I live in Hawaii, where as long as your blood ETOH is a bit lower than the cop's, "you're good to go, brah." (actually ran into a "local" cop friend in a bar- he was blind drunk. Tried to urge him NOT to drive home- he said, "hey, it's all downhill, brah, so no need for even turn on da engine." Scary part is he DID drive home. (he couldn't walk straight, but I guess he could drive? He was BIG and had a gun, so I wasn't going continue to argue)

Honestly, you have to try PRETTY hard or do something REALLY stupid to get pulled over here (in "third world" Kona, that is- not in Honolulu- a real city- where the moto cops take themselves pretty seriously). They don't seem to care much about moving violations (except for speeding tourist-mobiles) and FORGET about safety violations. No windshield? No problem. James Bond-style zero visability blue-smoke clouds of burning oil? Coool. No muffler? No worries.

From a number of posts I've read about having to "hide" engine mods or worry about visible suspension mods, loud exhausts, bright headlights and other noticible changes, I'm beginning to wonder just how bad it really is on the mainland. I'm getting a WRX wagon next week in Northern CA where I work ~ 2/3-time. I did manage 1 speeding ticket 1st week there (in blatant speed trap that I now realize is "staffed" EVERY morning by the local police w/ 1-2 motos and 1-2 cruisers and their radar guns) and see an aweful lot of CHP on the highways.They could care less about my GrandAm rental, but I wonder if the WRX may draw a little more attention. Obviously, it will be stone cold stock when I p/u next week, but given the general tone of many posts, I am wondering if it might just be better leaving it that way?

Will they really have you pop your hood to look for UP/DP, removed cats or other mods? Is it that bad? Or os ot only the 20 yo "rice racers" that they give a hard time to?
How do the smog laws work in CA? I remember the sniffers. Still used? How much engine moding can be done and still stay "legal". I saw where some poeple pulled all their stuff off b4 checks, but that seems like a little too much trouble.

Aren't there any REAL criminals they should be worrying about (or busting those SOBs that sit in the left lane @ 5-under the limit because it's their god-given right as an american to drive any speed they want in any lane they want)

 

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick of hearing this line. Everyone is always a victim. I agree that checking under the hood for mods is way over board. Many "Real" criminals have modded out cars, and when the cops pull them over and find drugs (Meth, crack) you know the "real" drugs no one has a problem. We do illegal **** to our cars granted it doesn't hurt anyone but the law is there. Don't friggin bash the cops for doing their friggin jobs. Yeah they are out there to get the "Real" criminals, but sometimes a minor infraction can lead to getting a "Real" criminal. Take Timothy McVeah (or however you spell it) he was pulled over for some minor traffic infraction.

I got harrassed by a Cop the other day, and I was pi$$ed, the worst part is I knew him. So I know that some (okay a lot) of cops let the power get to their heads. But you wouldn't blame a security guard who caught you red handed stealling a DVD from a store. Just doing his job. I completely understand where your comming from..... But dont blame a cop for doing what he took a sworn oath to do, "up hold the laws and constitution of the State of (Insert state here) and the United States. *steps off soapbox*

Dont think Im an idealist, hearing (or reading in this case), "Why dont cops go get the REAL criminals" is like running fingers down a chalk board. People are so quick to say that they hate cops or something to that effect but who is the first ones people call when they need help?

Sorry I'll shut up now!!!

 

I see you are on an island. Speak of the cops you know of, not the ones you dont OK bucko?
Cops here in san jose, for the most part are chicken ***** and wont stand up for them selves.
Another post just recently about cops in fremont not coming to fill out a report when someones car is broken in to.
You *do* need to step off and stay of your soap box cause you don't have a freakin clue what cops are like in CA.
Some are nice, but most are ******. I commute hwy-17 (very curvy highway, most people are scurred) every day for work, and I have seen many times where there is an accident where they need assistance, and no more then a minute away is ALWAYS a CHP giving someone a ticket for driving too fast. I don't see how that helps at all, that is not serving, or protecting people IMHO.

so, I say F**K the police, and you too if you think cops are 'just doing there job' all the time.

