I got pulled over this morning . . .

[Godless Wonder]

The cop tells me he pulled me over because of my tags, and did I know about that?" I said no. My inspection sticker was expired, and I thought he meant that. He takes my license and insurance goes back to his car, then comes back and says, well you do have tags, but did you know your inspection sticker is expired. I said, "oh (???) I thought that's what you meant.'

Then he writes me up a ticket for the inspection sticker. Ok, fine, ($10 fine) no big deal. Then says, "Your tag isn't displayed properly." Here in texas we have window stickers for registration tags. I thought maybe I left some gunk on the window from the previous tags that was making the new tag hard to read or something (they design the stickers so they are almost impossible to get off, and impossible to get off without destroying them. I get to work, and get out of the car and I'm looking at my registration sticker, and it's perfectly legible. I don't know what the guy is talking about. I'm not sure how I could display it in a different way that would be better. And considering the tag is destroyed if you try to take it off, I'm not sure how I could change how it's displayed anyway.

Confusing.

[livius drusus]

That is weird. Did he make any reference at all to what exactly was wrong with the way you were displaying the tag? :pardon?:

[Godless Wonder]

That is weird. Did he make any reference at all to what exactly was wrong with the way you were displaying the tag? :pardon?:

No. I didn't press him on it because I couldn't see the outside of my window from the driver's seat, at the time, and so I figured there must be something obviously wrong with it, and pressing him on it was probably not really in my interest anyway, as whatever was wrong with it was probably unfixable anyway, at least unfixable without buying a new tag. Yeah, weird.

[Ronin]

The inspection sticker is mostly a Highway Patrol thing and I never even checked them back when I was on patrol (city cop). As long as the equipment was operating properly and there was nothing reckless going on it was all good.

As for the tag being improperly displayed:

If any part of the tag is covered then it could be considered improperly displayed.

This could mean you had a frame around your tag which was partially covering the tag and/or county information. If you have a plastic tint over the frame, that could also be a violation. A tow ball blocking the view of the tag could also be considered an improper display.

Were you given just the one citation or did you get a ticket for improper display as well?

[Godless Wonder]

Just the inspection sticker. I don't think it was the frame around the license plate because 1) i don't have a frame around the tag on the front, and he did a u-turn to come after me, he saw me from the front, and 2) I don't recall his exact words but I remember thinking he meant out of date, and that's so I thought he meant the inspection sticker not the tags, since my inspection sticker was out of date. That's why it was weird to me that he seemed to correct himself and say, essentially, "oh you're tags are up to date after all, but your inspection sticker isn't." Then he mentioned the tag (window sticker?) was improperly displayed. (In texas, both inspection sticker and license plate sticker are on the windshield.)

That's what's weird, if it was improperly displayed, why'd he do a u-turn to nab me for it being expired? (When he told me it was expired, he was standing behind me, where he couldn't see the sticker, after he had done a u-turn.) Then it turns out it wasn't expired... so now it's improperly displayed?

Maybe he misread it, thought it was expired, found out it wasn't then blamed "improper display" for his misreading it? Seems a little odd.

Oh well, I guess there's no telling. Just kind of weird.

[Ronin]

That is weird.

:eek:

Since the inspection sticker citation isn't directly a moving violation your insurance rates won't be increased, right?

[Godless Wonder]

Hmm, an idea. My license tag was out of date for some months and I only recently got that fixed (Dec 20th) I was close to my house, so maybe the cop had noticed some time before that my tags were out of date, and this morning saw me and though, "ah, there's the guy with the out of date tags, I'm gettin' him this morning." Then caught up to me, and D'oh! Tags are up to date! But, ah! got him on the inspection sticker.

That might explain it..., well, not the "improperly displayed" bit. And now that I think about it, Dec 20th was quite a while ago, long time for him to be keeping me in mind for out of date tags.

[Ronin]

Well, you do have to watch those cops...they have memories like...uh...like...uh...those big gray critters...oh man...whatsit with the long snoots...don't like mice...uhmm...

:homdrool:

[lisarea]

Betcha that was just a DWH (Driving While Hippy). My brother has been pulled over a few times for that when he was late getting a haircut.

Back when I used to always forget to put my new registration sticker on, I would artfully pile snow up around the expired sticker, so it looked like it just fell that way. If you could manage to cover up the sticker like that and also any "Free Tibet" bumperstickers you may have, you should be OK going ahead.

Um, this post doesn't establish a client-attorney relationship or anything.

[wei yau]

Well, you do have to watch those cops...they have memories like...uh...like...uh...those big gray critters...oh man...whatsit with the long snoots...don't like mice...uhmm...

