I wasn't joking, I've seen the regulations. So if they were the blue ones then yah, they are awful for everyone elses night vision. A shift towards red would be preferrable.
I do agree that the blue ones suck (I had a set for almost 6 hours); but these are the stock ones. Hmmm Maybe I'll stop by and pull one out of his vibe just to see what gm/ toyota threw in there.
Those blue headlights do suck though. I'm sure they are out of wavelength spec in many jurisdictions despite the fact that they came that way.
In any case, they're DOT certified for on-road use, which trumps any local or State code. The problem with HIDs is the "non load-leveling" aim of the beam.
Very few vehicles have an automatic (or even manual) adjustment for having a load in the trunk or rear seat passengers.
My old EVO had a 6-position rotator knob to move the beam up or down. The top of the beam had a flat cutoff to tell if it intruded on other drivers' vision. More vehicles need this (likely automatic since drivers tend to just put gas in the car and drive).
For most of the nearly 25 years I served in the AF I was a pilot. However, mid-way through my career I injured my right hand in a power tool incident, lost my medical for four years, and ended up spending those years as a cop. So, I'll give you some clues about life on the other side of the flashing lights.
As has been pointed out above, cops are generally looking for anything out of the ordinary...speeding, drunks, running red lights, obstructing traffic, etc. That's NOT profiling...that's doing their public safety job. Think about it this way, how would the public react if the cops announced they could no longer pull someone over they suspected of DUI because to do so would be "profiling"? Kind'a ridiculous, eh?
Nearly everyone here applauds Trikk's standing up for his rights, so let's use his example of how to deal constructively with LEOs. First of all, driving 10 mph under the speed limit on an empty road late in the evening is one hallmark of a drunk driver, and since getting drunks off the road always up near the top of every jurisdiction's priorities, you can expect to attract attention if you fit this mold. Flipping your mirror to night-mode when the spot light comes on is another, as drunks often forget to do this when they climb into a car at night. Also, a drunk's eyes are slow to constrict from a sudden increase in bright light, so Trikk now has two indicators of DUI, and any cop would be warranted in investigating further.
So he flips on the lights. Now, every State has laws about how you are required to react to a cop's implied order to pull over (the lights and/or siren). The details differ, but in short, you are required to stop in a safe and expeditious manner. Coasting for a mile to show your irritation just sets you up for an evading arrest charge if it comes to writing paper.
Likewise talking back to the officer. Every State has laws requiring you to follow the orders of the police. If he/she tells you to shut it except for answering questions, you fail to do so at your legal peril. And beat the ticket with a fancy lawyer or not, you are still sucking up local taxpayer dollars spending a night in jail and/or having to make a court appearance because you couldn't resist shooting your mouth off. As Forest would say, "Stupid is as stupid does". From the evidence submitted, it strikes me that the officer showed considerable restraint.
So, how DOES one hypermile with a minimum hassle? First of all, know the local traffic laws.
1. For instance, in Arizona the minimum speed is 10 mph under the posted limit, except on the freeway, where it is 55 (max 75). If your jurisdiction doesn't have a minimum, you're good to go unless you're obstructing traffic. You can no more flaunt the minimum than you can the maximum, so know the local requirements.
2. Second, if you are pulled over "for hypermiling", keep in mind that to a cop you may "look" like a drunk. If he/she pulls you over, this is your opportunity to educate/convert him/her. Acting like a morally indignant asshat does not leave a good impression, nor expedite you on your way, so keep your attitude in check. Here are some practical tips:
a. Pull over safely and promptly and turn off the engine. Leave your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2. If he/she wants your documentation, they'll ask you for it. Open the appropriate window so the officer can speak to you. If the cop asks you to step out of the car and come back to theirs, what they are doing is observing you to see if you move like a drunk. So get out promptly and alertly and follow the officer's instructions. Move normally...in other words, allay their suspicions.
b. Make eye contact, speak clearly and smile as you would in a normal conversation with a customer, coworker or supervisor. That's what sober people do when the interact with each other. Drunks vary from head down and mumbling (excessively submissive) to aggressive and belligerent. Show the officer through your actions that you are a sober and responsible member of the public who happens to be doing something a bit out of the ordinary, and not some cleverer-than-normal drunk driver.
3. When the officer asks what you are doing driving 10 mph under the limit ("Do you know why I pulled you over?"), this is your chance to explain that you are safely hypermiling...saving fuel by driving slightly slower than the posted limit. Keep it short and to the point. If the officer wants more information, he will ask for it. Chances are you will now be on your way, but if the officer writes you a ticket, sign it. Save the arguments for court. That is your chance to argue that you were not a hazard to traffic, driving too slowly, etc.
4. Finally, watch Chris Rock's video, .
Cheers! Stan
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Best tank ever: 72.1 mpg in February 2005, Seattle to S.F.
New personnal best 'all-city' tank June '08 ... 61.9 mpg!
Thanks to 'pulse-n-glide' technique.
Last edited by Stan; 07-13-2008 at 03:57 PM.
Reason: Trying to embed the video...
