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Brian_R1 · 02-18-2009, 07:15 AM

At least I thought it was funny, my wife, not so much. Of course SHE was the one pulled over for impersonating a police office.

I installed an SMI AFO system on my towed. They provide a blue LED that they say to attach to the tow bar so you can see from the backup camera in the MH when the brakes on the towed are being applied. Well of course, I had a better idea. Figured I'd just install the light permanently in the car, taped to the underside of the rear-view mirror. Figured its out of the weather, permanently hooked up, I can see it easily in the camera from the MH, doesn't hurt anything while driving, perfect arraignment - or so I thought.

On the way home this morning from dropping my daughter off at school, while sitting at a stop light, my wife was pulled over. The cop (who was a real jerk from my wife's description) accused her of trying to impersonate a police officer because of the blue LED that lights up when the brakes are applied. By the time they were done, there were THREE cruisers at the scene. My wife was apparently having trouble making the original cop understand the need for a brake system on a truck, and/or FORWARD facing braking indicator, he didn't see how that could help with towing anything. Seems he could not understand the car was the tow-ee, not the tow-er. I guess someone in the last cruiser-to-arrive, finally understood the purpose of the indicator light and reasoned that my wife most likely was NOT trying to impersonate an officer and did not really deserve the multi-thousand dollar fine that was being threatened.

Turns out though that forward-facing lights in "unexpected" places, especially blue, red, yellow, or white are (according to the police on the scene) illegal to display in/on your car. She was finally allowed to take down the light and go home

Live and learn, and it was such a good idea... Maybe I should just follow the instructions next time - Nah!

My wife did add an item to the top of my honey-do list, "Disconnect that *@%*$&# light -- NOW!"

UFO Pilot · 02-18-2009, 07:51 AM

I had my SMI Stay-in-Play professionally installed last year. They mounted the LED light bar on the mirror just as you described. Haven't been stopped by the police yet but I will warn my wife just in case.

Jimary · 02-18-2009, 12:59 PM

I mounted mine on the dash of the mh, thought it might be too hard to see in the rear view camera.

chasfm11 · 02-18-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

My wife did add an item to the top of my honey-do list, "Disconnect that *@%*$&# light -- NOW!"

So, Brian. How comfortable is sleeping on the couch?

Dave Fernandez · 02-18-2009, 02:27 PM

Hello Wayne:

In California it is illegal to display a solid RED light to the front unless you an authorized emergency vehicle as defined by the California Vehicle Code § 165.

It is also illegal to display a blue light unless you are an authorized police vehicle. You might want to try a different color. (amber)

UFO Pilot · 02-18-2009, 02:35 PM

Mine look to be silver in color.

Brian_R1 · 02-18-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

So, Brian. How comfortable is sleeping on the couch?

A little wine, a little cheese, the story seems a little funnier (and maybe embellished a little) to her the further in the past it is. Hopefully I won't have to find out

ctcamper · 02-19-2009, 05:47 AM

Someone I know had a limo they bought used and was driving cross country with it. The boomerang style tv antenna on the trunk lid had blue neon edging.
http://www.radioscanner.nl/boomerang_antenna.htm

They got a ticket from an Ohio state trooper for display of a blue light.
Last I heard they were going to fight it, but I'm not sure how it turned out.

Discretion can be a good thing.