Topic: Florida state gestapo running legal scams RANT!

[Industrial Cafe]

Here's what happens if your tag is not at the most rear part of your bike in florida.

That means sideways mounted too, which some of us have spent good money on custom mounts to have.
here's what you get
It's a $1133.00 donation to the Florida Gestapo for the first offense, $2633.00 and 1 year of revoked license for the second and minimum $5733.00 and ten years of revoked license (mandatory court, 3rd degree felony) for the third.

That is legalized racketeering if I ever saw it.
what's wrong with this place, can't these cops out here tilt their head slightly to see what it says? It's a racket I tell ya. They'll find anything to make a buck.

I got 4 tickets in front of my house ($590 and a court date) and court was another $100, for riding my project up and down the street when I was tuning it, and he wouldn't let me ride it home. It was 100 yards to the house.. so I left it till he was gone and rode it home.

the tickets were, no helmet, no eye protection, no M on my license, and no tag.
I'd never had an M on my license and didn't care to get it, till I got this ticket.

so I go to get it, theres no more "M for 40 bucks and a paper test"...
 its now "mandatory 3 days of class and about $260" WTF!? i didn't want to take that stupid class.

The State thinks of ways to make money on the things that "you should do anyways" to make it ok with the norms who vote it in.
  It wont be too long before the "If its custom its illegal" law is enacted.
 

It seems to be all over though.
did you know that it is illegal to work on your car in the state of New Jersey if you're not a certified mechanic?

In Washington state it is illegal to coast in neutral on a downgrade. Weird, also it is illegal to lower your car so that the lowest point of the car is lower than the lowest part of the rim. Weird!

They're taking over your wallet and if you try to keep your money they'll take away your license or put you in jail.

hmmmm, sounds like legal racketeering to me.

ok thats my rant.

[eldar]

Its government and government IS a racket. 

[Terry in Australia]

Geez, you got booked for riding an unregistered motorcycle with no helmet and no license? Man, that's just absurd!

[AHuff]

Geez, you got booked for riding an unregistered motorcycle with no helmet and no license? Man, that's just absurd!

Word. You were on a public street it makes no difference what reason you were there. You broke the law plain and simple, man up, pay up, life goes on. You don't like FL's laws? Educate yourself and try to get them changed (good luck) or move.

[kirkn]

Geez, the unregistered bike, no motorcycle license nor eye protection I can understand, but how do you get charged with no helmet in a state where helmets are not required if you're over 21?

Ouch!

As for the training requirement, I'm on the fence with that.  

On the one hand, it's a big commitment both time and $$.  On the other hand, letting newbie 16-yr-olds hop on R-1's with nothing but a written test ain't right, either.  In FL, I think it was one of those trade-offs when the no-helmet laws were passed - "you can ride with no helmet, but we're going to make it more onerous to get the license in the first place".

[dave400]

In the UK for those offences you would be banned from driving for probably a year or more with a BIG fine and the bike would have been crushed at your expense…your police in FL seem like nice blokes.

Cheers 

[Steve F]

In the UK for those offences you would be banned from driving for probably a year or more with a BIG fine and the bike would have been crushed at your expense…your police in FL seem like nice blokes.

Cheers 

CRUSHED?  Surely, you jest! That's like saying if you don't pay your property tax, they're gonna rip your house down.   

[fuzzybutt]

you have to be able to show proof that you have at least  10,000 dollars in healthcare/accident coverage to be able to ride in florida without a helmet.

[my78k]

I had the same thoughts regarding the helmet? I go down there every winter and no one rides with one...sure some will occasionally have it strapped to the back of their sport bike or bungied to their seat but NEVER actually ON their head!

As for the plate thing....well it is the same up here although I have no idea as to the fine....don't care to either. I figure if it aint legal why do it?? Especially with something that the cops actually see every time they ride by (meaning if you're doing something illegal out of plain sight of the cops then that is a different story!)

