Vegas man paints car like police cruiser (Las Vegas: buying, college)
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LAS VEGAS, N.M. - Jessie Vigil's black-and-white car sports a red-and-blue emergency bar across the top and the word "police" painted on the doors. Vigil, however, isn't a cop. Law enforcement agencies say what he's done with his car isn't illegal as long as he doesn't act like a police officer.
Vegas man paints car like police cruiser - Yahoo! News (broken link)
I would think it was a cop car and therefor he is impersonating an officer. I'd make him remove the paint job.
I was very surprised when I read this story that the state police would allow this man to continue to drive around with a car that the vast majority of persons would make for a police cruiser. On the flip side, driving around in a faux police car probably has a chilling effect on surrounding vehicles with regards to speed and other illegal activities. So I'm thinking that, on balance, the police are letting this situation go on as long as no one complains about any misconduct by the driver vis-a-via being a law enforcement officer.
Most of the new cars have the bar on the inside of the car, not on top, and as was stated the sell retired copcars without repainting them too, and they have Police Interceptor on the back too. I am very suprised that they allow it, but I dont htink (from the description) that it would fool me.
Back in my younger days, I had a 1963 Chevy Nova Two-door hardtop. It started out in a primer brown. While at college, I painted all sorts of things on it, but mainly a large shark's mouth like the old P-40 Warhawk 'Flying Tigers'. I had also written 'Don't Panic' in large, friendly letters backward on the leading edge of the hood, so people could look in their rearview mirror as I came up on them and relax. During college breaks, the parents weren't thrilled that it was sitting in the driveway, so I taped up all the glass and lights, found the cheapest gallon of black synthetic enamel, broke out the Wager Power Sprayer and went to town. I even painted the tires, just because.
It was cool for a while, but just like in 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', all black can only take you so far. So out came the Krylon again and I did the doors and roof white. If was fun for a while, watching cars on the highway slow the heck down when you came up behind them. I was on a mission from gawd.
Now California has vehicle code 27605, and the CHP there took several different opportunities to explain that it stated that someone could not paint their car to look like a police vehicle. I tried to explain that I said I was not trying to be a police car, and anyone who mistakes a 20-something kid with hair past his shoulders and a bushy beard for a law enforcement officer has other issues, but to no avail. Luckily for me, the second paragraph of 27605 states that if you vehicle was first registered on or before January 1st, 1972, you are exempt.
Neener, neener, neener...
After about the 6th time of being pulled over and having to explain this loophole, it was time for another makeover. I can't remember what exactly I did, but I do remember stripes and 'Skunkmobile'. The final act was locking the doors, taking off the inner door handles, and cutting off the roof with a Skil saw. Not as much as a convertible, as just converted.
I think there would be a difference between dressing LIKE a policeman versus dressing AS a policeman. Many security companies have uniforms that look like a police officer, but don't actually say police, nor do they have the same authority. We have conditioned to follow what the uniform says.
It looks enough like a police car to make me behave myself! The 'light bar' doesn't look just right, but especially if you don't live in the town and don't know exactly what the local police cars look like, it's close enough. I am surprised it's legal.
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