[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by jkoral

https://www.bumperplugs.com/

They claim they are the "first and original". Although I'm curious what their "19-stage proprietary finishing process" entails.

No affiliation, but I recall reading good reviews for them (perfect color match, etc). $28 for a couple piece of plastic, if color match is perfect, is worth it. YMMV.

I've used them on a few cars. They do match well and are about as good a solution as you can find short of replacing the bumper skin.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You paint with too broad a brush. Look, citation fines are revenue, just like victim restitution fines, weed abatement fines (....e.g...fines for having an unkempt front yard), etc. There's a punitive dollar amount assigned/attached to just about every type of broken law however frivolous that written law may be. Why you guys seem to focus so much on vehicle fines (...and tend to funnel law enforcement away from focusing on them) is beyond me. While important, DUI/reckless driving enforcement aren't the end all, be all of law enforcement. Like I stated in an earlier post, minor traffic violations OFTEN lead to major apprehensions of criminals. There IS a rhyme and reason to it regardless of whether or not you/others agree with it. I don't think you are in a position to tell me what the "real" hazards of day-to-day driving are. I don't intend that to come across antagonistic in any way, shape or form, but it is the truth. You don't know how many traffic collisions any particular station handles per day/month. You don't know about causality (..aka..PCF, or Primary Collision Factors), nor do you have any idea about the additional repercussions of those accidents (..i.e...injuries or death to innocent parties, property damage, etc.). My main purpose in replying to some of the comments is to dispel any perceptions that aren't legitimate, and confirm others. Granted, there are always variances in what officers do from other departments and that patrol other areas (...we are dealing with people here....and people are organic), so take what I say with a few grains of salt.


As for the article, I'm not too concerned with what an article says. It doesn't mirror what I experience, so I give little credence/weight to it.






That's a good question. Let me check into that.

From what I understand about traffic stops, I seem to recall many officers stating it's one of the most dangerous situations they deal with on a daily basis. Not from possibly being hit by some numbnuts idiot driver on their cell phone not paying attention. But not knowing if the occupant in the car is going to start shooting once the officer gets next to the car.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

From what I understand about traffic stops, I seem to recall many officers stating it's one of the most dangerous situations they deal with on a daily basis. Not from possibly being hit by some numbnuts idiot driver on their cell phone not paying attention. But not knowing if the occupant in the car is going to start shooting once the officer gets next to the car.

Traffic stops are literally like rolling dice in a game of Craps. You never know what's going to happen and when your number is up. Add to that the fact that we lose officers due to being hit by passing cars on the freeway, so that's an entirely different animal to deal with (....and whenever possible, we direct vehicles off of the freeway during a stop).

Let me paint a picture.....


...Imagine that 20-30 times a day (...or more), you have to enter into a room at your place of employment with a gun pointed at you, not knowing if opening that door will trigger that gun to go off. Some days it never goes off and everybody goes home, but other days it does and one of your co-workers dies or is injured. That is the game we play. Sure, we chose to play by entering into the profession, but that doesn't nullify that reality. Somebody has to do the job, and it's important to consider what an officer might have dealt with before making police contact with you (...or what that officer might have dealt with the shift before that he/she is still trying to process; i.e....maybe they worked a traffic collision where all of the children in the car died or maybe an officer was shot the night before). Hyper-vigilance is a necessary part of policing, and it's understandable why officers might be on edge any given day. That's part of the reason why psychological evaluations and behavioral analysis is such a big part of the hiring process (...despite the approach having its flaws; psychologists are just people too, and they aren't perfect either, but are extremely judgmental).

[Germanauto]

Sounds like a d*ckhead on a power trip. I hate such people with a passion.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Traffic stops are literally like rolling dice in a game of Craps. You never know what's going to happen and when your number is up. Add to that the fact that we lose officers due to being hit by passing cars on the freeway, so that's an entirely different animal to deal with (....and whenever possible, we direct vehicles off of the freeway during a stop).

Let me paint a picture.....


...Imagine that 20-30 times a day (...or more), you have to enter into a room at your place of employment with a gun pointed at you, not knowing if opening that door will trigger that gun to go off. Some days it never goes off and everybody goes home, but other days it does and one of your co-workers dies or is injured. That is the game we play. Sure, we chose to play by entering into the profession, but that doesn't nullify that reality. Somebody has to do the job, and it's important to consider what an officer might have dealt with before making police contact with you (...or what that officer might have dealt with the shift before that he/she is still trying to process; i.e....maybe they worked a traffic collision where all of the children in the car died or maybe an officer was shot the night before). Hyper-vigilance is a necessary part of policing, and it's understandable why officers might be on edge any given day. That's part of the reason why psychological evaluations and behavioral analysis is such a big part of the hiring process (...despite the approach having its flaws; psychologists are just people too, and they aren't perfect either, but are extremely judgmental).