Dennis

[dave400]

In the UK for those offences you would be banned from driving for probably a year or more with a BIG fine and the bike would have been crushed at your expense…your police in FL seem like nice blokes.

Cheers 

CRUSHED?  Surely, you jest! That's like saying if you don't pay your property tax, they're gonna rip your house down.   

If you don’t have/pay road tax (I presume this bloke never had your equivalent) on the bike and ride when you get stopped by the police they will tow it away and crush it….it’s the law.

[kirkn]

Florida Statutes Annotated Title XXIII
Motor Vehicles Chapter 316
State Uniform Traffic Control

Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 316.211, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

316.211. Equipment for motorcycle and moped riders

(3) (a) This section does not apply to persons riding within an enclosed cab or to any person 16 years of age or older who is operating or riding upon a motorcycle powered by a motor with a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less or is rated not in excess of 2 brake horsepower and which is not capable of propelling such motorcycle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on level ground.


(b) Notwithstanding subsection (l), a person over 21 years of age may operate or ride upon a motorcycle without wearing protective headgear securely fastened upon his or her head if such person is covered by an insurance policy providing for at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of a crash while operating or
riding on a motorcycle.

(4) No person under 16 years of age shall operate or ride upon a moped unless the person is properly wearing protective headgear securely fastened upon his or her head which complies with standards established by the department.

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.


I didn't know that about the insurance part.  Learn something new every day.  

"no one rides with one"  Well, I do.  Every time!  


Cafe, it sounds like you're getting less and less sympathy as this thread goes on...   

[eldar]

I think we may be missing something here.

First line   

Here's what happens if your tag is not at the most rear part of your bike in florida.

Now I take that as he DOES have his tags, just not mounted where the cop thinks he should have them.
Now maybe I am wrong and he did not have a tag but it reads to me like he does.
the no helmet thing, does he have insurance? If so then that should cover it as all insurance I have had made the 10,000 coverage. Maybe not fl though?

As far as we can tell, he is 29 so that covers the age thing.

The M class notation is required in ND but I do not know about fl. Is it mandatory or voluntary? If voluntary, then what are the requirements?

I think we need this info before basting him some more dont you all think?

[HavocTurbo]

I think we may be missing something here.

First line   

Here's what happens if your tag is not at the most rear part of your bike in florida.

Now I take that as he DOES have his tags, just not mounted where the cop thinks he should have them.
Now maybe I am wrong and he did not have a tag but it reads to me like he does.
the no helmet thing, does he have insurance? If so then that should cover it as all insurance I have had made the 10,000 coverage. Maybe not fl though?

As far as we can tell, he is 29 so that covers the age thing.

The M class notation is required in ND but I do not know about fl. Is it mandatory or voluntary? If voluntary, then what are the requirements?

I think we need this info before basting him some more dont you all think?

LOL screw it.... I'll bash him.... 

You shoulda waited till dark you stupid noob!!!!!

 

[Terry in Australia]

Regardless of the "freedom of choice" argument, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is about as dumb as you can get.

10 thousand bucks worth of health insurance is not gonna protect your tiny brain as much as a 10 dollar helmet, and unlike my waistline, your brain won't grow back. Cheers, Terry.

[my78k]

I love how they chose 10 grand as the mark...while I am not exactly uo speed on exact dollar figures for US based health care I would suspect pretty much ANY Brain injury is gonna cost WAAAAAAYYYYY more than 10 grand. Besides it would make more sense to say that you have to have 10 grand in Life Insurance so that one of your family members isn't stuck paying for your dumb mistake!!

Dennis

[Industrial Cafe]

I live in the woods... I'm the only house on the block, except for some empty houses at the end, and the drunk across the street.... thats why I was pissed. I could understand if I was in a neighborhood full of houses, and children playing in the street... but way back in the woods.

That cop was on his way to a domestic disturbance and felt the need to stop, turn around, and shoot the #$%* with me about how cool my bike was, then he felt it necessary to screw the living hell out of me.  and he was my age... with tattoos and a bike of his own!  we had so much in common we should've been dating.
how do i know so much?  I'm an info gathering fool.

