Most anybody familiar with US129 already knows about the license plate deal. If it's mounted any other way but straight across the back, you're likely to get a ticket, or at least harassed, well, the latest is news to me.

Friend of mine got a ticket up there today, for, get this, having the visor on his full faced helmet open. Seems there is some obscure law in tennessee that says you must either have a windshield, helmet with visor, or glasses, when riding. He was riding at first gear speeds in a slow line of traffic, barely moving, and flipped his visor on his full face up, because it was fogging. State trooper stepped into the road, pointed to the shoulder, proceeded to chew him a new *******, and wrote him a ticket for the visor/glasses deal. He tried to explain that the slow speeds make a visor fog, and he HAS to flip it up to see, but no dice.

I suggested he go see the judge. Show him his old full face, then tell him that in order to be safer and appease the state of tennessee, he's got new gear, then show him his new half helmet beanie, and a pair of cheap sunglasses.

At any rate, it's a bull$hit ticket if you ask me, but just wanted to let everybody know the score before somebody else gets popped. Seems they are getting desperate for revenue up there.

 

That is what it is all about...money.

Take care,
Baldman

 

"What's that officer, you are concerned with my safety? You're writing out this ticket for my well-being, right?"
First of all, let it be said I have nothing against law enforcement, but here what it's all about.....
1. The cop has a definite power trip if he finds it necessary to "chew someone a new a$$hole" for something so minuscule.
2. It's all about the money, no two ways about it.
The way I see it...don't insult my intelligence and tell me you're writing me a ticket because you truly care about my well-being. Just be honest and tell me it's about meeting your departments cash quota for the month, quarter or whatever. It makes it so much more difficult to respect law enforcement when they try to spoon-feed us all this senseless horse$hit. Just like the seatbelt law...."we care about saving your life".....uh yeah, how about all the school buses that transport my kids to school? Where are the belts in those vehicles?....hmmm. Click It or Ticket? How about $uck it or f**k it?
Sorry for the rant, but this stuff really get me fired up.

 

What it's really all about is trying to discourage people from coming there,

 

There's plenty of LEOs around that area that probably don't see any difference between bikers and squids. They see enough squids there to have a gut full.

 

He is what would be commonly termed a squid, and probably more biker than many on this forum. Fact is, there were 9 state troopers working the dragon today, and everybody was minding their P's and Q's. Also so much traffic it would be impossible to ride at any unreasonable speed anyway. That fact probably had them writing tickets for anything they could think up, just to appear productive.

I know the boy, and I know his attitude. He's young, but he's a damn good kid, and would have been respectful.

 

Psycho....Idoubt your buddy did anything wrong....again, I won't talk about law enforcement, I'm friends with a few, but some of these guys, especially the younger ones havea real attitude.From the dirty, smug look on their mugs when they approach you, to their condescending tone.
Mosttroops are decent fellas, but there areothers for sure, thatneed a real attitude adjustment.
I am good friends with an attorney andfrom what I've heard in the past from him, I would go before a judgewith this rediculous ticket and at least plead my case. If the kid did nothing wrong but yank the visor,come on now.....write someone else a ticket that's actually doing something that impedes traffic or endagers someone's well-being on the road........jeez

 

Be careful in the Northwest (Washington State) too cause we have that same obscure law. Sorry your friend found out the hard way.
The following link indicates several other states also have this same law:
http://www.shinnysideup.com/msf/USCycleLaws.htm
FBL

 

That law has been on the books here in Tn. for many years. Also the Troopers are tired of picking DEAD people off the asphalt on the Dragon. Three dead in the past two weeks or so.

Lynn

 

Georgia has the eye protection law also (windshield, face shield, goggles, or glasses, I think). I do think the law has its good points, but the ticket here sounds rinky dink.

I took a gigantic bug today right between the eyes. Luckily, my face shield caught instead of my eye.

I think they're just cracking down on the Dragon lately. Too many accidents, too many complaints about unsafe riding, etc...