From KPVI out of Idaho Falls: http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=9875481 Idaho hot rodders could face steeper noise fines BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Hot rodders whose modified mufflers rattle the windows and disturb the sleep of Idaho residents could soon face steeper fines. A neighborhood group told lawmakers Thursday the existing penalty is too paltry to get local police to enforce noise limits. Craig Hlousek, a Boise resident, told the Senate Transportation Committee Thursday custom car buffs in his neighborhood carry on a "terrorist existence," but police tell him "the fine just isn't enough to bother with it." Car buffs at the hearing countered it's the driver, not the equipment, that should be held accountable. Lawmakers now due to debate the measure in the full Senate say they could boost the fine to $1,000. But they also may dump 38-year-old provisions in Idaho's existing muffler law making it illegal for auto shops to install loud mufflers, saying that may be going too far. Better read that second to last paragraph again, that's right kids, a thousand damn dollars for a noise pollution ticket. Contact your state reps and let them know you don't agree with this! Scot
That would be unfortunate if they did that. Of course most hot rodders have the courtesy to try to keep things quiet around the neighborhoods. Are they lumping in the fart can rides with hot rods and customs? I know the law will paint them all with the same brush. I'd say the guy complaining is lucky he doesn't live here. I can hear the boom box stereo of the guy down the street's car about a good 3 minutes BEFORE he drives by my house. And I get to hear all his "traffic's" boom boxes too. I'd take a loud pipe any day over that.
I'd have to question how this law would/could be enforced. Noise is as much subjective as it is objective. A law officer would have to "judge" your car too noisey unless ther was a decible meter included with readings. My one moving violation was in my 66 vette with sidepipes when in a traffic jam in I-75 @5mph, the Wayne County officer was beside me. Late December 1970 when quota's were not met from what I heard later. Not that I didn't deserve many other violations in Oakland County. How do they expect to enforce such a law/ordinance?? I think they may also be targeting loud speakers inside cars.
I'm on the other side of the state from Boise, but my guess is this is 90% for thew fart-can kids out there in the hondas and mitsu-*****y's. We run about 5 or more years behind here in Idaho trends wise and the fart can thing is alive and well here. For those that saw the video of my truck on youtube its REALLY loud, but I actually play it very mellow in any neighborhood and just idle up and down the streets until I get out on the larger roads. I'll have to watch this one close, I know I can't afford a grand for one lousy ticket. If it does p*** i'll have to build another "Street" exhaust with Summit or sonic turbo mufflers. My Shoenfield sprint car mufflers are a teensy loud
Loud Muffler is one of those violations you're supposed to be able to plead to to avoid a speeding ticket with a harsher penalty, the fine for it shouldn't exceed the fines for speeding. If they're going to have a fine that big, you guys should push them into setting a specific decibel limit at a specific distance that has to be measured by certified equipment. That aught to slow things down a bit. And buy that douchebag some insulation for his tarpaper shack. Terrorist existance, my ***, go back to Seattle ya damn hippie...
The 38 year old law is actually in enforcement now, it has never really been repealed. It actually states any deviation from original equipment is illegal. Meaning even adding an accessory chrome tip to the pipe, they can give a ticket for. Duals, definitely qualify for tickets, no matter how loud. We also have cl***ic plates that allow vehicles 25 years and older to be exempt from smog statutes. But they are limited to driving to and from a show or parade or shop. By the law on those plates if you are caught going to the corner drug store for a coke, you can get a ticket. That said, the cops are turning blind eyes for now to the issues and thats as a favor to those of us that don't **** where we sleep. If people keep abusing these regs, they will start enforcing these laws. Making the old adage true, it takes a few bad apples to ruining the whole batch. The neighborhood I live in I also work in, it's quiet unless I make noise and I warn the neighbors first. I have an inhome daycare next door to boot. Nap time is between noon and 2 pm. There's was a dope house down the street, those people don't drive by here fast anymore, only takes one visit from an annoyed neighbor for her to keep her clients from ******* someone off. Amazing how communication solves issues... Moral is to police our selves, educate the idiots........use a big freakin' stick if ya have to. ANY thing to keep those mofo's from ruining it for the rest of us. Oh, I got some of this advice from the law enforcement officers themselves, who also happen to have hotrods......not the using the stick part, that was from my brain.
We have been hearing of the same thing here in Canada, I am in New Brunswick and have heard that this summer they will be pulling people over and ticketing them if they believe that the vehicle (bikes included) are to loud. So if you have a original muscle car that came with sidepipes or a crinkle pipe muffler does this mean they could force you to put a different exhaust system on it even though the loud system is the one it came with from the factory, great way to cost you money to make your car worth less money,,,
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