Thank you stan, those were my thoughts exactly. Being a belligerant jackass is just begging for a ticket, why don't you just deck the cop while he writes it too? If you didn't do anything wrong, explain what happened and you'll probably get off with a verbal warning at most.
Likewise talking back to the officer. Every State has laws requiring you to follow the orders of the police. If he/she tells you to shut it except for answering questions, you fail to do so at your legal peril. And beat the ticket with a fancy lawyer or not, you are still sucking up local taxpayer dollars spending a night in jail and/or having to make a court appearance because you couldn't resist shooting your mouth off. As Forest would say, "Stupid is as stupid does". From the evidence submitted, it strikes me that the officer showed considerable restraint.
So if the cop tells you to bend over and take it, you better do what he says. Gotcha.
Wonder if Basjoos has gotten stopped? hes got a lot more miles on his oddity on wheels..
Six times so far, mainly to satisfy their curiousity. They'll pull me over for trivial reasons (dew/moisture obscuring the back window, etc.), go through the license/registration routine, then when they return the docs, pop the key question (and the whole reason that they pulled me over in the first place), "What's all the stuff on the car for"?. I'll then explain it and also pointedly ask them if there is any features about my car that are illegal. If they make a suggestion, I will act on it. The main ones so far has been the clear cover over the license plate (the clear vinyl boattail when the plate was still in its EOM location, then the clear lexan cover on the 2nd gen boattail, I now have the plate uncovered), and the location of the plate (when I had it behind the muffler on the underside of the boattail, clearly visible from behind but too close to the ground and not on the "rear of the vehicle"). Only one cop so far has been honest about why he pulled me over, saying "You haven't done anything wrong, I just wanted to ask you some questions about the car". Another cop followed me into a grocery store parking lot and stopped to ask me questions about the car when I got out to go in the store (no blue light). I've gotten fairly blase' about seeing a blue light in the rear view these days. I haven't been bothered by the cops for quite some time now since my car has become fairly well known in the area.
excuse me for saying this stan, but how many people bother to flip their rear-view mirrors to night mode at night? that's right... 99.999999% of the driving public do not, and that includes LEOs. why is this considered a sign of drunk driving again? the use of that criteria as even a partial justification for a stop is the very essence of entrapment. just because somebody is sober doesn't mean that they wont be irritated and possibly blinded when a cop throws his high beams on them from behind at point blank range, so the officer performing that action should be well aware of the state of mind he is forcing his target into.
I also have to state my unequivocal support for the fact that the tactic of speeding up on a vehicle and tailgating, then throwing on high beams is patently unsafe, and in fact is exactly the kind of thing one would expect a drunk driver to do - without the slowing down part. what happens if the cop misjudges his approach and rearends the person he is looking to intimidate?
in all I find that far too many cops use intimidation tactics on the road in an effort to force people to drive suspiciously or break the rules of the road outright. it all goes to the fact that law enforcement and government in general has come to rely on the revenues generated from ticketing a tad too much, so it is an encouraged behavior. why else would traffic enforement have ticket quotas? and dont you dare tell me they dont - I know that lie all too well as I have relatives in law enforcement myself.
officer showing considerable restraint... I have to go with the founding fathers on this one. abuse of authority must not be tolerated, and persons in authority should only be respected as far as they show respect for those they hold authority over. granted I am not going to go and show my ass to a cop in the field, but you are damn sure if one crosses me sufficiently, I will have his badge in court - if he bothers to show up.
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I take offense to the saying 'it isnt rocket science' to describe the relative difficulty of a given endeavour. Rocket Science is NOT hard... just EXPENSIVE
I can't assume your the one that's going to pull me over. I have to assume it's the 1-5% of bad cops. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best and all that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stan
...
a. Pull over safely and promptly and turn off the engine. Leave your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2. If he/she wants your documentation, they'll ask you for it. Open the appropriate window so the officer can speak to you. If the cop asks you to step out of the car and come back to theirs, what they are doing is observing you to see if you move like a drunk. So get out promptly and alertly and follow the officer's instructions. Move normally...in other words, allay their suspicions.
...
Ha ha, I go even farther. I roll down my window and put my hands on the window sill so he/she sees every finger (I once considered having a fake rubber third hand for fun, but thought better of it). If I have to move, I tell the officer exactly what I am doing. The good cops get their respect and the bad cops have less to use as an excuse.
I have had a couple experiences with bad cops too. Back when I was lots younger early to mid 20's I was bad to drive after having too much to drink. One of the city police in the nearest town to where I lived found out that I drank pretty heavily sometimes and started pulling me everytime I drove into the city limits. After a few instances of this happening I learned if I was drinking to just go through the country on the back roads to get home. I'm not condoning drinking and driving, but what he was doing was not right either.
