Camaro Stake Out

[Big Brunsy]

So as I was driving down the frontage road leaving the plant tonight I noticed the unmarked Sheriff Durango parked along the highway. (there is the highway, railroad tracks, then the frontage road I work on) As I drove by at a respectable speed (I did spot him afterall) I noticed he pulled out and was following me. After following me for a couple blocks he pulled me over, and before asking for lisence/registration he told me he was pulling me over for my windows. He asks me if I've been warned before, and I said yes. Then asks if I chose to ignore the 5 day warning deal they give you to mail in after you take the tint off, and I said yes. He takes my info and tells me he is going to write me a citation for the windows and goes back to his Durango.

Now at this point I'm wondering how in the hell did he notice I have tinted windows at 1AM, when there were no street lights on the frontage road where he would have first seen me. So while he is writing up my ticket, and warning (I guess you can get a ticket for each window) I called my buddy who works for the Ambulance and knows about all of the cops. He told me that earlier when he was coming in to work he seen the cop drive by, go up to the corner and turn around, then drive by real slow looking at my car. I thought yeah like this guy is gonna hang around 4 hours to give me a tint ticket.

When the officer comes back he explains the whole deal where he can give me 2 tickets and that every time he sees my car moving with the tint on it he will give me 2 tickets, and said the last time he stopped me he gave me that 5 day thing and since I never sent that in he could give me a citation for that as well.

Now this is when it clicked in my head. This is the same Sheriff that stopped me for tint 2 months prior, and remembered me (the downfall to not having hardly any Camaros in this area). Since I did absolutly nothing illegal when leaving the plant, and there was no possible way he could see that I had tinted window from where he was sitting when I would have passed by him (probably 500yds away in the dark, no street light), then he must have indeed been waiting for me to get off work. After he gave me the ticket I asked what the big deal was anyhow (I already knew) and he told me about officer saftey, and he told me about his Chrysler 300 that he would love to black out but can't, then he said "like I told you last time, it looks really sharp, it's just not legal"

I knew I shoulda jaunted up a side street and out the back side of town when he started following me along the frontage road, but I figured I didn't do anything wrong so had nothing to worry about.


I guess I was about do for my forced bi-monthly $132.50 donation to Plymouth County anyhow. Now that I know he is laying for me I can be more cautious. Maybe when he doesn't see the car for a few months when it's in winter storage he'll forget about me ...yeah wishfull thinking.

[Apex Motorsports]

Originally Posted by Big Brunsy

I guess I was about do for my forced bi-monthly $132.50 donation to Plymouth County anyhow.

[MG]

thats rough homes

[INTIMIDAT3R]

I feel for you brother.

Go to the doctor and get a letter explaining sensitivity to light.

The Iowa DMV will issue a waiver.

As for me, I won't tint anymore. Got tired of the fines here in the Hawkeye State.

Being pulled over all the time and showing a waiver was a pain.

[Darth Martel]

Ya know it's not like cops don't have more pressing things to worry about like rapists, drug dealers, armed robbers, or carjackers. Yet, there going to waste 4 or 5 hours of time to write you a couple tickets for window tint. It's stuff like that that just pisses me off. There's things that I can understand. If you're driving 90 down a 55mph highway or screamin' down the street in front of a school, yeah, that warrants a pull over and a ticket. Window tint? 5mph over? It's just piddly shit and a major reason why people have problems with "the law". The tint law is especially stupid since most people ROLL THE F'N WINDOW DOWN when they get pulled over anyhow.

[Synyster]

Originally Posted by Darth Martel

Ya know it's not like cops don't have more pressing things to worry about like rapists, drug dealers, armed robbers, or carjackers. Yet, there going to waste 4 or 5 hours of time to write you a couple tickets for window tint. It's stuff like that that just pisses me off. There's things that I can understand. If you're driving 90 down a 55mph highway or screamin' down the street in front of a school, yeah, that warrants a pull over and a ticket. Window tint? 5mph over? It's just piddly shit and a major reason why people have problems with "the law". The tint law is especially stupid since most people ROLL THE F'N WINDOW DOWN when they get pulled over anyhow.

yet you clearly don't understand law enforcement.

[its a syn]

that sucks dude, roll down your windows next time you see him. He probably thinks your starting a gang in plymouth county. Oh wait he drives a chrysler 300 in plymouth county, that explains it all! still pissed off about that whole plymouth thing!! seriuosly does he pull out a meter or is he just guessing its to dark? he isn't going to forget,but change to legal tint and see if he pulls you over. if he does you might have a case.

[BAD DAB]

You really have to understand law enforcements side on this. I not taking sides on this issue, just making a point. Yes I agree, That's it's uncool for Police to target anyone like that. Just think if you were a cop with a family and you make a routine stop on a car with 5% tint at night. You cannot tell what's behind that window, a Regular joe that loves his car with tinted windows or an escaped convict with a sawd off shotgun. Not judging anyone, just somthing to think about.

[Tommy Pike Customs]

I'd roll your windows down when you leave. Sounds like you have a target on you now. Keep a sharp eye out, especially at the end of the month when they need to hit their ticket quota

[SSLarry]

Tint laws exist because cops get nervous approaching a car with unknown persons inside. It gives them an edge to be able to profile the person they approaching so they are better prepared for the encounter.

In OP's case, the cop may have used the tint as an excuse to pull over a suspicious looking person (pre-profiling a possible suspect). Not 100% ethical, but so long as its legal, fine by me. You knew the law when you had the tint installed.

[jrkilburn]

In PA and MD they cannot stop you just for tint. You need to have committed a moving violation before they can nail you on tint due to the "perception" at speed and lighting conditions that alter what it actually is standing still.

Get the Dr. letter, turn it in to the DMV so they can put it on your registration. That way they do not have to ask for it when they run your tag they will see it is justified.

I hope your stalker finds better things to do. If he stakes out your place of work is that harrasment?

Does this officer go around looking for bald tires in parking lots to pull people over too? Blow outs are just as dangerous and more common than criminals in dark tinted get away cars. lol

[ron10]

why don't you just have legal tint put on your windows.it will be cheaper than paying fines.

[Domic]

a couple of those $132.50 tickets would pay to re-do all the windows to legal tint. Don't think it's worth it to leave it on myself, he isn't going to forget.

[toesuf94]

Change the tint. I got tired of rolling my windows down every time I passed a cop. The law is the law - and do you really want to get shot over your dark windows because you get pulled over and the officer is twitchy and cannot see you?