RANT - Ticket for no license plate

[Boatwrench]

I really shouldn't rant, I know better, got a ticket for no front plate on my old CJ years ago.

There's a law in California that every vehicle have a front and rear plate. I guess for the photo finishes when shooting a yellow to red traffic light. I took mine off the XJ when I installed a JCR bumper and didn't want to drill any additional holes in it. Threw the plate on the dash so it could be seen from the front.

Well Friday I'm coming home from work and here's this parking control cushman along side my XJ, my $50 trail XJ, balck with green and red front fenders. I park the DD and size up the situation. The vehicle parked in front of mine is right up against the front bumper, but he is definitely writing my XJ. I figure he's writing me for being parked in the same spot longer than 72 hours (parked there Monday night). As I approach he begins to slip the ticket under the wiper balde. He sees me in uniform gets all apologetic and starts back pedaling, but hey it's already written. So I take it. He tells me he would take of things and tries to take it back so I told him no big deal, don't get in trouble, the guy in the house is looking out the window watching.

Then I ask, with this isuzu up against my bumper how did you know the plate wasn't on the bumper, he said "someone called it in" I asked if he was a native (San Franciscan) and he responded yes and we had a nice conversation about who we each knew and including the speculation the guy watching is who called the XJ in. While we were talking a car pulls into the driveway of the house and a woman gets out and goes inside, I asked the TCO if he is going to write her prius parked across the sidewalk and he said sure.

So the asshat that probably called on my XJ costing me a $25 ticket got 4x that with a $100 ticket for parking on the sidewalk.

It gets better.

Saturday the prius was in the driveway again, so I called the department of parking and lodge a complaint. Within ten minutes another TCO shows up and bam another $100 ticket.

Today I am walking home from my parents and there's Mr Asshat writing somethimg on a dirty window of a car parked in front of his house, the car had a McCain bumper sticker and Mr. Asshat was writing "Vote for Obama" He didn't see me approach but I stated rather loudly, "Do you always vandalize other peoples vehicles?" His little lap dog (about the size of a wharf rat) starts yapping and I told him to put the vicious animal on a leash or I would call animal control, & hey how come that dogs doesn't have a license?"

He starts going off about how I have no respect for the community (the homes here are all over $1M) and park a trash vehicle in front of houses (implying I guess lowering the value). I stopped him, politely, and told him I was a native, have lived in the same neighborhood my entire life as opposed to his five years and about respect for community he had broken several "good of community" laws in the last few days.

Anyway as I walked back over to check on the parents, well I just had to call parking control on the Prius for the 3rd time.

Do you think my rocky road outfitters "Cars Suck" sticker on the right rear window pisses him off?

Thanks for listening. Rant out.

 

[SCW]

What a jerk. Stomp his dog sometime, my neighbors have those and I only wish they were slow enough for me to get under a boot.

BTW, I got pulled over here for doing 5 over the limit in an industrial park (I could understand a residential street or school zone...). Cop said he was going to give me a break and 'only' give me a ticket for no front plate. BS, I got that ticket a few weeks before and mounted the plate, so I told him so and politely offered to show it to him. He took another look and conceded that I did have the plate, so he gave me a $40 ticket for not having SIGNED the line at the bottom of my registration. Didn't even know there was a spot to sign it.

Bastard. And I didn't even have a neighbor to cause problems for to make me feel better.

 

[ECKSJAY]

lol, california

 

[kennzz05]

great story its nice when you can actually use city hall to your benifit bravo

 

[jk333]

thats what im talking about, sounds like that guy is a real dickhead. Why couldn't he just leave your Jeep alone, having no fornt plate doesn't affect him in any way. Thats cool that you got him those tickets, way to get even, rock on man. :cheers:

 

[WB9YZU]

I really shouldn't rant, I know better, got a ticket for no front plate on my old CJ years ago.

Fix your own issues before fixing your neighbors is my policy.

No idea what you do for a living ( you indicate a "uniform" ), but the actual reason why many States have the front and rear plate law is not because of cameras, but so that the LEO or State Trooper can read your plate coming and going. Sure your neighbor got you for a missing plate - whoopee. Guess what? He's right. Mount the plate.