Another time that comes to mind was about 25 years ago when I moved from KY to NC. One afternoon I was on my way home from work on a four lane road, I was in a lane going straight and a state trooper was in a turn lane, when I went by he pulled out of the turn lane in behind me and pulled me over. I was still driving on my KY license and still had KY tags on the car. The cop said the reason he pulled me over was because the KY plate didn't look right. I guess he thought no one from another state ever drove through NC. Anyway he asked how long I had been living in NC and I told him, which I think it was about 2 or 3 months. He wrote me a ticket for not having my license changed from KY to NC, but he didn't give me one for not having the plate changed. After he finished writing the ticket he wanted me to sign it and I refused. When I was getting out of his car he started telling me where I could go to pay the ticket and I told him I would see him in court. In the meantime I went to the library and studied NC law a little bit. It said that a person had to change their license and tags within 30 days of becoming a resident, but then I also found where the law stated you were not considered a resident until you had lived in the state for 6 months, so in reality I had 7 months from the time I moved to NC until I had to make the changes. When the court date came I was there, but the cop didn't show up. I plead not guilty and was armed for battle with the laws I had found. The judge asked me if I had a valid license from another state and I told him yes and showed it to him. The judge dismissed the case and also made the statement that he was tired of cops writing tickets and then not showing up for the court dates which made me feel really good.
The moral of my stories is you just have to be smarted than the cops.
Thats if, and and a very big one, the judge will let you aruge your case.
OM
Yup, I went to fight a motorcycle parking ticket (bad signage that had recently changed), and the judge was going bonkers at all the defendants. She didn't let me talk but reduced my ticket by half, so that worked out for me.
Yup, I went to fight a motorcycle parking ticket (bad signage that had recently changed), and the judge was going bonkers at all the defendants. She didn't let me talk but reduced my ticket by half, so that worked out for me.
CarloSW2
since when do judges have the ability to deny a person from presenting a defense? that is treading on dangerous issues of constitutionality. granted, she reduced the ticket by half, but that was probably because she was aware of the potential problems her behavior might cause if she ran up against someone willing to *really* fight the charge, and possessed the assets to back up the intent just for the principle of the thing. 99.99999% of people would have been so intimidated by her apparent hostility that they would have folded and been happy they got off with what she deigned to give them.
the entire legal and political scene has gotten way out of hand in the last couple decades - the political profession for at least the last 50 years. to be perfectly honest I have come to the conclusion that lawyers and accountants (ie if a person has *ever* held a degree or license to practice law or accounting) should be barred from ever holding elected office - they know too much about how to manipulate the system and so cannot be permitted to be entrusted with the power of those offices. we need more scientists and engineers in political office... at least then things will actually get done.
[/rant]
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I take offense to the saying 'it isnt rocket science' to describe the relative difficulty of a given endeavour. Rocket Science is NOT hard... just EXPENSIVE
I'd have probably kept a lot of those comments to my inside voice. There's no way he could have given you a ticket for 5 under - the judge would have laughed that one off. BUT, he more than likely pulled you over "just because". He was looking for anything else - cracked windshield, seatbelts, alcohol smell, whatever. He knew he had nothing on you.
My buddy had the 4:00 am shift. He left home at 3:15 am every morning and got pulled over 3 times in the same week BY THE SAME COP. The cops reasoning is that people out at that time of night/morning are either up to no good or going to/from work. So he just pulls everyone over regardless.
I'm still waiting for my first pulse and glide ticket (erratic driving?). I'm only 12 years without a ticket, so I'll always be a couple/three years behind you! That was back when when the speed limit was 55 on the interstates (I-90 thruway in New York), and he caught me doing 64.
I roll down my window and put my hands on the window sill so he/she sees every finger (I once considered having a fake rubber third hand for fun, but thought better of it).
CarloSW2
The rubber hand idea is too funny, thanks for the laugh!
I am not a fan of the police. They never help when I need it, but the moment I slip they are all over me.
Location: currently being held hostage in the burgh.
Posts: 18
i once had officer friendly pull me over in arkansas... four lane highway with give or take a 50-75ft median between. officer is going one way and i was going the other, east and west. i saw him long before we past and watched him after so. he then v-lined for the crossing about 1/2 mile back and immediately flipped the party lights and blasted up behind me...! pulled me over and comes to my car... do you know... yadda yadda... no sir i dont?.. because i couldnt read/see your reg. sticker. . .!?!?!!!WTF. i was nice and asked him to repeat himself.. then asked him why he really pulled me over and explained how i watched him and all... he then told me that my car matched a suspected drug running car in the area... i then asked him if he felt better telling me the truth... jokingly... then offer him every know opening in the car to satisfy his curiosity. he opened the trunk and touched(not open, not move) a single bag in the trunk of a pick of half a dozen or so... then tells me to have a nice day and a safe drive as he wondered away...
some officers are a lil weird...just doing their job i guess
Just driving 5 under is NOT probable cause for him to have pulled you over. He violated your civil rights in doing this. They will however, make some excuse for pulling you over. My brother is a deputy and I talk to him all the time about cops that tail me because I drive a Honda that has a high theft rate where we are. So it frustrates me that I get followed even because I drive a certain kind of car. And really you don't need to give him your ID unless he states his probable cause. You can when he asks if you want to be cooperative, but not until the real reason has been divulged.
