doin it for too long......

[RedY2KCivic]

Well I just wanted to ask a question. I was at the races again tonight, like I've been doing for 3 years now and I got popped. I got the whole vehicle inspection thing...not anything that I haven't gone through before.......and I ended up getting a 2 citiation ticket, for my intake and also for no front plate (and I was soooo pissed because I always put that plate on every weekend before I go out and tonight we weren't expecting on going out so I didn't put it on). I'm pissed off but I know that it's just part of the consequences and it's all my fault, but something new happened that I wanted to ask about.
The cop told me that now I'm flagged as an official street racer. He said that from now on if I ever get pulled over that flag is going to come up under my lisence. Now the thing of it is......if I ever get pulled over at the races again, this flag will come up and my car will be impounded for 30 days no questions asked. But there's a second part to that....not only at the street races, but if my car is ever even seen with more than 2 other "race looking cars" (as the cop put it) then my car will also be impounded. This includes driving/cruising/meeting up/parked/etc. I was just wondering if anyone else has heard about this whole 'street racer' flag thing going on.

[SilverY2KCivic]

I told you need to wear them 24/7. Eliminate the flag of no plate, to prevent them from looking further. How did he know about your intake, and why did you pop your hood for him? I guess proving you DON'T have a race setup is a reason to, but still... =\

The second part is crap if I've ever heard any. So if you were to chill with say Jaron and myself, you'd get towed? I mean WTF, what if we are meeting up to enjoy a nice meal at some restaurant, or cruising over one of our pads? Gimme a break cops, that's horse crap and they know it, but can get away with it because they know everyone you'll come in contact with about it if you get popped again, WILL be in their favor. Get or ask a good lawyer about this, and maybe any cops you are on good terms with, and see if this BS can really stand. And what consititutes as a "race looking" car anyways? Is mine one? Is Jaron's hooptie a "race looking" car, is Bentley's car "race looking?" I think the cops are backing themselves into a deep enough hole they might not be able to climb out of. Race look is one person's opinion from another. What if you chill with say my car and someone with an SS Camero (stock) or Saleen Stang (again stock)? Even though it's made for speed, doesn't mean it's actually used for it.

[SilverY2KCivic]

I did some more thinking on this situation Lindy, and after being reminded about something Jaron told me (how could I forget it? :o )

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic
But there's a second part to that....not only at the street races, but if my car is ever even seen with more than 2 other "race looking cars" (as the cop put it) then my car will also be impounded. This includes driving/cruising/meeting up/parked/etc. I was just wondering if anyone else has heard about this whole 'street racer' flag thing going on.

If that is in fact true (which I doubt it can be because of what I'm going to say), then that would be a direct infringement on your 1st amendment right to peacefully assemble. That is a violation on your Constitiutional Bill of Rights. They deny you of that, they are going against everything our country is based on. They can in no way LEGALLY get away with that based on the info the cop gave you, if they do, they are in contemp of federal law, which is quite a serious crime.

[RedY2KCivic]

Well yeah that's what I was thinking....that they can't do that.
But about me popping my hood....I guess the cop could have given me the option of towing my car until he had a warrant, so it's just easier this way I guess. But I just had my car smogged 3 months ago for this same ticket. So would they just take the smog papers from that do you think? Another thing is I ALWAYS put my front plate on when I go out there. ALWAYS. For some reason I didn't last night, and I don't know why. I'm pissed at myself about that because I always put it on before I go out there. But it's my 2nd offense so it's no longer a fix it ticket I guess....I don't know how much that is going to cost me. I had my plate right in the rear seat behind me too.

But about the "street racer flag". I was thinking that as well....how it infringes on our rights. I'm going to call my local police department this week because I'm on pretty good terms with some of the officers and they know me and my car....I'm going to ask them about this. I got popped by CHP last night, so I have to go out to Sacramento again to try to get this taken care of. I think I'm going to try to talk to the judge and see if I can get my no front plate ticket down to a fix-it instead of having to pay the fine, because I had my plate right there. But I dunno if that will work. All I know is my car can't ever be out there again....
I'd say 3 years with out getting caught was too big of a lucky streak....they got to know me and my car too well.

I'm going to do more research on this all...I'm curious to know how long this "flag" stays with me and my record......I'm scared to drive my car anywhere now. There's hella modded cars around here and the majority of my friends drive them.....if they run my plates while I'm parked/driving next to more than 2 other imports then I'm screwed....there goes starting up another crew.

[SilverY2KCivic]

Lindy, don't be scared to drive your car around. That's exactly what that asshole CHP officer wants to happen to you, you to be scared to take out your car anywhere. He obviously has a vendeta against imports, and that's basically profiling, which is ILLEGAL in any police force. This is why I think he was just blowing smoke at you, to scare you. Even if this flag thing is true, remember, if you get popped again for whatever, it's at the officer's discretion to have you towed or not, reguardless of what's flagged on your record. If the cop doesn't want to tow you, he doesn't have to. It's like when you get a normal ticket, you can talk your way out of it, or if he/she is having a good day, they may only give you a warning. Definitely check it out with your local PD though, something tells me that if this "street racer" flag thing is true, the ones you are on good terms with there, would have let you know about it, and warned you to becareful about it. It's not like the CHP has their own laws only they can enforce, typically CHP is a lot better than city police, so I'm really surprised at all of this. I mean remember how cool the officer was up on Wheeler Canyon? He could have popped EVERY ONE of us that day since he knew exactly what was going down, yet he chose to not even pop Shaun (which he REALLY could have), because he knew our day was pretty much shot to pieces anyway.But if this flagging thing is true, I'd think we'd be hearing a lot more people getting it, or talking about it. I know they DO have something similar to that here in the San Gabrial Valley area where I live (surrounding cities to Irwindale Speedway, and California Speedway) where they have a "speeding ticket" program, that if you are caught street racing, or speeding on a street (more aimmed at street racers though), they will issue you a pass to one free night of strret legal drags at whichever raceway is closer to where you are between the two, along with either a warning or actual citation. They then flag the ticket number for the pass you get, to your name, and if you are caught with the same offense again and DON'T get marked down for redeeming the pass and having a night of FREE drag runs, then they will tow your car. If you redeem it, and are caught again, it'll come up that you got one of those "speeding tickets" and that you redeemed it, but you'll get another speeding violation. But it doean't put any flag to your name that you described about being put to your's, other than putting on your record that you have been caught for street racing in the past.

[Jay!]

I would call the local ACLU office and ask for advice... That all sounds like crap to me.

[RedY2KCivic]

Okay maybe I forgot to add a something....I've never been caught street racing. I was just caught in the crowd a few streets away as we were running away. I'm flagged as a street racer yet they've never seen me do it.
All I know is I've been scared as hell driving my car today...

[THE4TH]

Lindy.... hey girl...
lol...
don't be scared we had this convo...
and it's all crap... except the plate thing...
but the fact that they have never seen your car racing is profiling..
and again is all crap...
take it easy girl..

[RedY2KCivic]

thanks

as soon as I figure this all out I'll let ya know

[RedY2KCivic]

Well I can't seem to get to the bottom of the "street racer" flag thing......as for my 2 citations though.... http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...199#post615803

[THE4TH]

hi lindy..