:homdrool:

MUMAKIL!!! (http://internetgames.about.com/library/screen/nbfmescr12.htm)

[Godless Wonder]

Seems appropriate to resurrect this thread...

So, today is the date I was supposed to appear at the courthouse according to my citation, -- good Friday -- well, I figured this is not a Christian nation, so ok, they're working (just as I don't get the day off). Show up, and the courthouse is closed, with lots of other annoyed people milling about, looking quizzically at their citations and back at the sign on the door which says they're closed for Good Friday.

Grrr. Now what? Guess I call them up when they do finally open up, monday, I guess and hope the computer hasn't auto-issued a warrant for my arrest for failing to appear.

[Godless Dave]

Classic.

Lots of government institutions are closed on Good Friday (varying by state of course). But it's messed up that they issued citations requiring you to appear in court on a day they knew they would be closed.

Thanks for reminding me to call Minnesota's DMV. I got a letter last December about an unpaid parking ticket. The letter said it was the last notification I would receive; if I didn't pay the ticket there would be further penalties etc. Problem is the ticket was issued in October on a car I traded in to a dealer in August. The dealer never bothered to get the title transferred. I contacted the violations bureau and they had me fax in the trade-in paperwork. But I really should make sure it went through and that I don't have a warrant out on me.

[godfry n. glad]

Seems appropriate to resurrect this thread...

So, today is the date I was supposed to appear at the courthouse according to my citation, -- good Friday -- well, I figured this is not a Christian nation, so ok, they're working (just as I don't get the day off). Show up, and the courthouse is closed, with lots of other annoyed people milling about, looking quizzically at their citations and back at the sign on the door which says they're closed for Good Friday.

WHAT? Did they say why they were closed for Good Friday? Hey, every friday is a good friday, as far as I'm concerned. Do they close for every friday? I'd certainly ask some pointed questions when I could get somebody real to talk with.... Like, "Do you close for Cthlutu's Feast?" "How about Ramadan?" "Hmmm....I was by here last September and I noticed that you weren't closed for either Rosh Hoshana, or Yom Kippur...why is that?" "Did you close for Siddhartha Guatama's birthday?" "Will you shut the doors of the courthouse early enough today for everybody to get to the Krishna feast at the temple this evening?"

Government agencies, including and especially the judiciary, should not observe one particular religious sect's holidays and not others...That's preferential and most likely illegal.

Now what? Guess I call them up when they do finally open up, monday, I guess and hope the computer hasn't auto-issued a warrant for my arrest for failing to appear.

Y'know, I'd almost HOPE for such a situation.... I'd make sure that I appeared for that with a gaggle of local news reporters to plead that suit. I'd make a big stink.

[Dingfod]

Good Friday is indeed an optional Texas state holiday (http://www.hr.state.tx.us/Compensation/holidays05.html). Take heart, next Thursday is Texas state Caesar Chavez holiday, an equivalent optional holiday.

However, today is NOT a Harris County Texas holiday. (http://www.co.harris.tx.us/holiday.html)

[pescifish]

I'd never even heard of such a thing until I met Ymir's blood and he gets the day off every year, living in The South. I forget every year, too, until he gets his short week and 3 day weekend.

The military (Air Force) doesn't take it off, as far as I can tell.

[godfry n. glad]

Good Friday is indeed an optional Texas state holiday (http://www.hr.state.tx.us/Compensation/holidays05.html). Take heart, next Thursday is Texas state Caesar Chavez holiday, an equivalent optional holiday.

However, today is NOT a Harris County Texas holiday. (http://www.co.harris.tx.us/holiday.html)

Hooooooo-eeee!

I printed that sucker off and sent a copy to the bargaining committee in our local's current negotiations with our employer.

I'm going to try the ol' "hey, if Texans get a day like this off, why not Oregonians? After all, the President is a Texan" ruse.

I'm particularly impressed with LBJ's Birthday as a state holiday. What a capital idea! I'm suggesting a Tom McCall Day, where every Oregonian needs to find a non-native and tell them that they're welcome to visit, but go home soon. I'd need a full day for that, since way too many non-natives think of themselves as natives the moment they cross the state border.

I love the "optional holiday" idea, but it's waaaay to restricted. What about all those new Hindus moving into the area? Don't they get to take off Vishnu Day, or Brahma Day? And, who decides what happens when it's an "optional holiday"? It certainly looks like it's the Christians. Do courthouses close on Yom Kippur? Or any other "optional holiday"?

My suggestion, which to date has been ignored by my union local, is to negotiate a two-day holiday for each employee during the month of December. They choose the days. That way, many places should be able to stay open even for the 25th.

Again...Thanks, Warren!