[WillSkill]

I just got pulled over for my car being too loud. I live in a small rural city around upstate NY, and was driving home from a friends house around 10:30pm. I was being extra careful not to speed because the area I was in is known for having plenty of cops.

That's when I see the cops lights come up from behind me. I was totally confused as to why I got pulled over until he said "that exhaust isn't stock is it?"

I hesitated a bit and answered that is wasn't stock, as that is the truth. I have a catless DP and akrapovic catback exhaust.

He gave me a fixit ticket and I have 24 hours to fix it and show proof to the court for charges to be dropped.

Over all this really sucks. Just wondering if you guys have had similar experiences?

I'm planning to switch to a catted DP, and keep the akra exhaust as that isn't too loud. What do you guys think?

Ps. I guess modding is pay to play

[Pray for Mojo]

Did he take a decibel reading or something?

[Solidjake]

Sucks man, those small town cops have nothing better to do

[jayg80]

24 hours is crazy to have parts ordered and installed. You should be good once you drop the catless DP as the Akrapovic should be street legal in terms of decibels. Good luck.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by WillSkill

I hesitated a bit and answered that is wasn't stock, as that is the truth.

Well if it's over the legal limit it's illegal.

[Fuller]

This where I have to draw the line and say that's an absurd charge. I don't care what stupid law was passed outlawing certain exhausts. This is a stark example of legislators and law enforcement that is spinning out of control. Clearly some folks are voting for the wrong candidates, and in some municipalities, there are too many law enforcement officials on the payroll if they can afford to take the time to harass people over their exhausts.

When enforcing a law results in harassing otherwise normal, well meaning citizens, there's a serious problem. I recognize that police officers have a difficult and often dangerous job, and I'm grateful for their service, but when people are forced to appear in court because their 3 series was too loud, people should be alarmed and take notice. Maybe you're like me, and have no intention of modifying your stock exhaust, but tomorrow it might be your lifestyle, hobbies, or interests that attract the scrutiny of some legislator some where looking for a pet project.

[pjkbrit]

Ridiculous.... but hey... bikers with no mufflers always get a pass right?

[Billfitz]

Freedom to do what you like doesn't include intruding on the freedom of others not having to listen to your loud pipes. But the cop didn't get it right. New York doesn't prohibit exhaust modifications, so long as the car still meets inspection and noise level requirements. The fact that your exhaust isn't stock doesn't automatically mean that you're not within the letter of the law, and it's up to the cop to prove it. Take it to court. Without the necessary hard evidence it will get tossed. You might want to get a lawyer, but you may not need to. The ticket should list the specific statute that you supposedly violated. Look up that statute and make a copy of it as defense exhibit A. If the ticket does not list the statute in question that alone will get the charges dismissed.

[otay]

OP: Fight the Power.

Good luck!

[lens]

Originally Posted by WillSkill

I just got pulled over for my car being too loud. I live in a small rural city around upstate NY, and was driving home from a friends house around 10:30pm. I was being extra careful not to speed because the area I was in is known for having plenty of cops.

That's when I see the cops lights come up from behind me. I was totally confused as to why I got pulled over until he said "that exhaust isn't stock is it?"

I hesitated a bit and answered that is wasn't stock, as that is the truth. I have a catless DP and akrapovic catback exhaust.

He gave me a fixit ticket and I have 24 hours to fix it and show proof to the court for charges to be dropped.

Over all this really sucks. Just wondering if you guys have had similar experiences?

I'm planning to switch to a catted DP, and keep the akra exhaust as that isn't too loud. What do you guys think?

Ps. I guess modding is pay to play

Should have lied and said it was. He would have to test using decibel and such. Always deny till proven otherwise. I wasn't ever pulled over, but I was parked at a Walmart once and was getting out of my car and a cop car pulled up and ask if my car is stock and if it's normal for it to be that loud, told him yes it came with the performance package of the car and smiled and he said oh ok smiled with his buddy and left.

[5ilver-5amurai]

That sucks - 24 hours is definitely not enough time either.

Granted, if someone's car is stupid loud then they probably do deserve a ticket, but I've never seen an F30/F32 actually that annoyingly loud. Most of the fart-boxes I've seen that are actually that loud are old modded civics and imprezas.

[FastActionJax]

That's ridiculous! I hear all these horror stories about people getting tickets for exhaust, being low, tint, camber, lights and other dumb things. Do these cops up north have nothing better to do? I live in the panhandle of florida and have never ever heard of such a thing. I had a slammed straight piped jetta with the darkest tint in the world and only ever got compliments from officers, NOT tickets. Are we going to have to start a cars are not a crime campaign? geez.

[BMW11]

oh no, soon the police will pull over kids on their bicycles that put a baseball card on their spokes to make the 'exhaust' louder and cool.. what is this world coming to lol

[Breezin]

Originally Posted by FastActionJax

That's ridiculous! I hear all these horror stories about people getting tickets for exhaust, being low, tint, camber, lights and other dumb things. Do these cops up north have nothing better to do? I live in the panhandle of florida and have never ever heard of such a thing. I had a slammed straight piped jetta with the darkest tint in the world and only ever got compliments from officers, NOT tickets. Are we going to have to start a cars are not a crime campaign? geez.

No they don't...Basically if you live up north in New England they have nothing better to do besides harass drivers. Low crime rate (at least lower than most states), terrible economy, and expensive living. You'd think they would take it easy on people but they hammer away, VT just had our whole inspection statue revised due to so many cars not passing inspections and getting pulled over. Now i can get my car inspected with any amount of front tint, and i believe they extended the time to get an inspection from 14 days after expiration to 30 days after. Traffic court rooms used to be jam packed, not sure how they are now since i haven't gotten a ticket in 8 years (knock on wood).