 

In 2001, there were 1569 alcohol-related fatalities in California. It is a big problem, even if some states show improvement in the past few years.

I have never been pulled over or cited by the CHP just for their amusement. They are professional law enforcement officers. If you drive on public roads, stay within the law, or at least don't do anything that makes you stand out from the rest of the traffic. We have accessible race tracks here in CA, both road courses and drag strips. That's the place to have fun driving and push your car closer to its limits.

California has the toughest clean air laws in the U.S. and there is a push by both the green lobbyists and support by Governor Schwarzenegger to make the laws even more restrictive. You can mod anything you like for performance but almost none of the really good mods are technically legal. Just do what most people do which is to take a chance and run whatever they want for two years, then go back to stock for the smog check. There is a chance you may be pulled over if your mods attract attention, i.e. loud exhaust, illegal front window tint, no front license plate, etc. Beginning January 1, 2005, vehicles 6 or less model-years old will be exempt from the biennial Smog Check inspection requirement. For vehicles with registration renewals due in the 2005 calendar year, this exemption includes model-years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

CA Bureau of Automotive Repair Smogcheck Program.

SmogCentral.com, an independent site.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

Thats a common misconception alot of people have about the police in this country, fostered by LAPDs motto, that the cops are here to protect us. They aren't. They're here to uphold laws above all else. If they can help me they do(maybe) but they aren't here for the explicit protection of the citizen they are an arm of the government.

 

I didn't mean to fight with or ****-off anyone...sorry if it sounded like I was on a soapbox.
I was just trying to get some info/insight about law-enforcement policies/atitudes in CA b/c I haven't spent much time there in the last 20 yrs and will be working there and driiving a new WRX, now.

FIRST: I 'actually' have a great deal of respect for most cops. I have a number of friends who are cops. "Most" of them a good people trying to do the right thing and help out other people and serve their community. There are some on "power trips" or with personality issues, but that's true of every profession.

SECOND: I'm a doctor and regularly see the results of stupid people DUI drugs/ETOH. Personally, I would prefer the cop just shoot those people in the head at the scene of the crime. At the least, those people should lose their licenses and, perhaps, even their cars. At the least, their cars should be painted neon orange as a scarlet letter. If you had any idea of the pain and suffering I witness on a DAILY basis b/c of these people, you would be sickened (as I am). I treat them reasonably (because I have to- I took an oath and I'm a professional) but they sicken me and everyone I work with in the OR. If get behind the wheel DUI, you are weilding a lethal weapon. It's about time this society starts treating DUI drivers like real criminals. When an innocent person is killed by a DUI, it isn't an "accident" it's murder.

THIRD: I was trying make fun of it, but the cops in HI are pretty damn lazy- at least when it comes to enforcing vehicle laws and especially "vitvimless" crimes involving mechanical issues. Every 4th truck here is so jacked-up to Monster Truck levels with wheels that extend beyond the width of their lane (sl. exaggeration), and MANY of the cars (INCLUDING the cop's cars- and here in Hawaii, there is no "State Police" (i.e., CHP, State Troopers, etc.) or police cruiser (on Big Island) and the cops get to drive their OWN cars w/ little blue light in top!), including the cop's cars have limo-tint black out on ALL windows, inclluding driver/passenger.

FOURTH: It's my observsation that CA is pretty damn broke and the majority of these tickets are being given not b/c having a modded car is dangerous, but b/c it breaks a (often silly) law and can generate $$$. Just like the 59 in a 35 ticket I got- the area was 2-lane divided road with daily radar station, clearly set-up to generate tickets and $$. Those cops aren't protecting the public or stopping dangerous drivers. they're effectively and efficiently generating HUGE $$ for the City, giving $150 tickets out ~every 5 minutes for a few hours every moring.