As for your neighbor and you...
Either get your XJ off the street and mind your own business, or politely go speak with your neighbor, or both. A lot of times, new people to the neighborhood get this "we have to improve things" attitude and tend to rock the boat a bit. I also think he's bored, or something is happening in his life which isn't even your issue. Believe it or not, it's normal.
If you both continue down this nuisance phone call stuff, the Police will stop responding to either of your calls, which will make it a bitch if there is a real problem.

 

[mcraindog]

any little thing for those jackasses to get some money for the government

 

[scottmcneal]

I see zuki is back, I say tell your neighbor to take a hike.. I hate people who just can't stop bitching about how dirty your rig is or something else.... Screw him an his wife...Oh i don't have a front plate on my heep..Plus i have DARK tint too

 

[insanity]

I am in the Army currently stationed at Fort Sill Oklahoma. Tho I am from Ohio, Ohio state law requires you to have a front plate no problem I made a bracket and bolted it on. But apparently having a dirty rig in a parking lot that the post commander drives down every day is a problem. While I don't care the mud holds parts on and silences squeaks this asshat that has never once had to endure the hardships I had to. I have seen and done things that no man should have been asked to do. But apparently my company commander received an email stating my jeep was inappropriate for Fort Sill. He warned me once that I should wash my jeep also stating that he didn't care but it would be to my benefit to clean it. Then about 3 days later he tossed me a quarter and seed you really need to wash your jeep. This coming from a man who owned an XJ and was jealous the day he seen mine, who understood what we 4wheelers love.

 

[Shorty]

Fix your own issues before fixing your neighbors is my policy.

No idea what you do for a living ( you indicate a "uniform" ), but the actual reason why many States have the front and rear plate law is not because of cameras, but so that the LEO or State Trooper can read your plate coming and going. Sure your neighbor got you for a missing plate - whoopee. Guess what? He's right. Mount the plate.

As for your neighbor and you...
Either get your XJ off the street and mind your own business, or politely go speak with your neighbor, or both. A lot of times, new people to the neighborhood get this "we have to improve things" attitude and tend to rock the boat a bit. I also think he's bored, or something is happening in his life which isn't even your issue. Believe it or not, it's normal.
If you both continue down this nuisance phone call stuff, the Police will stop responding to either of your calls, which will make it a bitch if there is a real problem.

I agree with the "fix your own issues first" part, but after that-- "F" him at every turn and don't stop until he begs for mercy. I am a condo president and I can't stand the little crybabies that have nothing better to do than scream "injustice" when someone breaks a rule that doesn't harm anyone. I'm all for law and order, but if it's a victimless crime, than who would care enough to report it???

 

[Boatwrench]

Fix your own issues before fixing your neighbors is my policy.

No idea what you do for a living ( you indicate a "uniform" ).
Military.

Sure your neighbor got you for a missing plate - whoopee. Guess what? He's right. No, he's not according to your opening sentence. My vehicle was legally parked and his housemate parked illegally in front of the TCO.

Get your XJ off the street.
Why? it is legal to park on the street.

If you both continue down this nuisance phone call stuff, the Police will stop responding to either of your calls.
Maybe in Madison. For Parking violations the police don't respond, the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) does, with Traffic Control Officers (TCO) separate agency within The City. DPT will come. Parking tickets are the number two revenue generating program for the City of San Francisco, right after hotel and visitor taxes.

 

[5-90]

#2 Revenue source is parking tix? Doesn't surprise me.

I hate when I have to go up and work in SF. Parking is extortionate. Traffic is Hell. It's easier to find my way around in the Pentagod.

And, the last time I had to go up there, I damn near got a ticket for wheels not kerbed "properly." Yes, they were kerbed - I had the front wheels turned away from the kerb, and I'd let my car roll back slightly until the wheels were touching the kerb and there wasn't any room to roll. Then, I checked by taking my foot off of the brake. Good - I put the handbrake on, shut down, and started to get my gear out.

Metermaid comes up - and tells me to kerb my wheels. "They are."

"No, they're not. They're turned the wrong way."

Hah? The car won't move if I put it in neutral and take the handbrake off - but the wheels are turned the wrong way? I thought the idea of kerbing your wheels was to prevent rollaways - which is what I did, the way I'd learned to do it with rather larger vehicles. What's the farkin' problem?