I don't understand how motorcycles can be loud as hell, and a 3 series bmw gets a ticket even with a catless DP and exhaust. Can't tell you how many times i've had my music all the way up in my car and a bike comes flying by, screaming like a damn fighter jet, and scares the living hell out of me. That to me is dangerous, and should be a ticket!

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Whining about it might make you feel good but there are a lot of stupid laws on the books. They vary from location to location & you have to be willing to take the hit if you want to play where you live.

Pulling the cats is also a violation of fed & state tampering regulations thats why he most likely hit with a quick fix ticket. The noise gave him probable cause to pull you over.

You can win with a not guilty on noise without a sound check but they still have you on the cat removal so you lose.

As for stupid laws or at least conflicting laws my COBRA is street legal headers to straight side pipes in NC. If I pull the cat on my 440 I fail inspection & am subject to a "tampering" ticket.

https://youtu.be/_fJysY168Zk

[FastActionJax]

Originally Posted by Breezin

No they don't...Basically if you live up north in New England they have nothing better to do besides harass drivers. Low crime rate (at least lower than most states), terrible economy, and expensive living. You'd think they would take it easy on people but they hammer away, VT just had our whole inspection statue revised due to so many cars not passing inspections and getting pulled over. Now i can get my car inspected with any amount of front tint, and i believe they extended the time to get an inspection from 14 days after expiration to 30 days after. Traffic court rooms used to be jam packed, not sure how they are now since i haven't gotten a ticket in 8 years (knock on wood).

I don't understand how motorcycles can be loud as hell, and a 3 series bmw gets a ticket even with a catless DP and exhaust. Can't tell you how many times i've had my music all the way up in my car and a bike comes flying by, screaming like a damn fighter jet, and scares the living hell out of me. That to me is dangerous, and should be a ticket!

This is absolutely ridiculous to me, We have a drug epidemic in this country and kids are dying left and right from opiate overdoses in bathrooms and in their homes and cops are wasting their time giving tickets for tint and exhaust and your absolutely right. My bike is 10x louder than any car I've put an exhaust on (I didnt think about that). I remember watching a video a few years back of the big car show you guys put on up there in New England and the whole video was of people having to dip out from the cops because of camber, exhaust and the all the other stuff we've mentioned. Why host a custom car show in town and bust everyones balls? Especially when said event brings tons of revenue to the town. its unfair that I can do it and you cant. ridiculous.

[FastF30]

I'm sorry... but these are cars are far from loud... you got profiled....

[tsm007]

These small town cops have nothing better to do. They're just trying to make their quota, even if it means giving bogus tickets. I'd just take the hit for now & not drive through that town if possible. If it's not loud exhaust, maybe they'll get you for tints, or whatever they can think of.
If you do decide to go to court most likely they won't even drop the ticket. Just say they do drop the ticket, you're still paying court fees. It's a really corrupt system.

[tsm007]

Originally Posted by FastActionJax

This is absolutely ridiculous to me, We have a drug epidemic in this country and kids are dying left and right from opiate overdoses in bathrooms and in their homes and cops are wasting their time giving tickets for tint and exhaust and your absolutely right. My bike is 10x louder than any car I've put an exhaust on (I didnt think about that). I remember watching a video a few years back of the big car show you guys put on up there in New England and the whole video was of people having to dip out from the cops because of camber, exhaust and the all the other stuff we've mentioned. Why host a custom car show in town and bust everyones balls? Especially when said event brings tons of revenue to the town. its unfair that I can do it and you cant. ridiculous.

This is the easiest way the PD makes money. It's not surprising.

[EDWYER]

That sucks. This is where it pays off to keep stock parts.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Originally Posted by FastActionJax

This is absolutely ridiculous to me, We have a drug epidemic in this country and kids are dying left and right from opiate overdoses in bathrooms and in their homes and cops are wasting their time giving tickets for tint and exhaust and your absolutely right. My bike is 10x louder than any car I've put an exhaust on (I didnt think about that). I remember watching a video a few years back of the big car show you guys put on up there in New England and the whole video was of people having to dip out from the cops because of camber, exhaust and the all the other stuff we've mentioned. Why host a custom car show in town and bust everyones balls? Especially when said event brings tons of revenue to the town. its unfair that I can do it and you cant. ridiculous.

The Northeast is not car friendly at all & the local laws just reflect that attitude.

To them strict enforcement of numerous anti-car regulations has the extra benefit of being a revenue enhancer for the local jurisdiction.

General idea of how far apart we are. I run a 1965 Black & Yellow COYOTE license plate on rear my car (we are a one plate state)



My real 2018 license plate, an Antique Auto, is carried in the trunk with the cars paper work. On a reproduction home built I can register it as the year of the original & run a tag of that year as long as I carry the state issued plate in the car. No emissions requirements, no annual state inspection & reduced annual car property tax.

Friends up in Jersey are jumping through all kinds of expensive state regulation hoops including full 2018 emissions compliance & annual inspections just to get their cars registered.

[That340i]

Sorry OP that sucks! Since we moved back to North Carolina (Temporarily again) I've noticed how once again things are super different here, no wonder my family refuses to move away since the cops here basically let you get away with anything car related like tint,exhaust,music etc....(excluding speeding). Im gonna hate it we move back to Cali...And since our cars have Cali plates (and are filthy) we get more "Attention" from other driver's and cop's. Hopefully I won't be pulled over for my tint here although It was Illegal back in Cali but the difference is the tint limit is 35% here and nobody in my family has 35% they have 30% 25% or 15%. And I have 15% so hopefully (Fingers Crossed) I wont get a fixit ticket.