The only time I've ever seen an officer alter something legally on a vehicle is when the equipment is used for evidence such as a license plate (fictitous registration).

Good luck with what you decide to do and keep us posted.

MBaby007;219643 wrote:
Thanks, Harm. I think that'll be done. And if the window was scratched, the department will be getting a bill for it.

If that happens, it sure as fuck better come out of the cop's paycheck...I, as a taxpayer, don't want to pay for the cop's own stupidity.

good luck with the call. just remember.. keep it civil.. it's bad enough when they start out thinking "this was illegal and they're just trying to get out of a ticket" - keep 'em on track with what the actual problem is. the cop tried to scrape his car, and then made him do it himself.. tint laws may suck, but they're still on the books. causing damage or coercing somebody to cause damage.. not right.

I appreciate everyone's help. I've been pretty aggravated since I heard since I hate that law to begin with and now Synth's car has a big scratch from the top of the window straight down to the bottom until he gets it fixed.

harm;219592 wrote:
Sounds like it's time to make a nice, civil call to somebody's superiors, just to see if the officer was following procedure. They've probably got the stop recorded still, too. I don't think there's anything in procedure saying "make the vehicle's owner damage their property for no real reason."

in california, though, i think they get to crush your car if you're stopped and everything isn't C.A.R.B. approved.. and there's somewhere that they're confiscating modded cars and using them as patrol cars. all just to make a point.. probably about "street racing."

If i am not mistaken, law enforcement generally keeps recordings of general traffic stops and such about 3 months then destroys them. ( in the case of tapes, records over them).

California, Sheeeesh, Might as well let California drop out of the union of the states, too many idiots in the government there. Dont get me wrong here i am not pointing at the police, or law enforcement only here, but what many of the laws in california come down to is stupidity, by all means crush street racers cars, assholes deserve it, but crush a persons car cause their intake or exhaust is not state certified (as if a stiff fine wouldnt suffice). California Might as well adopt communisim.

They can't guarantee that you'll replace the tint because it's scratched. And if he tried to damage your property - and then made you do it yourself - that's just wrong. May as well have tried to kick the taillights out, and then made you do it, so you'd be sure to replace them.

in california, though, i think they get to crush your car if you're stopped and everything isn't C.A.R.B. approved.. and there's somewhere that they're confiscating modded cars and using them as patrol cars. all just to make a point.. probably about "street racing."

..back to my point, I'd definitely make a call to the department. Make sure it's clear that this isn't about whether or not the tint was illegal; it's about damage being done to personal property, and what's the word.. duress? i don't think that's quite it - but an officer made him damage his own property, and that's not okay. Definitely an over-flexing of authority.

Seriously, what the hell...

MBaby007;219551 wrote:
Those are just two reasons why having and/or enforcing this law is stupid. I understand that some bad tinting can make it terrible to see out of, but still... Gah. I have nothing to say on the subject, just that it's not right.

The part that really pisses me off is that the cop made Synth scratch his window pretty badly to guarantee that the tinting would be removed. That's probably why I'm ranting. I can't believe that an officer would do something like that as opposed to just writing him a ticket and leaving it at that.

It's good to know that back windows can be 35% in ND, though, since now he has to get it fixed. Aargh.

While I do believe dark tint being illegal is stupid, the reasoning there isn't very stupid. Tint CAN be so dark that a cop never would be able to see a gun/weapon until it was too late.

tjamz;219553 wrote:
I'm fairly sure it is illegal for them to demand you damage your tint. That would be like getting a noise ordinance ticket for a loud stereo and them demanding you put a screwdriver though the cone of your subs.

Yeah that's what I was thinking too...although unless he had a gun to your head I doubt he can MADE anyone do anything. And if the situation did come to something completely outrageous like the cop putting the gun to his head...the cop would be dead meat :p:

STiSchucky;219489 wrote:
Somethin about the car behind you cant see through your windows to see if the cars are braking infront of you
The HP guy told me it was cause if the guy in the backseat had a gun, he wouldn't be able to see it. LOL, considering ive never even fired a gun in my life.

Those are just two reasons why having and/or enforcing this law is stupid. I understand that some bad tinting can make it terrible to see out of, but still... Gah. I have nothing to say on the subject, just that it's not right.

The part that really pisses me off is that the cop made Synth scratch his window pretty badly to guarantee that the tinting would be removed. That's probably why I'm ranting. I can't believe that an officer would do something like that as opposed to just writing him a ticket and leaving it at that.

It's good to know that back windows can be 35% in ND, though, since now he has to get it fixed. Aargh.

Rexwagon;219451 wrote:
Yeah people on here are just fucken stupid sometimes. They flame on people because they have nothing better to do. They just want to make themselves feel better. So dont take it to hard brett. Just remember these are the same people that were in our highschools that were the jackasses and the people who picked on others cuz they thought they were cool.
whoa... you missed that one by a mile....

KA-T_240;219376 wrote:
^35% on the back windows is legal in ND. Unless the laws have recently changed.
You can paint over your back windows if you want. In which case no cop would be able to see a freaking thing in the back anyway. I hate the tint laws. Oh BTW OP, don't whine about something that is clearly your fault. Not flaming just saying that maybe that cop had better things to do, maybe not, but it is his job to enforce the laws.

MBaby007;219482 wrote:
This exact same thing happened to Derek (or SyntheticDivision) a couple hours ago, except the cop was on the opposite side of the Interstate going the other way.

The window tinting law is ridiculous. Why is it enforced anyway?
Somethin about the car behind you cant see through your windows to see if the cars are braking infront of you
The HP guy told me it was cause if the guy in the backseat had a gun, he wouldn't be able to see it. LOL, considering ive never even fired a gun in my life.

It's just ridiculous that highway patrolmen, on interstates, are going this far for something as petty as tint. Leave it to the cops, stick to pointing your gun at a car pretending your working when youre actually jackin off...Super Troopers shoutout

The window tinting law is ridiculous. Why is it enforced anyway?

Jim;219455 wrote:
Hehe, I've been pulled over for tint a bunch of times. Sucks.

I had one cop follow me in to the grocery store parking lot and like get out of his car as I was walking in to tell me my windows were illegally tinted...

It's a dumb law, I agree, its one of those things you have to live with though; atlests its not a moving violation and its cheaper in ND then MN.

Wait so you have MN plates and were in ND and had a tint ticket?

thats correct he informed that he new the laws in minnesota as well

I had one cop follow me in to the grocery store parking lot and like get out of his car as I was walking in to tell me my windows were illegally tinted...

It's a dumb law, I agree, its one of those things you have to live with though; atlests its not a moving violation and its cheaper in ND then MN.

Wait so you have MN plates and were in ND and had a tint ticket?