80+ in a 65, then it cuts you a break so you can actually go to traffic school. Reason why it says 80+ rather than 80? It's easier to testify on the ticket if you decide to fight it.
3- 99+ is what I usually write when people are going over 100. Over 100 is a mandatory appearance before a judge, 99 is not. Keeps me from having too much court.

Why would you need to ask about traffic conditions? Weren't you driving in them too? Make a mental note of it, for use at a later date, if you like.
 
#3,116 ·
I did this thread more for MY peace of mind, than anyone else's :D
.....

3- 99+ is what I usually write when people are going over 100. Over 100 is a mandatory appearance before a judge, 99 is not. Keeps me from having too much court.
about a month ago i got pulled over on 280 for doing 98? i have a mandatory court appearance? how screwed am i? possibility of loosing my license?
 
#18 ·
Reedo302 said:
If any female tries to flirt or cry her way out of a ticket, I will ticket on the spot.
Rules for making sure that you will get a ticket from me.

1) Ask for a break or warning. Don't tell me how to do my job, thank you
2) Flirt (Girls, and Guys [it's happened])
3) Cry
4) Have a radar detector. I know, they're not illegal, but in my opinion if you try to get out of tickets, so when I catch you, you need to get spanked by daddy :D
 
#19 · (Edited)
klubbheads said:
Ok
here is my quesiton(s):
If its raining and you are in an empty parking lot sliding your car when there aren't any cars around is it violation? My guess is yes but what if you are in a private parking lot, for example mall parking lot.
If it's in a private parking lot, vehicle code infractions aren't enforcable. I personally wouldn't give a rip about it; but be careful. If there is ONE other person in that parking lot, then it can be considered exhibition of speed. Which is a Misdemeanor and can be enforced. Also, there are probably cops out there who would say that it's reckless driving. Again, I'm a car guy, and look for chances to hang the back end of the patrol car out :D If I've got lights and and go around a tight corner, the back end WILL step out :shhh:
Does becoming peace officer require you to know how to slide the car in controlled manner (drifting)??
CHP Academy has the best driving instruction of any academy. We have a "skid pan" that is a peanut shaped (I guess) track of sealed cement. It's set-up with sprinklers that keep it under about a half inch of water. Add to this rear tires on cars that are shaved smooth and inflated to 85psi. This all adds up to good times, if you ask me!! If you can't control a slide through a 90 degree left-right-left combo, you fail driving. You fail driving, you fail the academy.

Stickky this! LOL
I figure it should get enough action to not need to get stickied :dunno:



HeeHee!!! I finally figured out how to split a quote :clap:
 
#20 ·
jpr said:
I've come to believe cops are more likely to ticket for differential speed than absolute speed (within reason). Put another way, you are more likely to be ticketed for how you are going fast than how fast you are going. Is this actually the case or have I just been lucky?
You are either very observant, or very experienced. I've never heard it put that way, "how you are going fast than how fast you're going." I'll give an example. Flow of traffic is going 75mph in a 65mph zone (I don't normally write 10 over). There's no one around me with expired registration or such. What do I do? I can't just drive around all day and not write tickets. I look for the person that is jumping in and out of lanes trying to get past everyone else. Or, that is tailgating REALLY bad.
 
#21 ·
Great thread!

I think this will allow alot of the members to become informed about local laws and enforcement rules and should help not with breaking the law, but rather respecting it, and understanding why these rules are in place. With that said, if there were two cars, both going 15-20mph over the speed limit, and one was a nice, well maintained sports car and the other was a hooptie, which would you pull over if their driving style was exactly the same?
 
#23 ·
jpr said:
Thanks for doing this frobie!
Based on my own experience, I've come to believe cops are more likely to ticket for differential speed than absolute speed (within reason). Put another way, you are more likely to be ticketed for how you are going fast than how fast you are going. Is this actually the case or have I just been lucky?
:werd:
 
#26 ·
deletedpenguin said:
Great thread!

I think this will allow alot of the members to become informed about local laws and enforcement rules and should help not with breaking the law, but rather respecting it, and understanding why these rules are in place. With that said, if there were two cars, both going 15-20mph over the speed limit, and one was a nice, well maintained sports car and the other was a hooptie, which would you pull over if their driving style was exactly the same?
There is method to my madness!! I explain this to ALOT of people that I work with. If everything else is equal (speed, vehicle condition, etc.) this is the order that I stop cars for speeding from first to get stopped:

1- SUV
2- Pick-up Truck
3- sedan
4- sports car/sporting car (BMW, MBZ, anything designed for high speed driving)






















5- And somewhere down here is a sportbike :p
 
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