Got I Weird Ticket...

CptFarlow

Senior member
Apr 8, 2005
381
0
0
After leaving a friend's house the other night I got pulled over just as I was getting onto the highway. After they asked me the usual questions, they pointed out that it was illegal to have my graduation tassel hanging from my rear-wiew mirror.

First of all, I never knew that.
Second of all, everybody and their grandmother hangs something off of it.

It is for $75, which I don't mind paying...but for this? I really want to fight this. A lot of people have told me that I will win. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.
 

BooGiMaN

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2001
7,955
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0
in calif i believe its illegal to have anything hanging from the rearview mirror that can impede your view not sure about your state
 

HappyPuppy

Lifer
Apr 5, 2001
16,997
2
71
That's right, in most states it is illegal to hang anything from you rear view mirror. If you can't figure out why then maybe you should go back to hight school for a few more years.
 

Juno

Lifer
Jul 3, 2004
12,574
0
76
i had my graduation tassel hanging for a year and never got pulled over. that's definitely weird.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
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Originally posted by: CptFarlow
After leaving a friend's house the other night I got pulled over just as I was getting onto the highway. After they asked me the usual questions, they pointed out that it was illegal to have my graduation tassel hanging from my rear-wiew mirror.

First of all, I never knew that.
Second of all, everybody and their grandmother hangs something off of it.

It is for $75, which I don't mind paying...but for this? I really want to fight this. A lot of people have told me that I will win. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Fight it no matter what.

Otherwise lube up your ass and get ready for the traffic police to take you to town.

Sounds like you're a victim of their quota.
 

Nick5324

Diamond Member
Aug 19, 2001
3,267
0
0
I guess if that's the law, it's your responsibility as a driver to know the law and obey it. However, this law seems silly to me, and a $75 ticket is a joke.
 

BooGiMaN

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2001
7,955
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i think he got pulled over because the popo thought he looked suspicious, when he saw there was nothgin wrong..he picked the tassle to ticket him with.
 

CptFarlow

Senior member
Apr 8, 2005
381
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0
Originally posted by: meltdown75
what the heck did you get charged with? speeding?


No. It says windshield obstructing view. Which is kind of funny.

As to what somebody said above, I guess they saw it....but it was night. I figure they just used it as an excuse to pull me over.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
That's right, in most states it is illegal to hang anything from you rear view mirror. If you can't figure out why then maybe you should go back to hight school for a few more years.

Same with having sex with a chick in your car...obviously something you don't know about.

:beer:
 

Rock Hydra

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
6,466
1
0
Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
in calif i believe its illegal to have anything hanging from the rearview mirror that can impede your view not sure about your state

It's the same for New York. My mom has a stuffed fish hanging from her rear view mirror and had it hanging there for a year or two and hasn't been pulled over.

Most cops don't even want to bother with something like that. I'm thinking that cop wanted to meet his ticket quota or that it was a newbie that was excited to make a stop.
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
68
91
Originally posted by: CptFarlow
After leaving a friend's house the other night I got pulled over just as I was getting onto the highway. After they asked me the usual questions, they pointed out that it was illegal to have my graduation tassel hanging from my rear-wiew mirror.

First of all, I never knew that.
Second of all, everybody and their grandmother hangs something off of it.


It is for $75, which I don't mind paying...but for this? I really want to fight this. A lot of people have told me that I will win. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

First of all, ignorance is not an excuse
Second of all, how does that make your infraction legal?
 

CptFarlow

Senior member
Apr 8, 2005
381
0
0
Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Originally posted by: CptFarlow
After leaving a friend's house the other night I got pulled over just as I was getting onto the highway. After they asked me the usual questions, they pointed out that it was illegal to have my graduation tassel hanging from my rear-wiew mirror.

First of all, I never knew that.
Second of all, everybody and their grandmother hangs something off of it.


It is for $75, which I don't mind paying...but for this? I really want to fight this. A lot of people have told me that I will win. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

First of all, ignorance is not an excuse
Second of all, how does that make your infraction legal?


When did I ever say that I thought it was legal? I said it was stupid. I have not lived in this particular state for that long, and it was always legal in PA when I lived there.
 

acemcmac

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
13,712
1
0
Dude, plead not guilty, call the DA and just ask him to explain himself. He'll either reduce the charge to nothingess, cut the fine in half or just blow it off. Usually, when a DA realizes that you're going to be annoying on a traffic ticket, he'll offer you a deal to save himself the hassle.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
224
106
Originally posted by: Rock Hydra
Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
in calif i believe its illegal to have anything hanging from the rearview mirror that can impede your view not sure about your state

It's the same for New York. My mom has a stuffed fish hanging from her rear view mirror and had it hanging there for a year or two and hasn't been pulled over.

Most cops don't even want to bother with something like that. I'm thinking that cop wanted to meet his ticket quota or that it was a newbie that was excited to make a stop.

And you know this how?

1) Quotas have been discussed many times - they're not something that all departments have..namely because they're illegal. Blanket statements saying that officers have to meet quotas come from ignorance.

2) Excited to make a stop? You can follow any car for five minutes - chances are that they will conduct a traffic violation.

3) If the officer had noticed anything suspicious, the tassle legally gave him probably cause to pull the car over - as ridiculous as it sounds..it's technically a visual obstruction (per FL law..not sure about everywhere else). It's also 'technically' illegal to coast downhill in neutral..etc..
 

EGGO

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2004
5,504
1
0
Something's wrong here. I'm not saying that what he got you for is a primary offense, but they usually don't waste time to even do that. I keep stuff hanging on my rearview mirror all the time. I got caught twice for speeding, the officer just gave me a ticket for the stuff on the mirror instead.

What I'm saying is that I find it wierd that he just took his precious time to do that, are you sure you're not telling us everything?
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
68
91
Originally posted by: CptFarlow
Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Originally posted by: CptFarlow
After leaving a friend's house the other night I got pulled over just as I was getting onto the highway. After they asked me the usual questions, they pointed out that it was illegal to have my graduation tassel hanging from my rear-wiew mirror.

First of all, I never knew that.
Second of all, everybody and their grandmother hangs something off of it.


It is for $75, which I don't mind paying...but for this? I really want to fight this. A lot of people have told me that I will win. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

First of all, ignorance is not an excuse
Second of all, how does that make your infraction legal?


When did I ever say that I thought it was legal?
I said it was stupid. I have not lived in this particular state for that long, and it was always legal in PA when I lived there.

Stop doing that
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
40
91
Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
That's right, in most states it is illegal to hang anything from you rear view mirror. If you can't figure out why then maybe you should go back to hight school for a few more years.

hmm my school makes us to hang our parking permit on the rear view mirror - or we'll get ticketed
:roll: