I know what you mean they are useful to the driver of the car but not to anyone outside the car cause they're blinding, if I see a car with xenons esp an suv behind me I switch lanes cause the way the side mirrors are positioned to me all I see is a bright light then spots..... another thing when I got pulled over he had me turn of the headlights and turn them back on and put the high beams on to make sure that the xenons were the low beam

 

Ya got me on this one chief. I imagine if he'd been walking around town doing his "non-working" thing and saw you stopped at a sign or a light, he might have asked you about your car. I only adopted mine (second-hand MINI) a month ago and I've been approached three times putting groceries and such in it. It may also have something to do with the whole "Tweety" theme the previous owner had going and I kept up. But, MINI's just get noticed by everyone, not just cops. I like to think it's because I'm a handsome dude (or dud if you prefer) but it's the MINI; it's always the MINI.

 

Ack! Didn't look to see that you were logged in. They truly ARE awesome headlights if they're yours but you're right, they are blinding. I've started encountering them in SUV's while driving around Honolulu and changing lanes IS all you can do.

His actions regarding turning them off, switching from low to hi and back are pretty cut and dry. He had you do that so that he could justify not citing you for it even if the only person he had to justify it to is himself. Honest cops hate to be lazy and just let folks go. But if they can prove to themselves that there's no violation, they can let you go with a clear concience (spelling looks off on that). Also, in states where the LE guys use blue lights, it's against traffic codes to put blue-tinted lights in your vehicle. Xenon lights have a blue-ish tint but are legal because 1) they're factory installed and 2) it's not a true blue tint it's just the wave length of the light that makes it look blue-ish. Blue cop lights get that way because of a blue filter or the bulb itself is somehow treated to give off blue light.

 

Well, in this case, I can't say much considering I wasn't there. Sorry but out of the three yours probably drew the most attention. I don't know about civilian cops but I was always instructed to pull over one vehicle at a time for safety reasons. No matter how good your eyes were, you could only keep them on one vehicle at a time. I'm sure you saw the video clips where a cop approaches or is talking to the driver of the vehicle in front of him and gets NAILED by a vehicle that passes behind him. Same concept but like I said of the three you were the most noticable and probably caught his attention on a sub-conscious level.

Can't blame you for being upset though. I'm a cop (rather I WAS a military cop) and I'D hate to think that my MINI is what got me pulled over and not the other two going the same speed. Mine's liquid yellow, not THAT uncommon, but is "Tweety"-ed out so it gets a little attention by everyone. Hee hee, they're too busy looking at the car to notice that it's passing them...

 

+++

BTW if your side mirrors are correctly set, then it should not be so much of a problem

 

Tweedi great posts!

 

Tweedi.........that was a GREAT post, certainly confirms what my LEO friend told me. Thanks for your insights. To all those "it's my car, not my driving" types out there, pay attention!!!

 

Unless the individual behind you does not know what following distance means.

 

Or installed his xenons himself and they are not properly aimed... as is almost always the case when I run into a vehicle with those lights installed around here. In fact, the other day I was driving behind a '94 Chrysler Town and Country with xenon headlights I don't recall those shipping from Europe or Asia with xenons...

 

Where do you live...Amish country....I really dont think its the Mini thats the problem..

 

Does anyone else get the problem where just because a MINI is mini-size that people think they can just about kiss your hatch? I swear people just wanna get in the back of my car to the point where I'm afraid I'll roll into them when I'm starting out in first gear (manual shift). Grrrrr

 

Doesn't always help. Some folks seem to be driving a double-wide. They drift from one side of the lane to the other or try to read my speedometer they want to get so close to my behind. Of course by that time I'm downshifting and making them eat exhaust fumes. But then there's the folks in the lanes to your right and left. Not much you can do besides adjust the side views and wish you had the self dimming mirrors (I don't). My Chrysler is fully loaded and even the sideviews will dim if the rearview senses too much light.

Speaking of that, I think CA should allow more tinting. Before I left there for HI, some of those sunny summer DAYS were activating my rearview light sensor. Sheesh, no wonder some CA folks drive the way they do, they have been blinded by all that sun. Meant with a sense of humor, I was a considerate CA driver for 13 years.

 

I know I seem to be posting an inordinately large number of times in this post and I hope no one gets irritated by it. I just want folks to feel at ease with the MINI's "WOW" effect. As I said before, I'm only one man, I just happen to have insight into the "cop mentality" and own a MINI. If this were a site for the Dodge Viper, I wouldn't be posting here since I don't own one.

I'm glad some folks have enjoyed my posts here, having 20 years of military police experience (16 years of it actual "beat" police work), I'd like to think that my opinion matters to those who read what I've posted.

The bottom line is pretty cut and dry: if you're being stooooopid on the roadways, even a 1990 Toyota Tercel will get you pulled over. A nice looking car with a monsterous "Wow" factor being driven in a proper and safe manner shouldn't get pulled over unless there is something illegal about it.

Granted, some folks posted items where the cop explained that they just wanted a look at the vehicle. It happens. If it becomes a hassle, realize that you have rights and that pulling someone over just to "check out" the vehicle is technically illegal in most (if not all) of the 50 states. It's called "Unlawful Detention" and unless the officer can justify the traffic stop, you need to decide how far you want to go with it. Personally, I never risked it, it's unprofessional and I dislike unprofessionalism. It makes the rest of us look bad.

