Was crusing along doing 45 in a 45 zone in my van. See flashing lights in my mirror, nowhere to pull off (The section of road I'm on runs between two open fields which are solid mud) - so I put on my hazards and slow down (And get as far to the right as I can in case he wants to pass). I've always been instructed that this is standard protocol for "I see you, but there's nowhere to pull over" and cruise for about half a mile until I get to a church parking lot, which I pull into.
Cop pulls in behind me. I shut everything off and open my vent window (my main window's motors are burnt out and just wait with my hands on 2 and 10. Eventually, he moseys up to my door and motions for me to roll down the window. I tell him I can't, that it's broken.
He rolls his eyes and tells me to get out. I get out. Asks for license and registration. I get my license out of my wallet and tell him that the reg is in the center console behind the map of Pennsylvania, and there's a knife between the seats. He climbs up into the driver's door and fishes it out. Looks all that stuff over, and asks if I know why he pulled me over. I have no idea, and tell him that.
"Your window tint is too dark and your spare tire and that ladder on the back blocks too much of your view."
I explain that a vehicle such as mine is allowed to have any level of window tinting behind the driver in this state because it has sleeping accomodations and thus qualifies as an RV (I checked this out with the DMV) and that it also isn't required to have an unobstructed rear view so long as the mirrors are in place and properly adjusted. "Mmmmhm. Is that a radar detector?" "It was once. It doesn't come on anymore. (It doesn't - it's disconnected) You can try it if you'd like." "That won't be neccessary. You're just full of excuses, aren't you? What's with the big dent in your bumper back there? Get in an accident and never report it?" "That happened in my driveway. You generally don't file police reports about your own stupidity" "Sure. What about that passenger side seatbelt? Where'd the latch go?" "It broke. Can't find a replacement anywhere, so I just don't let anybody sit there." "Mind if I take a look in the back?" "Go ahead." *10-15 minutes of searching for stuff, he finds the cooler built into the floor.* "What's this?" "Uh, a cooler?" "Oh."
So, long story short, I get to drive away with fix-it tickets for tinting that I'm allowed to have, a spare tire and ladder that I'm allowed to have and a radar detector that doesn't work!
Off to court I go!
:|
Cop pulls in behind me. I shut everything off and open my vent window (my main window's motors are burnt out and just wait with my hands on 2 and 10. Eventually, he moseys up to my door and motions for me to roll down the window. I tell him I can't, that it's broken.
He rolls his eyes and tells me to get out. I get out. Asks for license and registration. I get my license out of my wallet and tell him that the reg is in the center console behind the map of Pennsylvania, and there's a knife between the seats. He climbs up into the driver's door and fishes it out. Looks all that stuff over, and asks if I know why he pulled me over. I have no idea, and tell him that.
"Your window tint is too dark and your spare tire and that ladder on the back blocks too much of your view."
I explain that a vehicle such as mine is allowed to have any level of window tinting behind the driver in this state because it has sleeping accomodations and thus qualifies as an RV (I checked this out with the DMV) and that it also isn't required to have an unobstructed rear view so long as the mirrors are in place and properly adjusted. "Mmmmhm. Is that a radar detector?" "It was once. It doesn't come on anymore. (It doesn't - it's disconnected) You can try it if you'd like." "That won't be neccessary. You're just full of excuses, aren't you? What's with the big dent in your bumper back there? Get in an accident and never report it?" "That happened in my driveway. You generally don't file police reports about your own stupidity" "Sure. What about that passenger side seatbelt? Where'd the latch go?" "It broke. Can't find a replacement anywhere, so I just don't let anybody sit there." "Mind if I take a look in the back?" "Go ahead." *10-15 minutes of searching for stuff, he finds the cooler built into the floor.* "What's this?" "Uh, a cooler?" "Oh."
So, long story short, I get to drive away with fix-it tickets for tinting that I'm allowed to have, a spare tire and ladder that I'm allowed to have and a radar detector that doesn't work!
Off to court I go!
:|
