<VV> Collector Plates

[Dave Keillor]

A major issue here in Rochester, Minnesota is being a kid.  My grandson had
a 67 Pontiac Tempest for which the DMV gave him only one plate.  He was
always getting stopped for no front plate.  His grandmother (my wife), on
the other hand, has never had a front plate on her Miata, and has never
gotten a ticket or a warning for it -- even after being stopped for speeding
(she doesn't usually get a ticket, then, either).  He had the same problem
with his blue dots and ended up taking them out.

My '66 Corvair and my wife's '73 Nova both have year-of-origin plates and
I've been tailed while cruising at night, but the cop has always broken it
off when he/she saw I was an old geezer.  Technically, however, in Minnesota
year-of-origin plates have to be displayed on front and rear, but not
collector plates or regular plates.  Is it any wonder the cops can't keep it
all straight and just target the "trouble makers".

Dave Keillor

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Verthein [mailto:minoxphotographer at yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 4:00 PM
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: <VV> Re: VA antique vehicle plates-minimal Corvair


This talk about the police not being aware of the law has haunted us
here in Minnesota as well.  Two examples come to mind, one we have
first hand experience with.  State law allows 'blue dot" tail light
lenses on collectors cars, cars eligible to be registered as collector
cars, etc. My son Ryan had a 1949 Chevrolet with blue dots.  He got
pulled over and picked on a bit by the local cop (we live in a town of
600 people).  no ticket, but he told him he'd better get rid of those
illegal tail lights.Ryan trie dto explain they WERE legal on his car,
but the cop would not believe it.  I know the police chief a bit, so I
wrote a very polite letter to him, with a copy of the Minnesota state
statute allowing blue dots.  And know what? Ryan got stopped again,
hassled again, but no ticket. Before I bothered persuing it any
further, he sold that car and bought his Corvair.

I've been thinking about putting blue dots on MY Corvair just until I
can manage to get him to pull ME over, insist he give me a ticket, so I
can go to court.  This is one of the laws that the Minnesota Street Rod
Association fought for, along with the one license plate exemption
(collector cars, cars eligible to be, etc.. only need a rear plate),
AND the exemption to be able to buy non-alchohol gas for old cars.
Everyone else HAS to buy gasohol (10% right now, but they're lobbying
to make it 20% soon).  The MSRA urges everyone to carry a copy of the
statue in their cars.  

The police chief claimed it's nearly impossible for a local cop to keep
all the laws straight. Kinda like how the IRS can't understand it's own
rules, but enforces them anyway.

Just another one for the books.

Tim



===
Stupidity is like nuclear power, it can be used for good or evil. 
But you still don't want to get any on you.
===


		
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