Last time I got pulled for not having a front plate on my rig, I asked why it wasn't there. "Must have fallen off somewhere." I got a walk.

(Error of omission - I know exactly where it fell off, and why. It fell off in my driveway after I took the screws out that were holding on the bracket.)

Too many laws controlling minutiae, it's almost like they're trying to turn the place into another one of those damned "planned communities." I'm willing to bet that 60-70% of the entire body of American law can be safely rescinded without any negative impact on society at large (just an impact on the City coffers - but that can also be fixed. Stop paying elected officials, and give functionaries a pay cut or walking papers. Too much middle management...)

 

[nvr-enough]

bahaha good for you Boatwrench, good job getting even

 

[IXNAYXJ]

Fix your own issues before fixing your neighbors...blah, blah, blah...which will make it a bitch if there is a real problem.

Are you serious? Jeezus....

-----Matt-----

 

[WB9YZU]

Are you serious? Jeezus....

-----Matt-----

As serious as the original poster :doh:

His plate was missing by admission. I don't give a fudge what his neighbors housemate did or did not do.

The point is that this kind of tit for tat shit is kindergarden and gets old quickly. I'm not saying you have to actually like your neighbors, but you better come to an understanding because they can make your life hell if they please. And they can do it legally.

So unless he enjoys this kind of constant irritation, he will bolt his plate where it meant to be, wash his fawking truck (if that's what it takes), walk over, talk with his neighbor, and come to some sort of an agreement.

Life is way too short for this kind of shit.

 

[Darky]

Life is way too short for this kind of stuff.

Agreed, which is why the neighbor needs to back off and mind his own business. Not everyone is likely to have garage space to park in. But more importantly, that the neighbor is the type who drives a Prius, owns an unlicensed, unleashed rat dog, calls the police on vehicles he doesn't like for petty stuff while his vehicle's are parked illegally, and then proceeds to come down and write messages in the dirt on someone else's car (scratching the paint/glass in the process most likely, huge peeve of mine as my Jeep is always dusty/dirty. I live in the desert and am not about to wash the thing every day) because he disagrees with their political views? Sounds like exactly the type of guy we need to appease so he can feel like he's right and keep going along his merry way vandalizing people's property and wasting the city's time to enforce his own view of how the neighborhood that he moved to needs to be. Don't like how the neighborhood is? Don't move in, find somewhere that matches your high standards and move in there. Then you don't have to expend the energy calling the cops or writing on windows...

 

[Boatwrench]

I don't give a fudge what his neighbors housemate did or did not do.
Nice attitude. So only I have to obey the laws? You are defending the neighbor who also flagrantly violates multiple quality of life laws?

Life is way too short for this kind of shit.
Agreed

 

[Boatwrench]

Agreed, which is why the neighbor needs to back off and mind his own business. Not everyone is likely to have garage space to park in. But more importantly, that the neighbor is the type who drives a Prius, owns an unlicensed, unleashed rat dog, calls the police on vehicles he doesn't like for petty stuff while his vehicle's are parked illegally, and then proceeds to come down and write messages in the dirt on someone else's car (scratching the paint/glass in the process most likely, huge peeve of mine as my Jeep is always dusty/dirty. I live in the desert and am not about to wash the thing every day) because he disagrees with their political views? Sounds like exactly the type of guy we need to appease so he can feel like he's right and keep going along his merry way vandalizing people's property and wasting the city's time to enforce his own view of how the neighborhood that he moved to needs to be. Don't like how the neighborhood is? Don't move in, find somewhere that matches your high standards and move in there. Then you don't have to expend the energy calling the cops or writing on windows...

Wow. That was eloquent and exactly what I wish I could have wrote.

 

[Darky]

Wow. That was eloquent and exactly what I wish I could have wrote.

Yeah, every once in a while my brain'll kick in and when it does, look out!

 

[GSequoia]

Wow. That was eloquent and exactly what I wish I could have wrote.

In the dust on his car?

:shhh:


PS - I feel your pain. My mother (and soon enough me) has a PITA neighbor as well, one of typical middle class wanna be upper class white folk kind of guy who absolutely despises the fact that his next door neighbor is poor! He's called the city numerous times for little annoying stuff like the *back yard* grass being too long!