Got my first ticket this weekend......but not for speeding!!

[HawkeyeViper]

Three specific incidents this weekend ended up putting me in a very bad mood!!!

With the fine weather my wife and I decided to take a bit of a road trip through western Wisconsin and back down into Iowa along the Mississippi.

First along I-90 in southern Minnesota, I was driving eastbound, saw a Sheriff car approaching me...his radar wasn't on, since me Valentine One didn't utter a chirp...I was actually doing the speed limit, and there was plenty of traffic around me. I see the cop's head about spin off his shoulders as I passed him and instantly the V1 goes off....

Second, driving through Wisconsin on a windy river road I keep picking up radar chirps from a speed trap up ahead as the cop pings cars passing him, once again doin g the speed limit I pass him, and he proceeds to pull out and follow me...radar on full blast for about 2-3 miles, literally tailgaiting me. Once he figured out I was not about to run through his town at 100mph and kill some of his citizens he finally pulled off.

Third, driving through a small town in NE Iowa, I pull up to a stop light, with a cop car facing me across the intersection. I could see him taking a good hard look and as soon as the light turned he whipped his cruiser around in the middle of the intersection holding up traffic, put on his lights and siren, and pulled me over.

"Sir, where is your front license plate?" I about fell over!!!!
Yes I know it's the law in many States to have a front and rear license plate, but to squeel tires, whail sirens and hold up busy traffic to pull me over for a "no front license plate" ticket seems a bit much. I informed the cop that Vipers don't have alocation for a front license plate. "What d'ya mean they don't have aplace to put one?" He laughed. So I invited him to take alook for himself and show me where I'd put one! "I don't need to look it's your job to have one!"

So sure enough he wrote the ticket. I informed him that I'd be happy to pay it but will never drill into a 75 000 dollar vehicle just to avoid getting a 20 dollar ticket!

I know Vipers get alot of attention, but it almost seemed this weekend that I was being "profiled' because of the type of car I drive! I am a law abiding tax paying citizen.....aren't there better ways for cops to pursue truth and justice!!! No **** labs they could be shaking down???

Anyways i feel better now I have vented!

One question if anyone can answer...the cop informed me that a ticket for no license plate does not affect your license points, and is not reported to insurance companies.....so other than paying the ticket, why should I ever feel compelled to put a front license plate on????

 

[RX VIPER]

It's a non-moving violation so it should not affect your rates. Grrrr! Those darn cops in those little towns where they feel have to make more money off speeding tickets than they do off their sales tax.

Go into your local Dodge dealership and ask to buy the plate bracket for the Viper. They won't have one in stock. Have them give you a copy of the out of stock invoice/back ordered item. Keep it in your glove box. Every other month make a new copy w/ a new date. Never take delivery of the holder. Hope this help.

 

[Snakester]

It's best to just jimmy-rig something temporary (maybe a thin metal L-support through the grill opening)to hold onto the plate.

It's fix-it ticket, like a dragging exhaust or broken taillight, and I'm not sure that you can just pay it off.

You need to fix it, and take the car in to a local police station. Then you have a policeman sign it off, and the ticket is taken care of. I don't think that there is any other cost. But if you blow it off, they win as it will escalate with added fines, and eventually a failure to appear citation will be issued, and it will eventually (if ignored long enough) become a warrant for your arrest. (goofy huh!?). If seen such "$20" tickets hit $3,000-$4,000 when ignored for a long time. It's quite a racket.

When I was waiting to fight a ticket in court years ago I counted $86,000 in late fines assesed before my name came up. It's best to just take care of it quickly.

Most of the time if a policeman wants to give you a ticket, but you aren't doing anything particularly illegal, they will hit you with the ole' front license plate.

I haven't had a front license plate on any of my cars for around 20 years, and I've been ticketed three times for it (twice on the same car)in all of those years.

And each time I ******** my front plate, drive a few miles and have it signed off, take it home and remove the plate and I'm good for another 6-7 years.

The reason that they ticket on front plates (other than meeting quotas) is because many cities have ticketing cameras at various intersections and freeway overpasses.
The cameras are automatically triggered by excess speed and take a picture of the front of your car. Then you get a ticket in the mail with a photo of you driving your car, and it showing your face, your front license plate, and the offending speed, with a fine attached.

But the big-brother ticketing system doesn't work without front plates installed.

Good luck,
-Dean.

 

[HawkeyeViper]

My question though is what if I simply refuse to ever put on a front license plate...I'm happy to pay 20 dollar fines if it means never having to put one on.

However are there legal ramifications other than paying tickets...can my license be suspended....my car impounded?? Any lawyers on this board?

The other problem is the town in which i received the ticket is about a 3 hour drive from my home....I am not about to drive 3 hours to prove I have front plate.....anyway the cop simply told me to mail in the payment for the ticket...he didn't tell me I needed to prove i have it fixed!

