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Got pulled over yesterday, interesting?

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Yesterday after making a left turn with nobody around I put the foot down to experience that Tesla take off.
I never exceeded the speed limit though. Something I like to do once in a while.

Well, the cop came out of a parking lot, he was hiding behind some bushes.
Interesting that I never got a ticket, he stopped me to ask questions about the car.
His opening line was “How do you like the initial pick up on this car?” He proceeded to walk around the car and would come back to the drivers door window to ask more random questions about the car.

At this point I new I wasn’t going to get a ticket, but was wondering why he was asking so many questions.
He then told me that he liked the look of the black tinted windows and proceeded to tell me that they were not close to being legal. He also asked how I made the paint so glossy? I told him Ceramic coatings, and he began to ask about the process of applying it.

One of the strangest stops I have ever had. This guy was very nice he complimented everything I had done to the car. He never even asked for my DL. He said he stopped me because the glossy paint and red with dark windows got his attention. (Not sure this is a good thing?)
All in all, this guy was a very nice guy, probably thinking of getting a Tesla or something. I thanked him for his service and he went off with a smile.
 

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I had a similar situation at the Canadian border one time. I had one of the first Toyota MR2s to come into the United States and when I crossed into Canada, the guy went through every single inch of the car. The whole time it was asking me questions about the car. It was very obvious that all he wanted to do was see a vehicle he never seen before.
 
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Wow, quite the experience. Usually when something like this happens, they will cite you for "excessive use of gas" (don't know the actual law), but that certainly doesn't apply to this situation.

I find it weird that cops sometimes just pull people over because they are interested in the car they drive.
 
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Wow, quite the experience. Usually when something like this happens, they will cite you for "excessive use of gas" (don't know the actual law), but that certainly doesn't apply to this situation.

I find it weird that cops sometimes just pull people over because they are interested in the car they drive.
If it’s California you’re thinking of “Exhibition of Speed”

I believe they did have a “waste of resources” $5 fine in Montana back when we had a National speed limit law.
 
I appreciate his interest in your car but he's not allowed to stop you without a reason. He didn't even give you a BS thing about reckless driving or a warning about the tint?
He did mention the initial take off speed. He said if a young kid was next to me, what do you think he would want to do? I said, “Race”. He asked what I would be tempted to do if that happened? I again said, “Race him”, and he smiled.
 
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If it’s California you’re thinking of “Exhibition of Speed”

I believe they did have a “waste of resources” $5 fine in Montana back when we had a National speed limit law.
Yes that seems to be it. It used to be a lot larger of a fine where I am from in Arizona, though this must have been 2009. Kind of sneaky-smart of them to do that in Montana, because who is really going to show up to court to fight $5?
 
Yes that seems to be it. It used to be a lot larger of a fine where I am from in Arizona, though this must have been 2009. Kind of sneaky-smart of them to do that in Montana, because who is really going to show up to court to fight $5?

The design was to get around the national speed limit without losing Federal Highway funding and you paid the fine on the spot.
 
I appreciate his interest in your car but he's not allowed to stop you without a reason.
I don't know, driving while Tesla seems like a pretty good reason.

I got stopped in the small town where work and know all the local police. "Do you know how fast you were going?" "Yeah, no, not really". I was going 37 mph in a 25 mph zone. Totally out of control. Lucky I didn't do some serious time for that one. Instead, we talked about the Tesla.

One night a Highway Patrol Officer I didn't know was walking through our emergency department chatting alongside one of our ICU nurses, a guy who is ex-military and ex-law enforcement. "Oh, you finally caught him" I interjected to the officer as they walked by. "No, I just came to impound that Tesla out there". Good one. He not only had noticed my M3P plugged in, out by the ambulance bay, he knew who it belonged to. Small town. Last night as I was leaving for work, a group of kids, out on the Halloween town and walking by in the dark said "Hey, look, he's got a Tesla". Still few and far between here in rural Montana to get a notice.
 
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To be honest, at first I was a little annoyed with there really being no reason to stop me. But in all honesty, the guy was really cool and maybe just wanted to check out the car. After all, he did mention the whole thing about a kid potentially being in motivated to race.
It was just a guy wanting to check out my car, I don’t have a problem with that. What made it ok, is that he was very nice and respectful.
 
Yesterday after making a left turn with nobody around I put the foot down to experience that Tesla take off.
I never exceeded the speed limit though. Something I like to do once in a while.

Well, the cop came out of a parking lot, he was hiding behind some bushes.
Interesting that I never got a ticket, he stopped me to ask questions about the car.
His opening line was “How do you like the initial pick up on this car?” He proceeded to walk around the car and would come back to the drivers door window to ask more random questions about the car.

At this point I new I wasn’t going to get a ticket, but was wondering why he was asking so many questions.
He then told me that he liked the look of the black tinted windows and proceeded to tell me that they were not close to being legal. He also asked how I made the paint so glossy? I told him Ceramic coatings, and he began to ask about the process of applying it.

One of the strangest stops I have ever had. This guy was very nice he complimented everything I had done to the car. He never even asked for my DL. He said he stopped me because the glossy paint and red with dark windows got his attention. (Not sure this is a good thing?)
All in all, this guy was a very nice guy, probably thinking of getting a Tesla or something. I thanked him for his service and he went off with a smile.
Pathetic that he would use his authority to take your time for no legal reason.
 
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I appreciate his interest in your car but he's not allowed to stop you without a reason. He didn't even give you a BS thing about reckless driving or a warning about the tint?
His PC for the stop is tint and no front plate. Most agencies ask that their officers give the reason for the stop within the first sentence, but it's not required by law or anything like that.
 
Seems like this is him telling you why he stopped you. What's the legal tint % in California? I bet just about everyone has illegal tint there.
Windshield can only have top 4 inches tinted. Front side windows 88% VLT for aftermarket tint, 70% VLT total combined with factory tint. Rear side and rear windows no limit.
California Tint Laws - 2022 Updated - Car Tinting Laws

Almost everyone that tints their front side windows are in violation because they typically pick the same tint as the rear. Even if they don't, there are very few aftermarket tints that are 88% VLT or above.

I personally picked a 75% VLT which was the highest ceramic tint I found at a reasonable price. Other than the color being slightly different (not noticeable unless side by side with a factory window), it looks pretty close to factory, so I doubt I will get trouble for it. The spirit of the law is for driver visibility out those windows (both looking out for the driver and looking in for cops), and such a light tint is well in respect to the spirit (even if not exactly the letter). Every day I see plenty of people with their front side windows much darker than mine (OP's is no exception).
 
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