Hard @%% State Trooper!

[Jake P]

I recently got a job doing state inspections and learning how to be a mechanic in the free time I have while at the shop. Before I can start I have to take a certification class and pass all the 3 tests. I went this morning at 8 am to begin the class along with 9 other people total. Around lunch time we see a State Trooper walk in the door and he starts talking about the consequences of illegally passing cars when they should have failed because you are lazy or are doing someone a favor.

He explained how he would come visit us at our job and give us our very own CUSTOM set off wrist bands and take us for a little ride to the motel of his choice. He even said he would fill out the paperwork and give us our own rooms so that we wouldn't have to do it ourselves. He also said that he can upgrade our stay from one night up to 10 years depending on the offense. Needless to say that set the tone for the remainder of the day.

Well as were all going on our last break we walk outside to see Trooper Jackson sitting in his car typing on his laptop. He gets out of the car and walked around all of our cars and inspected them. Then got back in his cruiser and typed some more which made everyone very nervous because he had already arrested someone in the middle of class for lying on the GOVERNMENT paper we all filled out.

 The trooper gets out of his cruiser and walks to the first car and points at it, the owner walks to it and they do their business, then he walks to the next car and so on. After about the 7th car he walks to my truck points at it and I walk over to him. He tells me to roll down my window, so I do. He pulls out his tint meter and places it on my window and tells me to look at it. 13%, Texas legal limit is 25% and up.

He tells me that he didn't see me driving so he cannot give me a ticket, but once I leave the parking lot for lunch break and come back then he can. He tells me I have 2 options, scrape it, or receive a tint ticket. I figured i can get them re tinted LEGALLY for 60 if I scrape it off as apposed to a 100$ ticket plus the hassle of paying it. I scraped it off only to see that the other 3 guys with illegal tint had not and finished the class and went home with no tickets  . I passed the class though  .

[Big Tom]

That guy was a jerk!!!  Thats just more work on his part and there was no reason to go looking for trouble that way.  I got pulled by a State Trooper on Sunday for not wearing a seat belt and he was all class.  Great guy....but sometimes they can be hard to deal with.

[Sam]

I guess you found a Trooper that was trying to impress you guys with his power of law enforcement.  Just a demonstration of what he can do when he feels like it.

When things like this happen it throws suspicion and a lack of trust on all law enforcement officers, who are 99.9% wonderful when you need them.  

I have never encountered an unporfessional law enforcement officer although the county next to my city, Chesterfield County, Virginia, has a reputation of having some very unprofessional officers who hassel citizens.

May I suggust looking at the silver lining?  You avoided a future ticket, a court date and loss of money by removing the illegal tint. You also are to be proud that the tint is the only thing he found wrong with your truck.

The Trooper may have wanted to put some fear and concern into the guys that Troopers are very powerful people so you need to do your jobs correctly, which we would expect, anyway.

This is an early wake-up call and it looks like you passed the Trooper's test with flying colors. Congrats!!!  

[Muddy]

It is incredible what happens to some guys brains once you pin some tin on their chests!

[KYbass1276]

That guy was a jerk!!! Thats just more work on his part and there was no reason to go looking for trouble that way. I got pulled by a State Trooper on Sunday for not wearing a seat belt and he was all class. Great guy....but sometimes they can be hard to deal with.

I have yet to meet a KY state tropper who didn't have class and act unproffesional. All I have met have been super nice guys and gals. Very underpaid for a very demanding job.

As for super trooper there in texes I would have said drive your POV in tommorow and let us inspect it Mr hard ***. Going looking for crap that may be illegal but minor such as tinted windows to dark is stupid. I could see if he had pulled you over then go ahead the law is the law.

[daviscw]

He is hard for a reason. Around here if you know the right inspectors all you have to do is drive up, walk in, and get your inspection sticker without really being inspected. I do know that there are undercover people out there trying to catch the people that do this though, so be careful.

[fishfordollars]

Let me guess, he was young, redheaded, and had a wart between his eyes. What a jerk. Someone needs to report this behavior. It is way overboard. By any chance did he resemble Barney Fife? Bet he was only allowed to carry one bullet.

[Top]

he was just a guy that was impressed with his own self importance... I run into those types ALL the time...

AL

[Daniel My Brother]

If your job is to do state inspections, then your vehicle needs to be 100% above reproach. I don't want some guy telling me my windows are too dark, only to watch him drive away with the same. Sorry he was rough on you, but you need to set the standard.

jmho

[Muddy]

Setting a standard is way different about bustin somebodys chops and pushing your AUTHORITI around>>> Just ask Cartman from South Park ;D

[dave]

Even here in MD there is a regulation for window tinting.  I am always surprised by how many cars and trucks that are obviously out of reg.  I would like to know how many tickets are being written for tint violations all across the country.   Also,  if the jobs are being done by a shop of some sort,  they should know the regulation and be held accountable for the violations and tickets.

[Top]

YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTORITIE!!!!!

[Pencil Pusher]

Think of it as basic training. He was being a hard a** to emphasis what you have to do as an inspector. Thats his job. A large counterfeit inspection ring was just busted a short while ago in Dallas.

[daviscw]

If your job is to do state inspections, then your vehicle needs to be 100% above reproach. I don't want some guy telling me my windows are too dark, only to watch him drive away with the same. Sorry he was rough on you, but you need to set the standard.

jmho

I agree. He is doing his job. He may of came across as a jerk, but that is not against the law, your windows are.  It does seem a little hypocritical that you are trying to become a state car inspector when in fact yours would never pass. Sounds to me like he let you off easy.

[Muddy]

I think the question is off attitude. I have lived in Brooklyn,New Orleans and PA , and the cops in Brooklyn and New Orleans are among the most underpaid and deal wiuth the hardest situations

They are rough when they have to be but for the most part are the most pesronable and polite officers I have met.

There is a huge difference between making a point and sticking it in someones ear.  Rambo cops don't bother me I find them amusing

[slomoe]

Rambo cops don't bother me I find them amusing

They bother me.....quite often actually  ;D

[WIII-60]

the cops in Brooklyn and New Orleans are among the most underpaid and deal wiuth the hardest situations

That's inaccurate:

New Orleans: As a recruit, the starting salary is $34,797. Upon the completion of police recruit training (typically one year) the salary increases to $44,919.

New York: NYC Police Officers staring salary is $40,361. After 5 ½ years of service salary is $76,488. When including base salary, night shift differential, holiday pay, and uniform allowance, a Police Officer could earn over $91,823, plus overtime, after 5.5 years of tenure.

the national average is The median expected salary for a typical Police Patrol Officer in the United States is $48,283. That's with accepted tenure. The starting salary (the numbers you see above for their respective depts.) average is $40,224. That's make them pretty much where they should be if not higher than average.

Based on Cities with 75,000+ population and rankings for six crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft (the hardest situations). The most dangerous cities in the U.S are:

1. Detroit, MI.

2. St. Louis, Mo.

3. Flint, MI.

New Orleans didn't make the list. Buffalo was 24th out of 25. Actually, 6 of the 25 safest cities in America are in New York or New Jersey.

On topic: The trooper could have made his case without acting like a bully.

[Muddy]

I stand corrected I had yet to get the newsletter dated 9/1/08 that the city conceded and chaged the starting pay  . There was a lot of anymosity ( sorry I have bad grammar and bad spelling :) because the force has been undersatffed since the attrition rate and loss of personel during 9/11/01 and after. This was hard fought , Bloomberg did everythign he could to prevent this.

I am sure the Avg,NYC cop sees more action and danger than most, HOW do you think the city got so safe?

[firefightn15]

It's all about tact.  I know and have known many that line of work and I am sure that many others here have or do.  3 different people can give you the same dissertation, and you'll come away with totally differing opinions of all 3 people.  Some people in law enforcement have it some don't.

Years ago driving big truck I just had anew paint job on the tractor and headed for Florida.  Got into Kentucky on 75 and was pullled behind for an inspection.  While trying to plead my case for not having a unit number on my truck, the DOT inspector told me 3 times "you in Kentucka nah boyh".  After the third time I decided it was time to shut up and take my $75 fine like a man. :'(

[Jake P]

If your job is to do state inspections, then your vehicle needs to be 100% above reproach. I don't want some guy telling me my windows are too dark, only to watch him drive away with the same. Sorry he was rough on you, but you need to set the standard.

jmho

I agree 100%. I planned on having it changed to 25% (even though we can legally pass 20% and the law states 25% as the limit) after i went through the 2 day class. People really have no idea how much of a process it is and of how much importance it is. I came into this job thinking I would inspect cars and pass or fail them no problem, it is MUCH more than that.

My tech told me that he had a friend in Dallas county who was inspecting a work vehicle on the Dyno and entering his friends car information since the info has to pass through Austin Texas before it can be completed. Well he would inspect the truck and then put in the cars information and put the sticker on the car. Well a state trooper and some people with the Texas DPS were in a van in the parking lot video taping him doing this. Needless to say hes in jail right now and this was last year I believe.

Its amazing how much trouble you can get in. For example, if I decide to not test a gas cap on a vehicle, or put the test cap on so it will pass and a person of authority sees me doing this, I can get up to a 1,000$ fine for a first offense. Other offenses vary from 150$-10 years in jail. If I leave the inspection stickers out of the drawer or unlocked while im not doing an inspection, 150-500$ fine.

One funny law is if say a Jeep comes in with no front windshield BUT it DOES have windshield wipers, i have to finish the test and fail the vehicle because "the windshield wipers do not make direct contact with the windshield"  ;D. They are aloud to take them off on the spot and I can then pass the vehicle.

[fishinfiend]

"you in Kentucka nah boyh"

;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

That's funny!!!

[farmpond1]

Playing the devil's advocate, if I were a cop, tinted windows would p*** me off!  If I had to pull someone over, I'd want to know what's going on inside that car in front of me.  Won't comment on the rest of the cops behavior.

[Jake P]

Playing the devil's advocate, if I were a cop, tinted windows would p*** me off! If I had to pull someone over, I'd want to know what's going on inside that car in front of me. Won't comment on the rest of the cops behavior.

Thats one of the reasons for that law. It sucks that the people who respect law enforcement and roll down their windows so that the cop can purposely see in have to suffer for it. Im sure cops get nervous pulling someone over so i want to make them as comfortable as possible. I roll down my windows and turn off my truck. Oh well, its just tint.