Today March 17th 2011 Not only St. Patrick's Day (Irishman here) But also the 1 year anniversary of Noriko and I (my evo)
We celebrated the morning by going to my favorite car wash in Lorton and getting the works. She looks beautiful <3


Picture taken today, 40 minutes before Being pulled over.

Cool morning at 55 degrees, windows cracked and Breaking Benjamin flowing out of my speakers in a low volume.

Southbound on Route 1 in Crystal City VA. I had my MR in sport mode Auto while I was cruising about sipping on my coffee. Came up to a light, the car down shifts and throttle blips so smoothly, I love it!

Speed limit is 45.

As I'm coasting to a stop basically, (never broke 40mph) A north bound Evil Knievel rolls up behind me on his bike and sits there staring at my car.
I make a left hand turn on to a 25 mph road lined with cars on both sides. I go 20 just a couple hundred yards from my destination. Lights and sirens goes up, I look at him in the rear view and he's throwing his arm about directing me to pull over.

I comply
Roll down my windows, turn hazards on, turn the car off, place my hands upon my steering wheel. He comes charging up to the side of my car. Obviously pissed about something.

"License and registration NOW"
I must be 4 years old because those directions sounded like they were directed towards an unruly toddler...

Me: "good morning Sir."
Him: "want to tell me why you were speeding back there?"
Me: "I was not speeding"
Him: "I heard you revving out your engine going fast"
me: "nope wasn't speeding, is there a problem?"
Him: "yes you were speeding I was going northbound and I could hear you and I your exhaust is unlawful, so is your window tint on the front and back... roll your window up half way!"

me: "unlawful? I've got a catalytic converter and I've passed emissions Sir."
Him: "that doesn't matter it's too loud and illegal in Virgina, I'll be right back."

He gets his window meter, I know my car is 35% all around so my front windows are indeed "illegal" He measures my fronts only because he knows my back ones are the same shade. It reads 30%.

Me: "is there a decibel level I need to get measured at?"
Him: "no there isn't aftermarket exhausts are illegal in Virginia I'm going to cite you for your windows, exhaust and your speed."
Me: "..." I just sit there and wonder what the hell he was going to write for speed, in which I would just ask to see what he has me locked in at... I know he's full of **** for the speed.

Officer ***** (decided not to put his name in) writes up the ticket comes back to my car. I'm still just sitting there holding my tongue till I see it.

Unlawful Tinting $91 fine
Warning for Unlawful Exhaust
no mention of speeding...

Finally after writing the ticket his blood pressure returns to normal and we have a short conversation about what I can do with the tint when I go in to court to show them I have corrected this issue (I've been warned before and it was the exhaust note that had me pulled over that time as well, but no issue with the actual exhaust...)

Signed, took my ticket and moved on.

Pleasure doing business with you Virginia

 

IIRC didnt VA just up there legal tint level to 35% ? I could be wrong. Eff you VA, cops pull you over for anything. ive been stopped for wheels, stock spoiler, exhaust etc. What a joke.

and they have all the drug bust repo cars so ive seen mini vans, bmw convi's, mustangs, tahoes, other SUVs etc. they ignore the people doing 100mph on the toll road killing people but get you for exhaust. what a joke.

/rant

 

lol i love how you set the mood in the first couple of lines. feels like i'm readin a novel with all the visuals.

..cops suck everywhere....atleast traffic cops

i dont even know why tints are illegal...let me be!!

 

Yep, VA is the new Cali. Sucks. You're boned on the tint, and as for the exhaust you should know it's illegal to have a non-oem exhaust on a car, which gives cops plenty of flexibility in pulling you over and ticketing.

My fix on my eclipse for the exhaust was to have the outlets look like stock twin tips. Since I did this I've had no cops pull me over for exhaust when it used to happen very often, and plenty have been right behind me at lights and on the road.

Funny though my stock exhaust on my Evo IX with it's big *** can has got me pulled over twice now, after which I had to bite my lip from laughing while explaining to the officer it was indeed a stock exhaust.

 

Should of just dropped a gear and ran lol

 

I f-ing hate driving in or through VA....worst state EVER!

 

my heart was pounding as if i were the one being ticketed.......sucks man but at least he didnt give you a speeding ticket.

 

i'm just now seein that pic there..wasn't showing when i saw the thread the first time...

those tints aren't even dark....

 

yeah it's really light, especially compared to most of the SUV's around here that run with 5%... those would be the ones I'd be worried about...

 

At least its a fix-it ticket, not a moving violation. Got pulled over last week, mainly for sound. Cop was cool and I didn't get a ticket. What I want to know, are all aftermarket exhausts illegal? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the decibel level.

 

And this is why i need to get to NY to get my car reg and inspected. I have done 0 work to the car cuz of this.

 

§ 46.2-1049.



Exhaust system in good working order.
No person shall drive and no owner of a vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any such vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual levels of noise; provided however, that for motor vehicles, such exhaust system shall be of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.



The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block, including mufflers and other sound dissipative devices.



Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and any vehicle equipped with chambered pipes shall be deemed in violation of this section.


It's so vague a cop can at will just say it's too loud and claim it's aftermarket. That's the beauty of being a VA state trooper!

 

TSIAWD I have def seen your X before. I have a black 04 8. in herndon for work constantly. nice looking car you have.

but yes, VA BLOWSSS

 

Sorry to hear that man. Every time I hear stories like this, it pisses me off. Brings back past memories when I had my incident with a local cop as well.

 

not illegal to buy and install aftermarket exhaust, it has to be in working order (ie functions as a muffler, passes emissions inspection)... the bull**** line is that it can't be "loud" as determined by the traffic officer...