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Old 12-28-2011, 03:34 PM   #1
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Vans such large targets for the police

I have had my van for a year. In that year I have been pulled over 4 times by the police. 3 times just to check out the van. No tickets. I try not to speed but do follow the flow of traffic, especially in Colorado where that IS the law. Sometimes I may be 10 over on the interstate. Where I get nailed are these small town speed traps.

For the record, I do not get along with the police. We are oil and water. Christmas eve 2010 camping north of SF, was hassled by the police, accused of stealing my newly purchased SMB. I looked "far too young to own such a fine vehicle". I could not help call him sonny for being half my age. Or the $80 abandoned vehicle ticket at the Portland Airport for an idling van that was being actively loaded! When confronted was told "wait until I get off duty. I know where you live, I want a piece of you." Fortunately he lost his employment for messing with someone higher up the food chain than myself. Then there was the gun running incident with the port of Canada in Victoria, last June. And for the record, I left my guns at home.

This last weekend was the final straw...I was not pulled over but the guy infront of me was -- on the edge of a town that had maybe 20 yards of 35 mph in an otherwise 55 mph hwy.

This is what I am looking at:

K40 RL with EX2 laser diffuser. This is a built in system, since our vans are large. It would have two laser diffusers that my be effective up front. Front and rear radar detectors (given the 23' of our van) and a laser diffuser in the back...likely ineffective given the displacement of the van.

http://www.k40.com/k40-rl-series--the-b ... ges-20.php

Has anyone else placed a system like this? Are the small under the rearview mirror portable units effective given the large mass of our van and obstructed side and rear veiws?

I just want some warning. Large van = easy target.

Anyone in the Portland/Eugene area...may consider a "BioDiesel" sticker to appease the econazis of the ELF and other organizations of the People's Republic of Portland.

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Old 12-28-2011, 05:56 PM   #2
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

I've always wanted to make a "This Vehicle is Solar Powered" sticker for my van...

Quote:
I try not to speed but do follow the flow of traffic, especially in Colorado where that IS the law.
You're thinking of California maybe? California you can challenge a ticket and make them do a traffic study to prove the average is say 45 even though the stretch might be marked 35- in Colorado you can be in a pack doing 55-60 in a 50 and get the ticket even if you're one of the slower vehicles... everybody speeds here, true but unlike CA that doesn't get you out of a ticket.
http://www.mesalek.com/colo/facts.html#laws

About the diffuser:
1. does it work? makes me think of sonic mouse repellers or those smoky license plate cover, neither of which work- I don't know about your solution but that would be my first question.

2. is it legal? even if it's the greatest speed clocking deterrant in the history of speeding, you just added a bright shiny reason for hassel or ticketing... even if you weren't speeding, like you said they already target your van...

3. along the same lines, even if it is legal, if it's visible to them it will make them more likely to give you a ticket- the same reasoning as "why would anyone have a radar detector who is NOT using it to speed", not only a more likely ticket but less likely you might get capped for 5 over when you were doing more (it's actually possible, not that I question anyone's relationship with cops since the local PD showed up at my house ready to shoot me because a casual gesture towards someone illegally in a handicapped space... ironically they wanted a van tour after determining I wasn't a raging dusted psychopath)...

Anyway, that bring me to:
4. You're already targeted, as you say, for doing nothing. You get pulled over for looky-loo and hassle when you're not speeding already- if true this system isn't going to do anything for you.
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Old 12-28-2011, 06:41 PM   #3
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

I disagree. I make it a point to drive an expensive van safely. However I tour rural areas. Towns use tickets as an income generator. Yes. Cops scare the hell out of me. Most are under trained especially with a firearm. You and I disagree on the topic rifles in the past. Ego, envy and power are a dangerous combination.
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Old 12-28-2011, 07:07 PM   #4
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

Haven't ever been pulled over by the police in my SMB, but then again, I haven't been pulled over by the police in over 10 years regardless of the vehicle (now knocking on my wood table).

5-6 years of riding way too fast on my Ducati made speeding on anything with 4 wheels seem tame and pointless.

Sorry to hear about your problems. It does sound like the cops have an unofficial "be on the lookout for" you and your SMB.


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Old 12-28-2011, 07:54 PM   #5
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

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Old 12-28-2011, 08:05 PM   #6
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Vans such large targets for the police

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ketcham
Anyone in the Portland/Eugene area...may consider a "BioDiesel" sticker to appease the econazis of the ELF and other organizations of the People's Republic of Portland.
The cops are radical environmentalists?!! Here I thought ELF kinda, sorta, didn't, you know, like cops.

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Old 12-28-2011, 09:23 PM   #7
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

The econazis so far have left only nasty notes on my windshield. They have in the past torch suvs in a car dealership here in Oregon. When they torched the vail lodge to make a point, it did the exact opposite. More old growth trees and second growth used to replace the first.

You are correct. Elf are not police. Just another unwanted annoyance in my life.
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Old 12-28-2011, 10:25 PM   #8
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

ketcham:

Now I'm curious. Aside from the looks of your rig, what do you look like. I'm wondering what the police are seeing that makes them think something fishy is going on inside your van. I'm sure when the police see me in my van they say, "There's some old, fat, fuddy-duddy bald guy driving a van. Obviously he's not worth pulling over." Do you have a "Come and get me, you dirty coppers!" bumper sticker on your rig?
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Old 12-28-2011, 10:46 PM   #9
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

The K40's are crap. If you want to get a good laser jammer, Lidatek make the best units, not sure if they are still in business. They had two good models, and one bad model (LE20?)
I still have a LE10 somewhere.

You're still going to get a ticket if you're the only car on the road and the cop can't get a readout.

I pretty much just use my Valentine 1 now, although laser is so quick, you really have to get lucky with laser to get some scatter.

Anyway.... I haven't been hassled in my SMB. I just drove through Oregon twice, I run about 5 MPH over the speed limit on the highway.
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Old 12-28-2011, 11:20 PM   #10
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Re: Vans such large targets for the police

Quote:
Originally Posted by ANZAC
Anyway.... I haven't been hassled in my SMB. I just drove through Oregon twice, I run about 5 MPH over the speed limit on the highway.
I drive somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 miles a year in Oregon. The troopers will give you 5 over all day long. 8 over and they take a look, 9 over gets a lot closer look. 10+ over gets you pulled over for a performance warning.

As someone who takes pride in protecting the environment I'm kind of wondering if I'm an Econazi? Maybe since I live across the Columbia river from Oregon, as a card carrying Washingtonian I'm not one of those evil EcoNazi's from the Republic of Portland.

The LEO's tend to like me for some reason. I got pulled over one night leaving work by a Port of Portland Airport cop. I was going fast but when he told me I lost him and he was doing 75 I knew bad things were about to happen, it was a 35mph zone. We ended up talking about my motorcycle and a recent trip I took to Cabo and back. He let me go and told me if I wanted to go fast do it on the freeway. I told him freeway fast isn't as much fun as hitting the twisties with the throttle rolled on. I think someone going that fast on big TKC-80 knobbies impressed him.
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