As I mentioned ealier, there are also "bad cops" out there who get off on pulling people over for the power trip. That too happens, and I'm ashamed to acknowledge the fact that those types are out there. Just do your best to remain calm and get through it. If you feel the officer overstepped his bounds, wait until after you are released then speak to a legal professional. Don't take things into your own hands. Good things come to those who wait.

At any rate, for those who wrote in the thank me for my posts, you are truly welcome. I'm glad I could help; sometimes you just have to see it from another point of view.

 

In a nut shell...Stupid is as stupid does!!!! Drive normal and it dosen't matter what you drive...I can attest to that. Never been pulled over unless I was doing something Stupid......and I have been driving for 23 years.

 

I have gotten followed countless times in my MINI. I dont see why sometimes. I have no tint, no major mods, and its not even an S.

 

Not being an S doesn't matter. Most people don't even know the difference, or that there is even a difference at all. It is just an obvious car, that's all.

One time I got pulled over (wasn't speeding too bad, I'd say 40 in a 35), but my radar didn't go off. The officer told me he would give me a warning because I was honest about my destination and that he had a heavy foot as well. He then asked me questions about my car, how I liked it, etc. This was a while back, though.

Maybe they just love looking at MINIs!

 

Hey Found this moldy post but had to pose a question regarding this stop.

If your vehicle conforms to the safety and inspection standards of your own state, how can another state enforce a law superceding that of the one whom inspected your car ?

As far as I know, there are no federal guidelines pertaining to window glass tint limits, and even if there were, the state and local authorites have no enforcement powers

If that was the case, every automobile crossing state lines in CA that is not CA smog legal would be ticketed ?

 

You have to look at the particular law in question. I think the California smog laws specifically pertain only to new cars that are sold in California (or purchased out-of-state by California residents), not to cars that are "just passing through". That's also why if you live in Texas, and your job transfers you to California, you can bring your current car with you and register it in California without having to upgrade the emissions equipment to meet California "new car" standards.

Equipment laws that cover things like tint and lighting, on the other hand, usually pertain to any vehicle operated in the state, which means that they would apply to cars registered in other states. That's why Virginia can ticket me for using a radar detector in their state, even though it's legal in California.

 

TOTALLY... I noticed that immediately. I've thought maybe it was the mirrors or something making it appear that way, but it always feels like the dude (or dudette) behind me is coming up way too fast, and gets way too close!!!

 

Was and still is a plaque. Just last week got stopped in E Mississipi on I-59 near Hattiesburg for no reason at all, we were in the right lane doing 5 mph below posted speed limits. Since the trooper coudn't find anything, she just gave us a warning ticket for tailgating . BTW we have an "S" with no mods except for legal window tint.

 

Yeah I have it happen just about everyday, all these stupid trucks think that they can tailgate me because they are bigger. I swear one time at a stoplight I had a truck pull so close to me that all I could see was his grill in my rearview!

 

+1!! I wonder if it's in their contract when they buy the truck.

 

I have had 2 tickets in one year of ownership:

1. Front window Tint fix it ticket (CA)
2. Speeding ticket coming out of left turn on to a lower speed limit street

 

I haven't noticed this, but I had a hatchback as a daily driver before I got the MINI. People tailgate no matter what you (or they) drive, but tailgaters can get a lot closer to your rear window when you have no trunk extending behind the car.

 

With regards to one state enforcing it's laws on folks from "out of state". In general, equipment violations cannot be enforced against non-residents of the state. After 26 years of military service ( that equals 14 moves in the lower 48 and Hawaii) I can tell you that I was never written a ticket for tint or dangling things on the rear view or anything else if I didn't have plates in the state I happened to be living in. Yes, there are exceptions (like radar detectors in VA and DC for example) but in general, you are accountable for the equipment laws of your home state only.

A page or two back, a post mentioned VA impounding cars for having radar detectors. Please go back and check the laws. Until a couple of years ago, the LEO could "impound" your detector (in use or not) but you could get it back after paying a hefty fine. Now, the fine is $100 and it's not confiscated.

I also spent 6 years as a reserve Deputy Sheriff in San Diego County (thought I wanted to be a LEO when I grew up) and I worked lots of traffic details and more DUI "flood" details than I ever care to remember. I honestly can't remember a single traffic stop that I made because of the car that was being driven. Bad driving and equipment violations were the only reason I made stops. With the exception of suspected DUI stops, they all started off with a warning and the attitude of the driver (or his/her passengers) were the sole deciding factor if they ended up that way. Every ticket I wrote required me to be in court and going to court was a royal pain in the behind!

If I got stopped in my MINI because the LEO wanted to look at it and ask questions, I'd take it as a compliment and I'd be glad to offer him/her a brief distraction from their day. Look at it this way, in about 95% of their work, LEO's only deal with people who are too stupid to qualify for the Jerry Springer show. If the looks of my car caught their attention and they just had to pull me over, I want them to remember me because the next time they see me, they'll remember that I was "a good guy" and they are more likely to look OUT for me rather than look FOR me...

Love this thread though!

P.S. Never been pulled over in my MINI or the Spouses bright YELLOW 350Z. My last two tickets (speeding - deserved) were in my dark blue VW New Beetle Convertible....