I know the laws are put in place for people that deserve it, but I didn't think I did.
   I wasn't on the highway, I was pretty far back in my hick neighborhood, where people shoot guns at stuff in the yard, and ride 4wheelers on the street.

the m was mandatory, but not enforced like it is now

i was riding with no helmet at 20 miles an hour max in circles within a 16th mile road.
   people can say its "dumb ass" all they want, I ride with a helmet any where else.
  If I'm tuning the carbs and I'm in and out of the driveway, I'm not putting on some clumsy helmet to do that.

that's for 5th grade safety patrols.
and I was the kid smoking in the baseball field.

and the sideways tag law is more pertaining to my russian bike.

                  hahahaha! waited till dark. ha          

BAH! ridiculous             

[eldar]

I am sure you ALL wore a helmet every single time you rode right? I am including a bicycle in this as people have died from head injuries on them too.

I am also sure that all you have always rode 100% within the law too right? I mean to do otherwise at any time in your life while flaming ic would make you a hypocrite, last I checked anyways.

[Industrial Cafe]

word!

[kirkn]

Well, no, of course not.

But, on the other hand, getting busted for breaking the law is what ya gotta expect...  And it doesn't help to bang on about "I'm not gonna do that" or "that's for the other guy" or "I'm tougher than that"  etc.

On the other hand, getting ticketed for things like this IN CIRCUMSTANCES as described (lonely area, etc) doesn't seem fair.

On the other hand, life isn't fair.

On the other hand, ranting about getting nicked for big bucks is perfectly acceptable...

On the other hand, having it pointed out that it could have been worse is acceptable response behavior from the rest of us...

On the other hand...   hmm....  what hand was I on, now?

It sucks you gotta pay big money, but ranting about the cops giving "unfair" tickets?  Join the club... 

[my78k]

I can feel mself getting sucked into a BS argument but still can't help it...damn!

NOBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT RIDING BICYCLES!!!!! We mentioned riding a motorcycle here Eldar. Also of note he made no mention of it being in a rural setting etc etc in his original post. He merely listed what he got dinged for.

And speaking as someone with a very different perspective on Traumatic Brain Injuries I would say it is all about reduscing the risk. You will never eliminate it (I know as my mother fractured her skull falling down a flight of stairs and I am not about to say one needs to wear a helmet when they go to the bathroom!). However the risks associated with riding a motorcycle are significantly greater than those associated with a bicycle and both have greater risk than walking on concrete stairs....oh and by the way up here it is law to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle too (Atleast for those under the age of 16).

Dennis

[Industrial Cafe]

I think eldar was making a point from a legal standpoint.

cops give out tickets for ridin a bike without a helmet, the same way they do to motorcyclists. but the majority of us don't wear a helmet on our schwinns, even if it is against the law.

we're all law breakers, and "ignorance is 9/10ths of the law". which says to me what you don't know can ruin your day... or life if you didn't know killing people was unlawful.

but there should be leanecy for me, especially cause i'm so pretty. ...I pushed my boobs up and everything.
unfortunately, I'm a guy. so it didn't have the same effect.

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, like me, I think Eldy was just stirring the pot.................

I'm just mad because I kept clicking on your avatar, but so far, no freakin' Playstation! What a gyp!

[fuzzybutt]

is that a turbo i see on your ural IC?

[seaweb11]

I have a bad habit of getting on any of my 3 runners from time to time during the winter just to keep them operating. I have been caught before, "cop makes you push it home".

Same stuff in the summer as you are trying to dial in a carb issue without a helmet

My eyes are wide open though on what's right and what's wrong. If I get snagged, then I will have to deal with it. ............either financially or labour by pushing it home


As much as Anarchism seems a good choice, I don't have that option even on a small out of the way Island

[HavocTurbo]

is that a turbo i see on your ural IC?

I think that's the airbox.... But stranger things have been in that place on a ural.