Decepticon Maserati, "Impersonating a police officer."

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

Right, obviously from state to state the laws differ and I can only speak to the legality in Texas. I imagine having a lightbar over the roof is crossing into a pretty grey area, but if all the lights in the lightbar are clear/white and/or amber in color, it would be completely legal for a civilian to own in Texas. In fact, I've seen several instances where a civilian vehicle has a smaller lightbar on the roof (typically a truck, though) where I'm speculating that the driver probably uses on construction sites.

Again, completely legal to own here. If you start to use that to pull people over though, completely illegal.

And to be quite honest, if you're using a lightbar to attempt to pull people over, it doesn't matter what your car's paint scheme is. It's illegal.

Owning a black Maserati that has white doors and some decals though, not illegal, in any state.

Right you are indeed. Here the only light bars you can legally display are amber ones. Fire police are allow Blue or red but not both, and they better damn well be going to an emergency, or they can get into trouble for having them on.

[ChrisBlair]

You're not seeing the real issue.

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

So? He pointed out the obvious, that “because other drivers noticed him and slowed down, thinking it was a police vehicle,” doesn't mean he was impersonating a police officer. It means people are too stupid to know that he's not one. Unless he was using his car to pull people over and give them fake citations, he cannot be cited for anything. The intelligence of the other drivers on the road is not what's on trial here.


Nobody's actually on trial here. Fooling smart people is not the line in the sand that has to be crossed to be guilty of something. I know you understand that.


Was he taking part in rolling road blocks or pulling people over? No? Then he can buy a car and paint it however he wants. So long as his door does not say "POLICE" on it, his vehicle is perfectly legal to drive on any public road at any time of day.

Just the car's paint is not the issue. I have said that three or four times now. People seem to want to chalk this up to a paint job. That's not the real problem. The real problem was the man's behavior.


Again, if I buy a Crown Victoria at police auction and alter the color scheme to look similar to a police vehicle, but I do not put "POLICE" anywhere on the vehicle (aside from that little "Interceptor" badge on the trunk) and then decide to drive exactly the speed limit or 5mph under it, I have not broken any laws. You and I know damn well everyone is going to think I'm a police officer, but so long as I do not attempt to pull anyone over, I am not committing the act of "impersonating" an officer.

Again, I have posted clearly, several times, that the paint job is not the crux of the matter. You want my argument to be that, but it's not. Sorry.

Just because I have a high and tight hair cut does not mean I'm impersonating a Marine. It means I like not having to use all that much shampoo when I shower. If you make the mistake of thinking I'm a Marine, that's your own problem, not mine.

Who said anything about your example being a problem? For a better parallel, let people think you're a marine and go with it. Then tell a real marine you're "just helping" if he asks your MEU. Game changer.

Again, so? Am I not allowed to just go for a drive in my car? Am I not allowed to paint my doors white? Where does the law-book say I cannot have a black car with white doors? Nowhere? Did the guy pull anyone over? Nope?

No laws broken.

The man, by his own admission, was not just "going for a ride". You know this by reading the article.



So, if I sit in my front yard with a radar gun and aim it at passing vehicles while wearing a dark blue polo and aviator sunglasses, I will get cited for impersonating an officer?
This man was not doing what he did on private property. However, in today's world, you might get shot by a nervous cop.

People are allowed to think whatever they want. If they're too stupid to know the difference between a Maserati and a police vehicle, that's their own stupidity, and there's no law saying I should get in trouble for them being morons.

There's also no law that says you are only impersonating an officer if you can fool smart people.

1) I feel like I'm typing the same thing over and over, but here you go.

I'm hip to that scene, since you keep talking about the paint job without even thinking about the rest of the scenario.

If I buy a car, ANY car, and have it painted similar to a cop car's paint scheme, I have not broken any laws.

I never said the paint job was illegal

If I drive it around on my free time at or slightly below the speed limit, I have not broken any laws.

The Maserati's speed is irrelevant.

If I pull someone over and harass them, I have crossed over into breaking the law.

Is that the fact, or an assumption?

But so long as all I'm doing is driving a car that "looks" like a cop car, there is absolutely nothing in the law that says I am required to advertise to all other motorists that I am NOT a police officer.

I never argued that the Maserati driver had to advertise anything about being 'not a cop car'. You are hung up on the looks of the car and never think about the man's intent and behavior.

2) Everyone who purchases a Crown Vic from a police auction knows damn well that their vehicle will make other people think they are a cop. And you and I know damn well every one of those driver's has no intention of letting people know that they are NOT a cop at all. So what? Whether or not it's right doesn't matter, it's not against the law.

For hopefully the last time, I never in my life, let alone on this forum or thread, argued that the paint job was illegal.