....and the death of the officer [Keith Boyer, nearing retirement] today in SoCal (...Whittier) illustrates my point perfectly. He lost his life today while responding to what would normally be a routine traffic collision. A motorist caused an accident, and while officer Boyer and his partner went to address the driver [who was a felon released early due to stupid California "early prison release" legislation], he pulled out a gun and killed the officer and injured the officer's partner. It's a game of roulette.

Taking today into consideration, anybody who gets pulled over in Whittier for at least the next two weeks will likely have to deal with an on edge, low/no tolerance officer. That person might not have any idea about the tragedy that struck the police department and might interpret or categorize the officer's attitude as something that it's not (....you know, like "a dickhead on a power trip" or something). My point: consider what an officer might be going through emotionally/personally before making a snap judgment.

[aajjcc]

Originally Posted by ptper

I forget where I heard this, but the last couple of times I was pulled over for speeding (15 and 20 over), I kept my hands on the steering wheel the whole time, signaled my intention to reach into the glove box for my registration, and used 'sir' a lot (lol). Both times came out with just warnings. Going to keep doing it until I get eventually get one. Speeding, I understand, tint I can take off and put back on (though mine is legal %), but front plate?! I just couldn't do that to my awesome front fascia, it looks so clean without one!!!

nice. I always signal, pull over, turn off my engine, open both windows, have my registration/license/insurance at the ready with both hands on top of the steering wheel and address the cop as "officer." I'm polite throughout the interaction and honest with the officer. Yet I always end up getting a ticket. I've had all my tickets dismissed using one of those traffic attorneys, so its not really a big deal, but that whole polite/honesty/ thing never works for me.

[nrgy]

Originally Posted by aajjcc

nice. I always signal, pull over, turn off my engine, open both windows, have my registration/license/insurance at the ready with both hands on top of the steering wheel and address the cop as "officer." I'm polite throughout the interaction and honest with the officer. Yet I always end up getting a ticket. I've had all my tickets dismissed using one of those traffic attorneys, so its not really a big deal, but that whole polite/honesty/ thing never works for me.

They deal with so many traffic stops I'm sure some would see that as you pandering to get on their good side. Wouldn't be surprised if that irks them even more.

I act polite, but I don't go out of my way to be extra nice or courteous, after all it is they who are inconveniencing you. I don't do anything they don't request of me, so I leave my hands wherever they feel comfortable at the time, car running. I roll down my window when they come walking up and knock on it, and pull out my license or other documents when asked for it.

I've been let off with warnings 90% of the time and only ticketed once in the last 15 years?

[kprocivic]

I use to always be polite until i was pulled over for dwb.

I rec 5 fix it tickets at once before, paid the fine and moved on.

[newuser310]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

But seriously, what are the chances that another cop is going to ticket you for no front plate.

I got a fix-it ticket for no front plate one day when I turned off a main drag onto a side street. A cop had a car already pulled over, turned and looked at me, pointed his finger at me and mouthed "Pull over!", and pointed to the curb. Not speeding, not loud, no other reason other than he saw my lack of a front plate. I'm sure he felt like that one just fell into his lap.

Fortunately, my wife works with a colleague who's husband is a cop in another city. The citation gets passed to him, he signs off on it, and it gets passed back. Problem solved.

In La Jolla, most of the parking is metered parking on the street. Meter maids, of which they have a whole fleet, are constantly driving around, marking tires for time violations, and giving parking tickets, and they can now cite you for no front plate even if your car is parked legally with time on the meter. I used to have a consulting business and I had a client in La Jolla. After getting a ticket for no front plate while parked legally, I told him that I was no longer going to subject myself to that and dropped him. I no longer go to La Jolla during the day when the meters are in effect.

You sure showed them...by losing income to protest against a reasonable law?

[newuser310]

Originally Posted by aajjcc

nice. I always signal, pull over, turn off my engine, open both windows, have my registration/license/insurance at the ready with both hands on top of the steering wheel and address the cop as "officer." I'm polite throughout the interaction and honest with the officer. Yet I always end up getting a ticket. I've had all my tickets dismissed using one of those traffic attorneys, so its not really a big deal, but that whole polite/honesty/ thing never works for me.

