Fix-It Ticket. What do now?

"anothermiatafanboy" (kvnkiley) 10/26/2014 at 15:38 • Filed to: None

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Oppo, I got pulled over yesterday about a half mile from my house. I was as polite as can be, but the officer told me that considering he can see that I have an aftermarket exhaust and he could hear it as well, he had to write me a citation. If I get a stock exhaust on within two weeks and bring it to the cop shop then the ticket will be waived.

I am so frustrated, because my car only has an axle back exhaust on it. And I see 30 trucks a day with dual pipes hanging out the back, and 30 ricers a day about 10 times as loud as I am. I can just pay the ticket, but then I have to assume when this cop sees me around town, he will be very quick to write me another ticket.

I have a case of the "why me?"s going on right now...I have friends who have had exhausts on their cars for years in Wisconsin. Why the hell does it have to be me to get shafted by the cops and forced to take mine off?

What would you do, Oppo?

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:43

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I would just take the part of the exhaust that isn't stock off completely ;) just leave it open after the cats lol

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:47

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What is the state law on exhaust? If it isn't that loud, just get someone to measure the dB it makes.

jeffywk > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:47

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That's weird. I've found most Wisconsin cops are pretty lenient on stuff like that. (I'm from Wisco, too. Woop-woop) I got a ticket in Minnesota for not having a front license plate on, though. Stupid Minnesota. (Same thing, in Wisco, the cops don't care even thought it's required. I have tons of friends w/0 them.

thebigbossyboss > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:50

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I would ignore it. I used to get fix it tickets, then I ignored them (pay them of course) and now I don't get pulled over anymore. Car still loud as ever.

whoarder is tellurium > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:50

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I briefly read into Wisconsin statutes regarding automobiles and I'm sorry to say that you probably cant fight this one. Must've been a new cop.

If there was like a defined decibel limit, might've been able to measure the level now and compare it against the statute, but it seems that is only for stuff like snowmobiles, etc.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 15:57

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I love my local WI cops I drove my new (to me) Yamaha that is not registered yet today and no one gave 2 shits.

Tohru > jeffywk 10/26/2014 at 16:27

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Wisconsin fuck yeah. Though I've been pulled over twice for not having front plates here.

Tohru > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 16:32

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I'm in Wisconsin. Get a factory axle-back from a salvage yard, paint it with high-temp black paint, pop it on, do the inspection to get the ticket waived. While your aftermarket axle-back is off, paint it with high-temp black paint and swap it back on after inspection. Then it looks like the stocker you just took off (which you'll keep in the garage in case of another fix-it ticket).

Source: I drove a '76 Delta 88 for two years in Wisconsin with no resonator or muffler. Got pulled over once, cop said it sounded like my muffler was rusted through. Agreed with cop, said I'd get it checked out. No warning or ticket.

For 3 months I also drove a '97 Escort with a broken flex pipe (exhaust ended at firewall). The only reason I didn't get pulled over for exhaust is that I'd push in the clutch around cops and coast at idle.

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 16:44

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That's terrible. I wouldn't want a citation for anything.

JGrabowMSt > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 18:32

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Bro, trust me, you get a stock rear muffler, and you bolt it on. You take it to him, get the ticket waived, and then you go home and put your muffler back on. Make sure to spray paint the stock muffler nice and shiny.

Next, write a polite, thought out letter regarding the incident, and send two copies out. One to the mayor, one to the chief of police. In your letter, you need to request more detailed information regarding the legality of modified exhaust setups in your area, as well as question if it's being targeted across the board equally. If you can prove that you were targeted, said cop who wrote the ticket enters the "deep shit" room. If it's found that the cop has been writing an excessive number of similar tickets, the cop can be questioned as to his motives. If he's following suit with a number of other officers, it's not likely that he's singling anyone out, so you're just stuck.

Whatever you do, it's important to be calm, knowledgeable yourself, and use plenty of SAT words. Not an excessive amount, but use enough big words that make them reach for a dictionary and feel stupid.

Also, if you can get a free consultation, you can seek advise from a local lawyer regarding how common these are, and whether you have ground to fight it or not.

Moral of the story: keep a stock muffler and pipe adapter handy to stick it to the man.

anothermiatafanboy > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 10/26/2014 at 20:49

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Law is no muffler that makes the exhaust any louder than stock. Which mine is of course.

anothermiatafanboy > thebigbossyboss 10/26/2014 at 20:49

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So your advice is to just pay the tickets when I get them?? I'll keep it in mind.

thebigbossyboss > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 20:51

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That's my advice. I paid all mine, and after a while, I started getting pulled over less. I did get pulled over a lot at first though.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > anothermiatafanboy 10/26/2014 at 20:52

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Ah, that sucks. Does it actually say muffler? Because if so, it doesn't specify no muffler.

anothermiatafanboy > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 10/26/2014 at 20:55

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It defines what kind of muffler is required as well.

anothermiatafanboy > JGrabowMSt 10/26/2014 at 20:56

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That is what I will be doing. Thanks for the reply.

jeffywk > Tohru 10/27/2014 at 11:02

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Stupid, pointless law. >:(

Tohru > jeffywk 10/27/2014 at 11:16

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Yeah, I think they should get rid of front plates. It'd save the state quite a bit, since you only have to make half the plates. The cops always get all pissy about it, trying to say it's so it makes it easier to ID vehicles used in crimes. Maybe, maybe. But the front plate is also a primo target for radar guns because it's flat and reflective.

I had a Wisconsin Dells cop follow my Caprice the entire length of the downtown before pulling me over. When I asked him, he said it was because of no front plate (I had removed the front plate holder as well). I asked him what he would've done if I had been a tourist from a no-front-plate state, and he said he would've just let me go. I got a warning out of it only, but still.

MonkeePuzzle > anothermiatafanboy 10/27/2014 at 12:10

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I keep a stock axle back muffler for just such needs.

Are you part of any local groups? perhaps could borrow one? I am part of a local subaru-ish club and borrowing of exhaust parts and stock wheels is pretty common for yearly inspections and emissions testing

anothermiatafanboy > MonkeePuzzle 10/27/2014 at 13:09

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At this point no I am not part of any groups. Thinking I probably should be...