Are you trying to imply that all former police vehicles sold at auction should have "THIS IS NOT A COP" spray painted on all four sides? Because that's the only "solution" to the "problem" you believe is against the law...

I spoke too soon.

The bottom line is: the man led others to believe he was a cop and he hoped the outcome would be they thought he was a cop, and he went with it. Think about that: he admitted that he wanted other people to think he was in a cop car. Logical extension means a cop is behind the wheel. You may disagree all you like- I'm all for argument- but before you do, please click this link:

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/Gener...r268/Section33

It can be argued that this man 'falsely assumed' the role. His actions betray that by his own admission. The means he used to falsely assume the role was the car which was- as you point out- a bad joke...but still, he used it. There's lots of laws, but none say that only smart people can break laws.

If he'd kept his big fat mouth shut and said to the cop "hey, I'll take your words under advisement but I'm not breaking any laws"...all good my friend, all good. But he had to brag that he was Santa's little helper. He let the cop know he was playing pretend. And now he's burned.

400 dollar fine, he'll move on, if they can make this stick, and they just might try.

[Edzo]

The car did say "police" on the fender, "emergency 9-1-1" on the quarter and "speed enforcement" on the rear bumper.

[KeepItShut]

Originally Posted by Edzo

The car did say "police" on the fender, "emergency 9-1-1" on the quarter and "speed enforcement" on the rear bumper.

Lol really?

Edit: Hard to find a clear picture but I don't see where it says police... it does say Decepticons in huge letters on the doors!

[ChrisBlair]

The car did have "SPEED ENFORCEMENT" on the back as well as '911'.

But that's secondary to the driver's admission that he wanted people to think he represented the police.

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by KeepItShut

Lol really?

Edit: Hard to find a clear picture but I don't see where it says police... it does say Decepticons in huge letters on the doors!

[Drumminxx]

Makes me wonder about Police Officer Halloween costumes...

[chuckstacamaro]

Cop,with No sense of Humor.....or Common Sense.... Hey he is a perfect candidate for Management.... LOL.....

[FenwickHockey65]

This guy's being an idiot, plain and simple. At first I didn't really have an issue with it until I saw the "Speed Enforcement" on the back and "Emergency 911" stickers. At that point, that's just asking for it.

[CamaroSkooter]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

This guy's being an idiot, plain and simple. At first I didn't really have an issue with it until I saw the "Speed Enforcement" on the back and "Emergency 911" stickers. At that point, that's just asking for it.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. All I had to go off of earlier was the blurry photo and operating under the assumption that he dressed his car up to look exactly like Barricade from Transformers. The movie car does not include giant "SPEED ENFORCEMENT" text across the back bumper.

He is definitely walking a very thin line at this point. While his car does not expressly state "POLICE" anywhere on it, the word "ENFORCEMENT" is a game changer for my whole argument. At that point, he's driving a vehicle that appears as though the driver can actually enforce any laws, which is definitely impersonation.

At this point, Chris Blair, we would be in agreement. He is definitely going to get punished. Before I thought he was just driving a car made to look like a movie prop. That one sticker, coupled with his own testimony is enough to completely change my mind.

This should be interesting to see how the court rules...

[jewel25]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

This guy's being an idiot, plain and simple. At first I didn't really have an issue with it until I saw the "Speed Enforcement" on the back and "Emergency 911" stickers. At that point, that's just asking for it.

Agree, I didn't realize that it had those stickers. My opinion changes.

[KeepItShut]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

This guy's being an idiot, plain and simple. At first I didn't really have an issue with it until I saw the "Speed Enforcement" on the back and "Emergency 911" stickers. At that point, that's just asking for it.

[Drumminxx]

Originally Posted by CamaroSkooter

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. All I had to go off of earlier was the blurry photo and operating under the assumption that he dressed his car up to look exactly like Barricade from Transformers. The movie car does not include giant "SPEED ENFORCEMENT" text across the back bumper.

He is definitely walking a very thin line at this point. While his car does not expressly state "POLICE" anywhere on it, the word "ENFORCEMENT" is a game changer for my whole argument. At that point, he's driving a vehicle that appears as though the driver can actually enforce any laws, which is definitely impersonation.

At this point, Chris Blair, we would be in agreement. He is definitely going to get punished. Before I thought he was just driving a car made to look like a movie prop. That one sticker, coupled with his own testimony is enough to completely change my mind.

This should be interesting to see how the court rules...

meh...$500 fine, $250 suspended, 1 year good behavior and take the police decals off your car....NEXT!

It's only a felony if you commit a crime while impersonating a police officer.

[LStick]

"People are allowed to think whatever they want. If they're too stupid to know the difference between a Maserati and a police vehicle, that's their own stupidity"

GO BIG OR GO HOME


Twinsburg Ohio PD DARE car.