You need boobs for that to work mate

[LBBDrew]

I've been in the bay for 10 years, and have got one fix-it ticket for no front plate. All I did was take double sided tape, went to the police station, had them check a piece of paper, and then took the front plate right back off. No tickets since (this was 3 years ago), although I do keep my front plate in my trunk in case I get pulled over. I'd say it came loose and I have gotten around to taking care of it, ha

[Cameronc08]

Originally Posted by shoei

With that said, I don't love it but I have no one to blame but myself if I get pulled over for tints / no front plates / speeding / driving in the car pool lane when I'm the only occupant and anything of the sort...

I absolutely hate this mentality. Just because something is a law does NOT mean we should roll over and let the government stick it in dry. I'm speaking vaguely here, but if I recall slavery was legal in this country in the distant past..does that mean that AA's should have just accepted their role in society and moved on? What about taxation without representation which started the revolutionary war? More currently we can look at the effects of marijuana laws that have been ever increasingly changing throughout the country. I'm by no means comparing no front plate to slavery, just the concept of rolling over and accepting it when a law is in effect that is either outdated or a pure cause of revenue that is simply not fair to the citizens already exceedingly paying more than their fair share of taxes.

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You paint with too broad a brush. Look, citation fines are revenue, just like victim restitution fines, weed abatement fines (....e.g...fines for having an unkempt front yard), etc. There's a punitive dollar amount assigned/attached to just about every type of broken law however frivolous that written law may be. Why you guys seem to focus so much on vehicle fines (...and tend to funnel law enforcement away from focusing on them) is beyond me. While important, DUI/reckless driving enforcement aren't the end all, be all of law enforcement. Like I stated in an earlier post, minor traffic violations OFTEN lead to major apprehensions of criminals. There IS a rhyme and reason to it regardless of whether or not you/others agree with it. I don't think you are in a position to tell me what the "real" hazards of day-to-day driving are. I don't intend that to come across antagonistic in any way, shape or form, but it is the truth. You don't know how many traffic collisions any particular station handles per day/month. You don't know about causality (..aka..PCF, or Primary Collision Factors), nor do you have any idea about the additional repercussions of those accidents (..i.e...injuries or death to innocent parties, property damage, etc.). My main purpose in replying to some of the comments is to dispel any perceptions that aren't legitimate, and confirm others. Granted, there are always variances in what officers do from other departments and that patrol other areas (...we are dealing with people here....and people are organic), so take what I say with a few grains of salt.


As for the article, I'm not too concerned with what an article says. It doesn't mirror what I experience, so I give little credence/weight to it.






That's a good question. Let me check into that.

I'm using you as an example only because you are the only one commenting that admits to being a cop so don't take it personal..but remember now, by that logic you cannot get offended by people generalizing when the only run-ins that they have personaly had with cops are douchebags. And yes, just like lots of law abiden citizens, there ARE plenty of douchebag cops. Just accept it and move on.

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

That would be a well implemented system.

Again, don't take this personal I'm just using you as you're the only one here that has experience on that side of the law, but you admit to no front plate laws being purely revenue generators. But then you say that you'll give a ticket if someone is giving you an attitude or disrespectful. Is that not in a sense using your power to punish someone, as in a power trip?
For what it's worth I'm impartial to police officers. They took the job knowing the hazards just like any job, and there plenty of amazing and influential cops that truly do help make the world a better place, just like there are plenty of real POS cops. Humans are human.

[Fundguy1]

OP move to Florida. You can do all the things you listed legally, and replace your cats with catless DP and nobody cares. You can also talk on the phone with your phone and keep a glock with a 16 round clip full of hollow tips in your glove for safety as long as you aren't a felon and you're 21. Still trying to figure out why people put in place legislators that turn around and dump this garbage on them.

[shoei]

Originally Posted by Cameronc08

I absolutely hate this mentality. Just because something is a law does NOT mean we should roll over and let the government stick it in dry. I'm speaking vaguely here, but if I recall slavery was legal in this country in the distant past..does that mean that AA's should have just accepted their role in society and moved on? What about taxation without representation which started the revolutionary war? More currently we can look at the effects of marijuana laws that have been ever increasingly changing throughout the country. I'm by no means comparing no front plate to slavery, just the concept of rolling over and accepting it when a law is in effect that is either outdated or a pure cause of revenue that is simply not fair to the citizens already exceedingly paying more than their fair share of taxes.

I'm using you as an example only because you are the only one commenting that admits to being a cop so don't take it personal..but remember now, by that logic you cannot get offended by people generalizing when the only run-ins that they have personaly had with cops are douchebags. And yes, just like lots of law abiden citizens, there ARE plenty of douchebag cops. Just accept it and move on.