 

[DodgeViper01]

Dear "HawkeyeViper":

THAT REALLY STINKS!!!! I can not believe they would hound you like that. Cops are just a pest sometimes.

You have nothing to worry about. They will not impound your car for a no front plate ticket. I have received the same ticket and it is just a pain. I had listed a post a few months back. The only thing that can happen is that you keep getting the tickets; nothing more. I mean really do we really want to drill holes into our Viper's?? It is really dumb.

As for the front plate I would suggest that you keep it in your car. I know that here in New Jersey we will not get a ticket if the plate is in the car. You just have to prove that you have the plate and it being in the car proves it.

Hope this helps

Keith

 

[Nexus-6]

Forget doing anything to the car. Not worth it.

Open a little account in a jar at home for "front plate tickets" and just pay the $20 or whatever when it happens. Non moving violation = no big deal.

In the past 4 years I haven't had a single ticket (knock on wood) in any of my vehicles - not one of which has a front plate.

 

[joe117]

I live in Maryland and I'm not sure about this but I think they give you one point for small, non moving, violations.

This is probably the 10th time talking about the front plate thing.

The problem is that without a front plate in a state that requires one, you are leaving yourself open to being stopped, questioned, tested, inspected and generally hassled.

They can't just pull you over for nothing, unless they trump up an excuse. You guys that say, "I'm never going to put one on my car", are simply cop bait.

Any time your high priced sports car gets stopped by some low bucks, small town cop, there is always a chance that he just might hate you enough to find "something" in the ash tray. When that happens, you might find yourself without your car.

 

[Elite1]

And then all you hear about is how the complain and moan about how many cops they are having to lay off during this economic down time and the cities don't have the money to pay all these "public servants". The fact is they are not worried about loosing cops to protect us from criminals and terrorists and such ilk, its because their loosing tax collectors.

Heres another great example of the use of cops in our town lately.

For over a week now, there has been some kind of construction on I35 and Hwy 190 in a North burb of Dallas that is backing traffic up at this hwy intersection. Anyway, every night its backed up both ways and then when you get just past the notes hwys some people are trying to get past the jam and as we've all seen people go through the median to get on the frontage road. But wait, there are 8 cops just directing those folks off into a parking lot for ticket duty. Now this is a pretty interesting site to see, cops waving down people that cut across the median just outside through the traffic that is currently on the frontage because they bailed from the hwy a couple miles back. Now someone could say well there just enforcing the law, however, the one night I saw in the car next to me stuck up on the intersection someone just about got assaulted by someone else that was all ticked off for some reason, guy got out of the car and beat on this guys car and everything.

 

[AJT]

I got tired of worrying about the front license plate problem. Nothing like going out to dinner & having a couple of beers with your meal & worrying about being pulled over for no plate. I bought that bracket from someone on this site that uses the existing holes in the front bumper to mount a frame. It looks great & no holes drilled.

Andy

 

[MichaelP]

Just register your car in FL then you dont' need a front plate. As an added bonus you can wash your title should you ever total it.

 

[DEVILDOG]

Hawkeye,
I'm glad we are safe from law breakers like you. Thank God there are still good, brave, non-jealous cops out there that have the intelligence and dedication to prioritize giving you a no front plate ticket and keeping America safe!

 

[Elite1]

Do they need those insane inspection stickers over their in FL?

 

[Nexus-6]

You guys that say, "I'm never going to put one on my car", are simply cop bait.

A red Viper with white stripes already IS cop bait...front plate or no. No offense but give me a break...

In any event, the cops around here seem to look the other way for the most part. It's only if you're pulled over for some other reason (100+ in a 40mph for example) that they'll tack on the front plate ticket just for kicks.

 

[Y2KACR]

Hawkeye,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. The officer must have a big ego and small [richard]. I live in the Iowa City area and have not put front plates on my Viper. I have had the car since Sept 96 and have not had any problems in over 8,000 miles all over the state. I did get a ticket once and they didn't say anything about the missing front plate (of course neither did I).

 

[Birvini]

Hawkeye, that *****. Don't worry about putting on a front plate, most people don't do it.

Y2KACR, Nice to meet you this weekend!

Tracy

 

[ViperGTS]

Stay friendly.

I got pulled over by the French police for having no front license plate. When the officer asked for the drivers license and the car papers I told him: if you search for a license plate on my car, please go to the rear - there, you will find one! He and two other police officers checked the numbers on the rear license plate and came back and gave me the documents, saying "your papers are OK, but NOW we want to see and hear the engine" ))

I gave them a look and a feeling for the sound of a V10 with HF-cats and a 3"-Corsa - well, they wished me a good drive...