History Cops vs. Hot Rodders? Not Anymore...

If you really want that feeling of cops vs. rodders again all you have to do is buy a sportbike, most people ride like idiots on them and the cops are dying to pull you over. I ride a sportbike with a bunch of guys and probably half of them are almost trying to get pulled over and the other half just get mixed up in the crap, it really is just like the old days and I've been wondering if anyone out there is trying to improve the image of sportbike riders like some of the hot rod clubs did back in the day.

 

All my phone does is send and receive calls. I'm not into faddish phones. I'll just remember to drive slower, when I'm in a car that has a broken speedometer.

 

But the fines go into the city coffers and is distributed. So, the cities do make money from it. Houstons Mayor has also stated as much.

 

Not around here. But the guard rails collect a few each month. Some folks need a life lesson.

 

hmmm.

 

The police where I live are very cool. Many times we have been driving down the road with open headers and a cop will pass without a glance. Same at redlights. But we also drive at or under the speed limit and rarely get goofy on the street (ok, we ALL get squirrelly ONCE IN A WHILE )

I think age also helps, they see an old man driving a hot rod and they figure what the hell, let him have one more ride before he kicks the bucket.

But I think most of it comes from just driving sensibly and obeying the laws.

Don

 

When we first moved here to the Boonies of Florida I got stopped on the four lane on the way home from a cruise in maybe 10PM by a State trouper. Cop asked where w'd been and where are we headed. Between our place and town is less than 10 miles and I told him we were headed home. I remember just putting the 1955 Florida tag on the 55 Chevy wagon a few days earlier. He looked the car over telling me he liked it. Said he saw the odd tag and checked it out. Said he just wanted to let me know it was legal. Of course I knew that but did feel better.
Maybe 10 years later going home again from a cruise in in town but on the narrow back road I got stopped in the 1941 bright yeller Ford. Son had his young friend along and they were teasing me about going to get a ticket. I was worried about the loud glasspacks. Local cop this time. He complimented me about the car and said those tail lights are not very bright. I looked at him and said "yes officer it's an old 1941 car." He mumbled something about not being safe, have a nice evening, and drove off. I changed to bright bulbs.
I've had antiques and customs since the late 50's and those are the only two times I was stopped with old cars.
Another time with the 55 Chevy wagon a county cop pulled along side and motioned for me to speed up. I kicked it up over the legal limit. He stayed next to me several miles then waved and turned toward headquarters. I wasn't sure about the speedo so followed him into the parking lot to ask what speed we were going. He laughed and said he wasn't paying attention.
So I've been checked by all three police forces here.

 

Hey, wallster, I do believe the constabulary in New York is quite different than down here in the South. Austin, Texas, in particular is a haven for cool cars, many of which are somewhat noisy, but as long as you don't rack em off in front of the Police, there seems to be NO problem. The many car functions in Austin bring in tons of revenue, and the drivers of hot rods respect the "rules" to a large degree. We really don't have problems, so I think your Police force is just overzealous, plain and simple, like so much crap in that region. I feel for you, but that is the hand you have been dealt residing up there. Make a LonestarRoundup in April, and you won't even want to go back to Bloombergville.

 

Most cops and judges are very quick to point out that they are your tax dollars at work. When times get tough, (federal funding cuts) why is there always a big push for safety on the highways, with every local yokel out on the interstates writing tickets? It would seem to me that if funds are cut they should lay someone off to save money!

Back to the good cop, bad cop vs hotrodder thing, I've been stopped once while driving a hot rod. I passed a car on the right as he was waiting to make a left turn, I didn't notice the state boy because he was a quarter mile behind me in an unmarked car. I thought it was OK to pass there as there was a right turn lane and I told him so. He explained the law and asked if he could inspect my truck, I agreed, he checked the lighting front and rear, thanked me and said I was free to go.
I've had a drivers license for 45 years and have probable averaged a ticket every other year, but it seems lately I've become more "lucky", I think it coincides with the growth of grey facial hair. LOL

 

In Texas the fine you pay is divided between the city and the state. I don't remember the percentage. I had DP'S trooper check my car out last year headed to Bastrop. When he passed me he gave me a huge thumbs up. The guy was a giant. Drove the Crown Vic in the gang lean.