FIFTH: I've seen a lot of threads where people complain of being hassled for their mods. I just wondered if the rest of the State, especially the CHP were really that harsh. Some of those complaining may be young, cocky or obviously riced-out street racers. They obviously draw attention to themselves and perhaps are their own worst enemies (I was young once, too). I've had no front plate on my car in HI for 5 years w/ no hassle whatsoever. I get the impression that no front plate might get you pulled over in CA on the 1st day! THAT's what I was trying to understand.
mahalo,
DrNorm (somewhat fearfully, spending time again on the mainland after many years away from so much of that BS)
there are some benefits to having lazy cops! Or perhaps is just having "small town" cops who know who the real criminals are and spend their time pursuing them and not bothering o/w law-abiding citizens who's only real "criminal" acts aren't really huring anybody else. That's what they're SUPPOSED to be able to use their judgment for! Thankfully, most police officers DO have pretty reasonable judgment.

 

Cops are FORCED to spend time giving out tickets for REVENUE, rather than spending more time on "real" criminals that cost $$ to prosecute. Now, I see people on the road doing dangerous things that SHOULD be sited and have their license suspended, but let's be honest, many cops would lose their jobs if tickets didn't pay the bills.

As a side note, I believe is technically against the law for cops to have a quota, but don't pretend that the volume of tickets a traffic cop writes is not a part of his or her performance assessment.

 

from Wingless Wonder:
[license plate, etc. Beginning January 1, 2005, vehicles 6 or less model-years old will be exempt from the biennial Smog Check inspection requirement. For vehicles with registration renewals due in the 2005 calendar year, this exemption includes model-years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.]

Thanks for that info. We all see those '73 Buick's chugging down the road belching smoke. I remember seeing something like ONE of those "older" autos puts out more pollution than MANY (100's? 1000's?) of modern low-emission vehicles. At least things are getting a little more realistic and reasonable. The people doing engine mods CARE about their engines and tune them and repair things like blown rings, leaky valves, etc. Modded engines (perhaps w/ exception of those w/ cats removed) probably don't significantly hurt the environment. It's the 10s-of-thousands of junkers that are still sputtering along whose last tune-up was probably 20+ yrs ago when it left the factory.

 

You're wrong on this. The CHP receives exactly none of its revenue from traffic tickets.

As far as a renenue source, traffic tickets mean very little. Last year, the State recieved about 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) in revenues from traffic tickets. That seems like a lot. But total state budget was 174,175,000,000. So, traffic ticket revenues consisted of less than 0.57% of the stats budget. Thats very small.

Sources:
http://www.ticketassassin.com/fight.html
http://www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/BUD_DOCS/CHARTS/chart-b.pdf

 

I am pretty sure that isn't correct, the total CA state budget is well under $100B, something like $80-90B if I remember properly. And if they do receive $1B in revenuse from tickets, then it almost pays for 100% of CHP's operating expenses. I couldn't find the 2005-2006 budget, but the 2001-2002 budget was $987M.

http://www.lao.ca.gov/analysis_2001/...2720_anl01.htm

 

Did you look at my source? Thats the CA dept of finance. Not sure you can get much more authoritative than that....

 

Okay, you are right, the total budget including federal funds, special funds, bonds, etc is $174B, but state general fund is only $80B, which is where CHP is funded from.

 

CHP gets plenty of Homeland Secuity funding, etc - all of which is federal funding. Its not fair to suggest that the CHP is entirely state funded, because it isn't.

Still, citation revenues do NOT support CHP - they go into the general fund.

 

<-- bitter to SJPD and CHP.

SJPD said it would be a waste of their time to research who broke in to my home.
CHP has given me tickets for going with the flow of traffic.

So regardless of what people say, I am bitter. :banana:

 

In the six months that I have lived in campbell I have almost been t-boned 3 times by campbell cops who don't like to stop at stop signs. No they were not on there way to an emergency, just being retarded. But hey I guess that's alright because they are cops!

A while back my place got broken into. When I got home I charged inside to make sure the robbers weren't there anymore, then called 911. When the campbell police department picked up they told me it wasn't worth having a squad car come over and take a report?? I have talked to a few sheriff's since and they all agree that a report should have been taken no matter what.

Yes I talk a lot of **** about local cops, but let's be honest; law enforcement does not attract the sharpest knives in the drawer. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of excellent, and intelligent cops out there, but as far as percentages go they are not the majority. Yes society would fall apart without cops, it just sucks that we have to be policed by mindless, power hungry baffoons.

The only thing that annoys me more than people hating cops indiscriminately, is people who think cops could do no wrong.