Got in a lot of trouble by the CHP for lights

[SoCalCamaro93]

Yeah, I remember when I told you that you'd get in trouble for it..and you didn't listen to me. Hmm..

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by DRKS1D3
People push the envelope and then get p*ssed when they get reprimanded. If the law states ANYTHING about not having LED lights on your car (regardless of color)....guess what, I'm NOT putting lights on my car. It's quite simple, why test the law?

Originally Posted by mattsfirstSS

OK I know we are currently just talking about lights but what kind of sheeple comment is this? lol Its the law, just do it. Come on, not all laws are correct, right, or fair. Be an adult and use your judgement. Why test the law lol I could make jokes about this statement for days.

DRKS1D3 is not only following your advice to use his judgment - he's even provided his basis for that judgment so that you can understand his position better.

What basis do you have for assuming that everybody's judgment has to match or be "looser" than yours? Are the rest of you guys who like to throw the word "sheep" at everybody whose opinions are more cautious or conservative than your own paying attention here?

Don't assume that something like "improper lighting" is always going to be the only thing technically illegal with anybody else's car. In such cases, about the dumbest thing you could do next is go out of your way to call attention to that car. Which is precisely the reason you'd ever add such lighting.

As far as your situation is concerned OP take them off because you want a career. Sometimes we have to do things we dont want so we can have things we want more, like money.

Good call here. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.



Norm

[DagoCountyGee]

Just a quick question. Do you turn on the lights when you see some idiot on the road doing something dumb to try to scare them?

[family man]

Originally Posted by WheelmanSS

Sorry, I can't understand why people want their car to light up like a Christmas tree and then drive it down the road, so I have no sympathy here.

[Rip]

Just find out what the actual statute states and follow it. Very often LEOs don't know themselves, and you are not required to follow their stipulations if they are, in fact, wrong. However, be prepared to have to prove that you are correct, sometimes before a judge after they issue you a citation.

[justa25thTA]

Originally Posted by v6

Long story short, i am a CHP explorer who gets to do ride a long with the officers. I asked one officer if i can have my LED lights in the front and in the engine bay. He first said yes that's fine as long as they are not red or blue. A few days later he told me that they were illegal to run while driving if they are any color, but i can use them all i want if i am parked. I did something really dumb and decided to turn them on just ONE drive on the way to work at night, and guess who pulls me over...
Same officer. He was pissed. He only told me to turn them off and keep them off. I then get called into the office by my advisor and he tells me they are demoting me from sergeant rank and the sergeant of the CHP was so mad that they sat down and "figured out" that it was illegal to even have ANY lights on the car even if they arent running.
Now this is bull. I've read through the vehicle code book and it shows they are legal as long as they are not RED. AND he told me they were legal while driving at first.... Then they all changed their minds...I bought these things for like 400 bucks and now i have to throw them away? I don't know what to do. I feel like talking to the CHP again about it and explaining how much time and effort i put into them. What do you guys think?

You knew that they weren't supposed to be on while driving, you did it anyways. Now you get to pay the price. Good lessen to be learned here. The good ones are always painfull.

[a.morblu]

Originally Posted by daveagogo1

You must be in that new military where you make your own orders and do whatever you want. Then when you are asked to do something you don't want you simply call in and quit?

So you supported the order for the My Lai Massacre? As a soldier, you have the obligation to do the right thing every time no matter the consequence, even if that means your career is on the line. A lot of junior enlisted and junior officers aren't well versed in the regulations of today's military. It's my job to make them aware, even if that means telling those (behind closed doors) who out rank me they are/were wrong. Most people don't mind seeing a monster when they look in the mirror. I do mind.

Here the OP decided to do something he knew was wrong, got his PP slapped, and will now deal with that consequence of that decision. If it turns out he can run whatever lights he wants, he can press the issue. It may not reflect on his career, but at least he isn't letting someone push him around because of their job title. Bullies are only bullies because sheep let them be. If OP turns out to be completely wrong, he can ask for forgiveness and admit that he was wrong. Either outcome is commendable and doesn’t show the OP to be immature or an idiot.