 

I was street racing a 64/65 chevele el camino,I'm in a 59 chevy big window custom cab p/up 327 tunnel ram w/4spd,lite turned green,all hell turned loose .we got to the next signal (candlewood) lights up behind us both ,splitting the line ,tells both us to pull over.the camino pulled over in front of me I pulled over behind him. the cop walks up behind me and say's wait here...he gives a ticket for exhibition of speed .comes back to my truck ,says open the hood ,I'm building one just like this at home. checks out my truck,says ( don't let me see this again).....no ticket
the dude that got his doors blown off was a friend of my brothers $350.00 fine.
street racing back then was an adventuer,and most of the time alot of fun.....

 

The cop thing is so bogus. I've been on both sides of it. I once pulled up to a red light right next to a state trooper in my model a. Cammed 400" Pontiac blasting out of two foot long zoomies practically right in to his window.... AND I was talking on a cell phone (more like yelling in to the cell phone haha) The cop looks over and just nods at me.
Another circumstance, I was doing some turbo tuning in an OT car and I got it up to about 15 over the speed limit. Got pulled over by a town cop. Gave me like 3 tickets. Had to go to court, points on license and paid 500 dollars in court fees.
Cops are just ridiculous with how inconsistent they are. bleh

 

Around here the cops have a real problem with Hot Rods and a HUGE problem with me! This is no shit. One day I got pulled over 3 times within one hour. I was driving like an old man. I got one ticket out of the three for loud exhaust. The other complaints were from a list of previous sightings.

No fenders
No windshield wipers
No bumpers
To loud
Headlights too low

There was more but I cant remember. They have also been picking on the local street rod club guys! Its unreal. The last thing he said to me was, "I dont want to see this thing on the street again or ill have it impounded."

Thats why the T is for sale.

 

Never been pulled over in any of my classic cars- except once last year when a cop pulled me over in my 64 Belair to tell me my tail light was out, that he loved the car, and to have a nice day

 

"I’m just glad Wally Parks and many of the founding members of the NHRA lived long enough to see hot rods get the respect they deserve."

You know, JB...that's actually pretty poignant. I mean, most of us know that the whole effort was to find a way to keep the racing off the streets and gain a more favorable view of hot rodders by law enforcement and the public. But I never gave much thought to the personal aspect. Wally and his cohorts really did get to see the the fruition of their efforts. They had plenty of reason to be proud and very pleased with the outcome. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

 

"attitude" has a whole lot to do with the outcome of a traffic stop.. That's all I have to say. You get what you ask for--and if you're acting like an asshole--then you get an asshole treatment..

 

my last was,makeing a right hand turn.I got on it (lit it up)smoke an all .got to the next street,lit up like xmas tree.pulled over was getting my papers in order,was told (I shouldn't be doing that so early in the mourning,have a nice day)......thank you very much.made my day .tend to be a little more carefull these days

 

Hate to say it but I've had the exact opposite experience with cops. I too largely drive my hot rod like an old man but have been pulled over for all sorts of stuipd things:

- Tail lights not bright enough (yeah, they're 60 years old and don't compare to your halogen lights 5 feet behind me)
- No heater
- No wipers on a day it was 90+ degrees out and sunny
- No fenders

I've also been pulled over on my sport bike because my tail lights were too close together!!! He didn't have me on anything else after following me for several miles so he pulled me over for that chicken excuse.

 

being a cop myself i know how some guys treat any type of custom car. Just like every other group off people you are going to have cops that are car guys and will pull you over just to talk about the car when others couldn't care less about what you drive and believe every car should be treated the same way.

but can you really compain when you know the modifications you are doing to your vehicle are illegal and that doing such modifications may result in a ticket.

its a risk we all take..

