Speed-ER doc

Since I got the Cobra, I have never had the front plate on, and haven't been hassled yet. I hope that law passes.

digix

i drove a celica (before i got my 8) around for about 3 yrs with no plate on front and only got pulled over when the cop was really bored....but a quick "fell off last week and havent had time to put it back on" would net me a warning every time! :D

but yeah, im removing the front plate on my 8 as soon as i get the free time to take care of a few other things too, and i signed the petition as well.

also of note, i try looking up "house bill 3540" and all i got were references to a tax change for property taxes.... any links?

Str8cold

You can mutiplate the Texas plate if you like however they will pull you over faster for doing that since the Texas flag and Texas logo have to be visible. I think the best course of action is to either slap that ugly piece of metal on the front, or just driving without it and take the risk. Hopefully it won't be much longer and we will be in the clear on it.

Brainstorm

I've been following the progress of this bill through the House and Senate. Everything seemed to be OK until a couple of days ago when a Senate commitee seems to have substituted it for a more "favourable" one. Unfortunately the part about reduction to 1 license plate appears to have disappeared. It was Article 9 of the bill but it has now been substituted with something else.

I could be mistaken since, being British, I don't know the first thing about Texas legislature. Maybe someone else would like to check this out and give their opinion. The bill number is HB3540.

Damn, I was looking forward to being legal again!!!

Atacdad

Article 9 was struck by Ogden in an amendment in the Senate committee. So, its still two plates

Klar

Still aint gonna put the front one on either of my cars!
Come and get me coppers!

Longhornxtreme

Anyone have the mailing address of that a**hole that amended the bill?

The front license plate law is so ridiculous

Hook' em class of 04

Hou-TX-RX-8

Well I got a ticket for it, I went to court yesterday and showed the judge a picture with the plate back on it. He still fined me but I ended up paying $72 instead of $92 if I had just sent it in.

rotarygod

That actually used to be a $120 ticket. Weird that they actually lowered the fine. We'll never see that happen again. They gotta get their pay checks somehow.

DrKillJoY

So the next time someone says "just take a picture and it will get dismissed..." tell them to shove it.

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

I've gotten pulled over once so far, cop was more or less checking me and my car out and using the plate as a means to stop me. Unless I get nailed a bunch of times or something or the law gets stricter it's staying off, anyone see the Best Motoring vid where they did the "Enduro challenge"? to make a long story short, they ran full speed for 30 minutes straight or something like that, one series w/o the front plates on all the cars, one with the front plates on. Even thought the 8 got crushed in both races, the second series with the plates back on made the 8 heat up a lot quicker, to the point where they had to adjust strategy etc.. just to complete the challenge. After seeing that there's no way I'm putting my front plate on, even if those wre different circumstances it was still a little eye opening to see how that thing cooked with the front plate on.

aRX7-7-8

I haven't had a front plate on my cars since 1985; I've gotten one ticket and one warning. And this is all on red sports cars, mostly rotaries (see sig.) My wife hasn't had a front plate during the same period, white Miata and white BMW; no tickets, no warnings.

The ticket was in Richardson, the warning in Dallas. I live in Plano.

shelleys_man_06

Where did you get pulled over? I drive from Huffmeister and HWY 290 to UH almost everyday and I have yet to be pulled over (knock on wood). Hell I was even driving around Hobby Airport to get to Shuttle Burger (best chili burgers and chili cheese fries ever!) and there's police crawling all over. I've even had some close encounters with state troopers, sheriffs and the like, and they really don't seem to care.

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

I really do think it's one of those "probable cause" deals, this is one of those laws they use to give them a reason to pull you over so they can check out other stuff etc. (dui,dwi, drugs in the car, suspicious behavior, however you want to put it) so I would venture a guess that a large majority of them don't give a hoot, but only use laws such as these for investigative purposes, not to mention some extra revenue here and there....which could be made just as easily by eliminating the front plates altogether :D

TooManyIDs

If you live in Texas, read on and spread it around.

Governor Perry vetoed a $35B education budget and called a special session, so we may have another chance to get Article 9 of the original House Bill 3540 considered to help fund some of the education budget.

I would suggest contacting your senator and house representative and pointing out that their own fiscal analysis showed a $5M/year savings associated with not requiring a front license plate. That fiscal note assumed the savings would go back in to the transportation budget, but there is no reason some can't go to education also.

This time, I also copied our local news investigation team at WFAA. Not sure they will care much about this, but I would have to think that $5M/year will get someone's attention. Please have a look at your own local news website and see if they have an email ID you can copy. It just might yield interesting results.

Details on the bill can be found here:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-b...LLSUFFIX=03540

In case this is new for you, it was passed by the House and sent to the Senate, where it was also passed, but Senator Steve Ogden introduced an amendment to remove Article 9 (see last item on last page). The House & Senate versions were different and both sides didn't reach agreement before running out of time. Never went to the governor, but wouldn't have mattered to us with Article 9 removed.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/data/...B0354023F1.PDF

My email is short and to the point. I'm not counting on much attention from my legislators, but wanted them to see that the news team was copied also. I'm hoping that triggers a reaction.

Longhornxtreme

Here's what I wrote

Hollywood7

I say keep the law, the new bill will make it easier to get away with a hit and run and other crimes. who is backing this bill, what lobbyist? surely its not a street racing lobby, there is no money in it for them. Could it be the insurance lobby, they could use the new law as an excuse to raise their rates.

dazygirl415

I sent an email as well:

Senators and Representatives,

This letter is in regards to HB3540. I respectfully request the consideration to include the original Article 9 from HB3540 in the final bill. According to the Department of Transportation (DoT), reducing license plate production costs would result in an estimated net savings in Fund 006 of approximately $5 million each year. These funds can be applied towards other DoT needs or used towards funding the education budget.

Retaining the original Article 9 of HB3540 would save the government money, save the taxpayer money, and please your constituents. The result is win-win situation politically, socially and economically.

Sincerely,

Concerned taxpayer and registered voter

Longhornxtreme

If we could only get like a million people to do that

dazygirl415

You guys are welcome to copy my message and send it on behalf of yourselves. I don't think the exact verbiage matters, as long as many citizens are concerned about the same issue.

rx8babe88

Got pulled over in downtown ATx by a @#$% bicycle cop. Got a ticket, and then proceeded to act like a total bitch to him.
Should I plead not guilty? Will it work on a non moving violation? I have got away with a not guilty plea several times. I refuse to put the plate back on. Can I put it on my passenger side sun visor? And whats up with all of the Corvettes with no front plates???

NVmyRX-8

iTrader: (1)

It happens to the best of us, you can try pleaing not guilty, but in the end there is still a risk of having to pay the fine bc it will be up to the judge whether he/she "is in a good mood."

My opinion is to "mount it" temporarily with some zip ties or something, so that the charges can be dropped.

deadphoenix52

why were you a bitch to the cop?

i got a ticket for no front plate. $15 fix-it ticket. nothing else.

or you could just put the plate on.

kbrewmr2

yep, being nice usually gets you a fix-it ticket or other favors that they don't have to give you.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

I have been pulled over many times (just last week actually) and I have never gotten a ticket for the lack of a front plate But of course I am always a kiss *** when I get pulled over. Ask any cop and he/she will tell you that attitude will get you nothing but more tickets. But usually when I get pulled over it's my fault so I realize hey are just doing their job.