Again, don't take this personal I'm just using you as you're the only one here that has experience on that side of the law, but you admit to no front plate laws being purely revenue generators. But then you say that you'll give a ticket if someone is giving you an attitude or disrespectful. Is that not in a sense using your power to punish someone, as in a power trip?
For what it's worth I'm impartial to police officers. They took the job knowing the hazards just like any job, and there plenty of amazing and influential cops that truly do help make the world a better place, just like there are plenty of real POS cops. Humans are human.

I absolutely hate this mentality. What makes you exempt from the laws? It's tinted windows - be a peace officer rolling up to a stop at night and the windows are blacked out... what if they were doing something legitimately wrong?

Your examples are terrible as well. Yeah the marijuana laws in this country are outdated as you say, but truthfully, it's because no laws have been in place. Also comparing slavery to tinted windows is about the most asinine comment I've heard in awhile lolol...

Carpool lanes are designed for multiple occupants - when I drive in the pov lane and I'm the only occupant, I accept the responsibility of getting ticketed. All because you FEEL a law is outdated, doesn't give you the right to completely throw it out the window...

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by shoei

I absolutely hate this mentality. What makes you exempt from the laws? It's tinted windows - be a peace officer rolling up to a stop at night and the windows are blacked out... what if they were doing something legitimately wrong?

Your examples are terrible as well. Yeah the marijuana laws in this country are outdated as you say, but truthfully, it's because no laws have been in place. Also comparing slavery to tinted windows is about the most asinine comment I've heard in awhile lolol...

Carpool lanes are designed for multiple occupants - when I drive in the pov lane and I'm the only occupant, I accept the responsibility of getting ticketed. All because you FEEL a law is outdated, doesn't give you the right to completely throw it out the window...

I agree with you but disagree with the laws. Should they be enforced? Yes. Is there any reason for a front license plate besides camera tickets, etc? No. Same with the rear plate. Its fot ticket cameras. I've gotten several where i stopped, waited, then proceeded to turn right legally but the camera was calibrated incorrectly for the stopping point.

Is there any reason timt 15% or less shouldnt be legal? No. You can easily see into a car witth ttbe lights. If ytouyre worried, have them roll down windows when you stop them. The rears of suvs from the factory are at least 15% but i never hear any officer complain about those. Just as easy to be up to no good in the back seat as the front.

The flip side is that laws that don't make money aren't enforced. How many illegal aliens have you arrested? I see several a day. They are breaking the law by existing on US soil. Period. Yet no law enforcement seems to care. So either enforce all or none. Don't be selective. Should he have gotten the tickets? Yes. Its the law. But don't be hypocritical about it saying all laws need to be enforced and don't enforce them. Should these laws be changed or dropped? Absolutely. Same with immigration. But they aren't yet. And until then, these are just laws used for money making and for giving jerks bonus penaltues. To claim other would be wrong.

[Fundguy1]

Car pool lanes are another travesty. The excuse used was they were created to encourage car pooling to reduce traffic, emmissions, and energy use. The reality was some hefty fine collecting. Study after study has shown that they aren't used and the other lanes are stop and go traffic. If they were made normal lanes traffic would flow better, emmissions and energy use drop. They have the reverse effect for what they were intended for. That's why many areas including mine have removed them. Only one's left are in liberal run areas where they like the revenue and false claims they are helping the environment.

Anothwr example of laws not being enforced are the BS rioters rioting against police and trump, looting, setting fires, etc. Or the protest camps that are garbage dumps. Why don't police use video footage to arrest the looters? Why don't they enforce littering laws on protestors? Because they are pro the local political party and not money makers. Periiod.

I know that it is your job to enforce the law and you should. But I wish people would vote inpoluticians who are for the people and not for the government and themselves. And at least you could admit that yes the laws in question are bs but they still need enforcing.

[Cameronc08]

Originally Posted by shoei

I absolutely hate this mentality. What makes you exempt from the laws? It's tinted windows - be a peace officer rolling up to a stop at night and the windows are blacked out... what if they were doing something legitimately wrong?

Your examples are terrible as well. Yeah the marijuana laws in this country are outdated as you say, but truthfully, it's because no laws have been in place. Also comparing slavery to tinted windows is about the most asinine comment I've heard in awhile lolol...

Carpool lanes are designed for multiple occupants - when I drive in the pov lane and I'm the only occupant, I accept the responsibility of getting ticketed. All because you FEEL a law is outdated, doesn't give you the right to completely throw it out the window...

100% missed the point of my post but you keep following that law upstanding citizen. Hopefully your local LEO's see this and send you a badge of honor. I guess if trump made it illegal for Mexicans to drive cars between 9-5pm you would expect Mexicans to follow the law because what makes them better than the law! You're probably the type that would give your neighbor a bottle of wine if he threw rocks at your car.