[Mr pogo]

its pretty well known (at least to me over the years) that blue and red lighting other than red in the back is illegal in cali.
truckers used to get popped all the time for running blue or red marker lights since before the 70s when I started working as a truck mechanic.

that being said, I thought the demotion was a bit overkill but its kinda how the chp works.
the chp is highly military in nature, you are expected to follow orders and make sacrifices in order to get hired.
decade or so ago, I was on the chp's hiring list (non LEO) for a year or two after doing the hiring process/interview.
they expect you to move to a bfe location then after a year or so you can apply for an opening where you lived originally.
fine for a young guy starting out, notsomuch for someone with a house and family.

plus any traffic cop city or chp are A holes by nature so piss them off they will throw the book at you
I have a chp motorcycle officer lives around the corner from me, he has always been giving me the glare since he moved there 10 years ago.
might be because Ive had a 96 imp and he has a mustang GT (eleanorish)

[jameslk55]

Originally Posted by v6

Long story short, i am a CHP explorer who gets to do ride a long with the officers. I asked one officer if i can have my LED lights in the front and in the engine bay. He first said yes that's fine as long as they are not red or blue. A few days later he told me that they were illegal to run while driving if they are any color, but i can use them all i want if i am parked. I did something really dumb and decided to turn them on just ONE drive on the way to work at night, and guess who pulls me over...
Same officer. He was pissed. He only told me to turn them off and keep them off. I then get called into the office by my advisor and he tells me they are demoting me from sergeant rank and the sergeant of the CHP was so mad that they sat down and "figured out" that it was illegal to even have ANY lights on the car even if they arent running.
Now this is bull. I've read through the vehicle code book and it shows they are legal as long as they are not RED. AND he told me they were legal while driving at first.... Then they all changed their minds...I bought these things for like 400 bucks and now i have to throw them away? I don't know what to do. I feel like talking to the CHP again about it and explaining how much time and effort i put into them. What do you guys think?

You just admitted that you did something really dumb. Please do not go to the CHP to explain how much time and effort you put into $400 LEDs. That would be your next dumb move. I agree with the others: grow up-this isn't The Fast and the Furious.

[mikeSS]

pretty common sense. red and blue are cop lights. honestly some may think its a under cover cop car.

[mikeSS]

Originally Posted by jameslk350

You just admitted that you did something really dumb. Please do not go to the CHP to explain how much time and effort you put into $400 LEDs. That would be your next dumb move. I agree with the others: grow up-this isn't The Fast and the Furious.

rofl!

i really put a lot of time into my illegal lights ! that was be funny as hell though.

[CHMSC]

Originally Posted by upflying

Right or wrong if you want to be a CHP officer get rid of them NOW!
Maturity, attitude and obeying authority is a big part of that job.
When you apply for a CHP officer, you will disclose you are a CHP Explorer Scout on the application. First place CHP will start asking questions is the sergeant at the Chico CHP office. You need good references not sergeants questioning your decision making skills.
When you remove the lights, show the sergeant and then write a letter of apology.

This is all correct. It is not illegal to have the lights on your car and use them for shows. It is illegal to use them on the streets. This also depends on which city, county and department you talk with as well. It really depends on the officers interpretation of the law or their superiors interpretation. The last thing you want to do is piss them off if you are trying to get hired into an LEO position. MY ADVICE IS TAKE THEM OFF AND WRITE A LETTER OF APOLOGY AS UPFLYING SUGGESTED.

[Hercules]

I think they look bad as hell, peronally. I wouldn't do it to my car though. If I were the person you asked in the first place, I would also then be looking for them on your car. Wanting to know if you listened to me or not. If you never asked in the first place it probably wouldn't have been such a big deal. That's like asking if it's illegal to speed and then blowing by him at 95mph. I'm sure somebody will buy them from you but I agree write a sincere letter of apalogy and also give them a verbal one. Remove the lights and show them that you did it, try to look like you are truly sorry. Sympathy may help get you out of soo much trouble. Good luck in the persuit of the career.

[v6]

thanks for all the good advice guys. i'll take them off.