 

A-men,I know I did wrong.but !!! it just felt sooo! good

 

Don't bring your old car to South Australia. Cops= Revenue raisin' errand boys for Socialist pinko government pricks who have a finger in everything & a fuckin' law for everything..

 

I couldn't agree more!

 

Unfortunately Ronnie not in Oz mate...the nanny state control/mentality/attitude here is in overdrive.

Even if your ride complies with the laws and has been signed off as legal the a$$holes are still looking to raise a buck for the ca$h strapped Feds. That makes you a target. The motorist is Oz is raped from pillar to post and having a modded ride simply makes you a bigger target while real POS OT cars rarely get looked at.

The Police here have overdosed on a PC/bullshit/revenue raising diet for many years now. What was that? Your daughter got raped? "Sorry were have 30 squad cars, the EPA, the Sherriff, and The DMV all out in the SAME location atm chasing those hardened crim 19 yo kids in their ricers".

Gettin the picture?

Rat

 

NO SHIT!!!! I was in Rochester for a family reunion. As we drove through Hamlin Beach State Park, looking for our spot, we were greeted by about 12 of NY's finest, ostensibly doing a seat belt check. Inside a State Park. My wife and I were pulled over, too, on our MOTORCYCLE!! The reason (I believe)...it was the Estela/Colón Reunion. Her family is Puerto Rican. They left shortly after most of us had arrived.

I want to respect cops, I really do. Then shit like this happens...

Cosmo

 

Cops USED to have respect in the community, but not any more. They used to SERVE & PROTECT.

Now you are just being SERVED, and I don't mean it in the normal way.

Our Police here are being miliatarised - uniforms and equipment for traffic cops are beginning to look like they just did a tour in Afghanistan....WTF?

And I'm seeing this trend worldwide...esp when it comes to the targeting has been described in previous posts.

 

I agree that for the most part we get a thumbs up from the police around here, with one exception. There is one OPP officer who has a hate on for the hotrod/custom crowd. He will pull over any old car or hotrod to go over it, give you a hrad time about your YOM plate or historic plate, low ground clearence, some BS about it is not factory spec. He even showed up at cruise nights to harass guys with no fenders, they were parked in a mall!

I have been pulled over though so the officer could have a closer look and ask if it was for sale.

 

Yeah you're right. The trooper should have wrote you too. You know, for the sake of consistency .

 

And that pretty well sums it up in my opinion. I spent 25 years on a large midwest police department. A lot of that time was spent in traffic. The rule is that one is supposed to make up his/her mind about issuing a traffic ticket before he/she leaves the wheel or car. It has always amazed me that there are many, many folks that talk themselves into a traffic ticket!

Occasionally, I would stop a car or bike exceeding the speed limit by 50 or 60 mph (not school zones) and simply tell them to slow down and send them on their way. They had to be alone for this to work as they, no doubt, told all their buddies about being let go w/a warning for 50 over the posted speed limit. Would you believe them? Their buddies probably called BS on them too.

All you have to do is be civil and, as a rule, the officer will be civil, as well. You might still get the ticket but you didn't get one last week when no one saw you bust the red light!

 

That stuff I'd fix, before I sold my car. You just gave up without a fight?

No heater? just how does THAT work? The other stuff is fix-it crap, so I'd fix it.

You guys complaining must live in small towns or cities where the cops get bored. In Houston, I'm more concerned about being car jacked, than I am of the cops. They're too busy looking the REAL bad guys, to measure my headlights.

 

JB...you had to know this would turn into "cops are great" vs "cops are assholes".

Granted, some cops are more reasonable than others...I've got plenty of stories, both pro and con. But what's being ignored here is the fact that at one time, almost ALL cops and most of the public had great distain and actual fear of hot rodders and their cars. Hot rodders were vilified nearly as much as motorcycle gangs were...and sometimes justifiably. That is, until Wally Parks and his buddies made efforts to help change that.

If Wally and others hadn't done this, it's likely we wouldn't have the privalege of enjoying our hobby as we do today.