BLUE LIGHTS A-FLASHING, thought i was getting the first ticket Options

[rhodyguy]

driving home last night after the aussiefloyd concert i thought i was nailed. saw the boys well in advance and passed by an emphasis patrol (3 cars pulled over), checked speed, no sweat. WHAM!!! lights, lights, lights, and i pull to the shoulder. a tap, tap, tap, on the pass side window, i contort myself in the konig to roll the window down. "do you have your drivers licence sir?", he didn't ask about registration or insurance card. "we had never seen those kind of taillights on one of these cars", european style. "are they working?". "yes, but the amber lens is on all the time". ok. "is the red portion lit?". "yes". "do the turn signals work?". "yes". "do the brake lights work?". "yes". ok. " you must have a short in the electrical system. there is a problem. they are illegal in washington state, and the tail lights have to be red". i fibbed and told him "i have some some all red ones at home and i'll change them over". he didn't even comment on the collector plates. the vehicle is restricted to very specific useage while wearing them. highly illegal driving the car for everyday use with them on the car. he hands me back my license, tells me to have a good evening and not to merge too slowly while entering the freeway. "no problem".

my jetta?- amber lenses in the tails. ford?- ditto. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

with all the arch criminals out there, maniac drivers, semis blowing by me at 75+, i get pulled over for amber taillights. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif) but...no ticket, no blood, no foul. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smilie_pokal.gif)

k

[Allan]

QUOTE (rhodyguy @ Nov 15 2005, 08:02 AM)

driving home last night after the aussiefloyd concert

Doesn't that count as a special event?

[msglaigaie]

Hey there Rhody Guy, where were you when you were pulled over?? It sounds like it could be a "914 area of interest" A place where officers like to look at interestng automobiles. MSG L

[meares]

yeah no kidding.....sometimes i would like to say " PICK YOUR F'ING BATTLES JACKASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" it kills me that with all the brain dead soccer moms driving around he picks an obvious enthusiasts car......let's see, who has the better skills soccer moms on the phone crossing 4 lanes to get into the mall ( never mind there are 10 OTHER entrances) or a guy in a '14????? pretty hard decision if you ask me

[rhodyguy]

was for me. the band was VERY good. the concert was held in the seattle opera house. great sound, they really had it dialed in. next best thing to the real thing. interesting audience, lots of dads and sons (my guess). not very often that the music is bigger than the actual bad. aussiefloyd is touring down the coast at this point. highly recomended if you can still get tickets. i wonder if any other members saw them during the east coast, midwest portions of the tour.

k

[Bleyseng]

WTF kind of idiot was he? All the damn cars now have amber turn signal lenses..

[Mark Henry]

Up here if the blue lights are a flashing you're getting pulled over by a snowplow (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[rhodyguy]

i dunno geoff. i was perplexed. what i thought was interesting was "one of these cars". i thought about asking him what kind of car he thought it was,(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) but i knew i was off the hook and didn't want to press the point. i was on hwy167 inbetween renton and auburn.

k

[Rockaria]

A lot of new cars have amber blinkers... I have yet to see an amber parking/tail light though.

I bet the cop's problem was the amber on a 914 with euro lenses is ON all the time when the lights are on.

What I did to fix the problem was to replace the white tail lamp bulb (The small one) with a RED bulb (found at almost all FLAPS). Problem solved since the blinker is a different bulb. So the blinker, blinks yellow, but the red bulb looks red through the yellow plastic when the tail lights are on.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[rhodyguy]

that was his complaint. great idea. i'll go look at my flaps. no need to give them excuse to hit the lights. he could have given me a fixit citation. then i would have had to swap the lenses, and gone in for a compliance inspection. i know the collector plate debate would have been short and sweet and not resoved in my favor.

k

[Cap'n Krusty]

Cars originally equipped with orange turn lenses are designed and certified to have them, yours is not. European lenses are supposed to be installed on European tail light assemblies, which are likely to be different. The Cap'n

[Brando]

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Nov 15 2005, 11:16 AM)

Cars originally equipped with orange turn lenses are designed and certified to have them, yours is not.  European lenses are supposed to be installed on European tail light assemblies, which are likely to be different.  The Cap'n

Meaning the outmost lights are blinkers, the middle lights use bulbs with two filaments (work as driving lights and brake lights).

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Nov 15 2005, 12:16 PM)

European lenses are supposed to be installed on European tail light assemblies, which are likely to be different.

the Cap'n is right.
european tail-light assemlies don't have the amber "running" lights (or whatever you call them).

the european cars also don't have the amber front sidemarkers at all and they don't use the amber front blinkers as "running" lights either ...
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif) Andy

[balljoint]

QUOTE (Mark Henry @ Nov 15 2005, 12:26 PM)

Up here if the blue lights are a flashing you're getting pulled over by a snowplow (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

I was thinking snow too.


I bet there was $20.00 in it for one officer who swore it was a FIAT.


Or maybe they thought there was a "hot chick" driving the car. How long is your hair?

[Bleyseng]

The between Renton - Auburn on 167 explains why........now if you were on Mercer Island they would have written you up fo'sure!

got a ticket there once for having a license plate lite out, must have been a real slooow night for the cops.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

[rhodyguy]

the same lense that the bird sells, A/R/W(outside inward), and that lots of folks run. i just thought it was odd getting pulled over for it. i've been driving with them on since i got my first 914. when i find a set of clear front sidemarker lenses that should get me pulled over too. how exactly does the rear housing differ, us vs eur?

k

[Flat VW]

Sobriety Check (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

John

[ewdysar]

Check your state's vehicle reg's for its version of light requirements. Usually they are: white only in the direction that you are travelling (reverse lights are OK while in reverse), euro front markers are OK too. Red markers and blinkers on the rear only, red can be visible from side at rear of vehicle only. Amber most other places, markers and blinkers on front and side. At the rear, amber is allowed for blinkers only. YMMV.

Eric

[reverie]

[QUOTE] At the rear, amber is allowed for blinkers only.

Yep... the RCW says for passenger vehicles in Washington, red is the only color allowed for rear running lights and brake lights. If the amber lens is on all the time, it's illegal.

It causes confusion in the local populace. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[pfierb]

The cops in Connecticut are pussy cats compared to the ones that you people have to put up with..... they won't bother you here unless you have no tail lights..... they could care less what color they are.... maybe we have more bad guys here to keep them busy.....no restrictions on antique plates here either.