rjd@dell.dell.com (Randall J. Davis) (02/06/90)
In article <19916@netnews.upenn.edu> jliu@eniac.seas.upenn.edu.UUCP (Dear John.) writes: [Story where officer gave him a ticket for something like 4-over because he saw a radar detector omitted ] |The moral of the story is: unless you are willing to accept the consequences |of owning a radar detector, don't get one! True, but with a little of thought, even that should not be a problem: First, always mount a detector so it is not visible outside the car if possible and can be put away without the officer seeing you doing it. There are two easy ways to do this - one, that I presently employ, is to mount a permanant remote-mount detector in your car and disguise the control box so an officer looking in the car will not notice it as being such. The Cobra RD-5110 is ideal for this, and I like it better than my Passport (works better for $95 less). The second method, usable with visor/windshield mount detectors is to mount it so *you* block it from being seen from behind. While I still used my Passport, I simply put it on the visor in front of my head. I am tall enough that you cannot see the detector from behind because my head blocks the view. If you are pulled over, simply reach up with your hands in front of your body before the officer is close enough to see what you are doing, and simply pull the detector down and put it under your seat (always route the power wire in the trim). I was pulled over once, and this method worked fine - all I got was a verbal warning (concerning rail-road tracks, the train was stopped about a half mile a way and was triggering the lights when I decided to quit waiting for it). Yep, you normally WILL NOT get a simple warning if the officer sees that you use a radar detector. If they can get you for one over the limit - you're caught. Note: responses directed to rec.autos, where this belongs. Randy Davis UUCP: dell.dell.com!rjd
brian@ucsd.Edu (Brian Kantor) (02/06/90)
If you reach under your seat to stow your radar detector when the officer pulls you over, you had damn well better hang both your hands out the window before he approaches your car or you will be shot. It's also not a bad idea to flip your wallet up onto the dashboard so that you can reach it without your hands going out of his view for an instant. If it's dark, turn on the dome light too. And for God's sake, don't make any quick moves. Remember that you are dealing with a nervous individual who knows that he can kill you and won't be prosecuted for it, so he's going to take that option if you do ANYTHING that looks like it might be endangering him. - Brian