Objects hanging from rear view mirror may be legaler than they appear
 

Many police in Massachusetts consider any object hanging from a rear
view mirror to be an excuse to stop a car. The state Appeals Court
overruled that policy this week, finding that the state law does not
unconditionally prohibit hanging objects. The judges wrote: "Indeed,
we take judicial notice of the fact that objects such as air
fresheners, graduation tassels, and religious medals commonly are hung
from the rearview mirrors of motor vehicles driven in the
Commonwealth. We doubt that the Legislature intended this ordinary
practice to be grounds, without more, for issuing a citation or for
justifying a stop by police." Based on this decision, there must be
reason to believe that there is a real effect on safe operation, such
as the hanging objects obstructing the driver's view of the road or
actually distracting the driver.

<http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=15365&sid=119>

The court noted that Minnesota and South Dakota have laws explicitly
prohibiting hanging objects from the rear view mirror.

--
John Carr )

> Many police in Massachusetts consider any object hanging from a rear
> view mirror to be an excuse to stop a car.

Some property management companies issue parking placards designed to
be hung from the rear view mirror, as does the Registry itself for
handicapped parking placards.

--
- David Chesler >
Iacta alea est

"John F. Carr" > wrote in message
...
>
> Many police in Massachusetts consider any object hanging from a rear
> view mirror to be an excuse to stop a car. The state Appeals Court
> overruled that policy this week, finding that the state law does not
> unconditionally prohibit hanging objects. The judges wrote: "Indeed,
> we take judicial notice of the fact that objects such as air
> fresheners, graduation tassels, and religious medals commonly are hung
> from the rearview mirrors of motor vehicles driven in the
> Commonwealth. We doubt that the Legislature intended this ordinary
> practice to be grounds, without more, for issuing a citation or for
> justifying a stop by police." Based on this decision, there must be
> reason to believe that there is a real effect on safe operation, such
> as the hanging objects obstructing the driver's view of the road or
> actually distracting the driver.
>
> <http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=15365&sid=119>

In New York obstructed vision is a roadside plea bargain offense. A friend
of mine got stopped for speeding but the trooper did him a favor and wrote
him for obstructed vision (he had a parking lot hang tag on his mirror).
Obstructed vision carries a fine but no points in NY. Not wearing a
seatbelt is also popular for roadside plea bargains in NY because it carries
a fine but no points.

John Mara

In article .com>,
"David Chesler" > wrote:

> Some property management companies issue parking placards designed to
> be hung from the rear view mirror, as does the Registry itself for
> handicapped parking placards.



The HP placard is only meant to be hung when you take a parking space.

I had one for a number of years.

> In New York obstructed vision is a roadside plea bargain offense. A
friend
> of mine got stopped for speeding but the trooper did him a favor and wrote
> him for obstructed vision (he had a parking lot hang tag on his mirror).
> Obstructed vision carries a fine but no points in NY. Not wearing a
> seatbelt is also popular for roadside plea bargains in NY because it
carries
> a fine but no points.
>
> John Mara
>

So in other words, it's safer to NOT wear a seatbelt in NY. After all, when
you are stopped for speeding, you will have nothing to plead to, if you are
buckled in. -Dave

David Chesler wrote:

> > Many police in Massachusetts consider any object hanging from a rear
> > view mirror to be an excuse to stop a car.
>
> Some property management companies issue parking placards designed to
> be hung from the rear view mirror, as does the Registry itself for
> handicapped parking placards.

Right, but I assume it is only a problem when the car is being driven. I
can't think of a reason to hang a parking pass or a handicapped parking
permit when driving. I do see a lot of people driving around with their
handicapped placards dangling from their mirrors though. Sometimes I
almost feel that I am the only one without one.

It is probably a good idea to remove obstructions from your line of
vision.

I'm all for ticketing people who hang those felt dice
from their mirrors.

"Legaler" is a word?

Dave C. wrote:
> So in other words, it's safer to NOT wear a seatbelt in NY. After all, when
> you are stopped for speeding, you will have nothing to plead to, if you are
> buckled in.

Not really, since the police in NYS often pull people over just for
having an unbuckled seatbelt. And I'm sure if you were pulled over for
speeding and the cop decided to give you a lesser ticket instead, there
would always be some no-points charge he could come up with.

For an inside look at how NYC police operate, google "ny.pd ra.nt"
(without the dots) and look at the web-based discussion board that
comes up first. Lots of discussions about the "professional courtesy"
cops extend to other cops' family members when they get pulled over.
There are a *lot* of cops in the NYC area, and therefore there are
whole communities where almost everyone is related to one and has a
union card which gets them out of tickets.

-Apr

>> Some property management companies issue parking placards designed to
>> be hung from the rear view mirror, as does the Registry itself for
>> handicapped parking placards.

> Right, but I assume it is only a problem when the car is being driven. I
> can't think of a reason to hang a parking pass or a handicapped parking
> permit when driving. I do see a lot of people driving around with their
> handicapped placards dangling from their mirrors though. Sometimes I
> almost feel that I am the only one without one.

Around here (northern California) the best way to predict that a driver
will be a needless slowpoke is the handicap plates. There must be a
policy of issuing them to mentally handicapped geezers. How about just
red-tagging the dummies instead?

John S wrote:
> Right, but I assume it is only a problem when the car is being driven. I
> can't think of a reason to hang a parking pass or a handicapped parking
> permit when driving.

The placard has a 7-year or so expiration. After 2 years of flipping
it on and off the mirror it's already getting worn out.

Putting it on and off is just one more pain-in-the-ass thing to
worry about -- sometimes leaving it up is not worth the extra
visibility.

Since I'm able-bodied, I don't want to appear that I took the
spot when I wasn't entitled, so I want to leave it up the entire
time I'm in the spot, which includes some time that I'm driving.
(The placard is issued to my wife, who has radiation-therapy-induced
pneumonitis [She can still use her right ankle quite well, when
she's driving.] If we parked in an HP spot but she's not in the car,
it usually means she didn't feel she could walk all the way back to
the car, and I've gone round to get the car and pick her up.)


> I do see a lot of people driving around with their
> handicapped placards dangling from their mirrors though. Sometimes I
> almost feel that I am the only one without one.

Almost anybody aged or infirm can probably get the requisite
doctor's note.

> It is probably a good idea to remove obstructions from your line of
> vision.

Is that why you've taken a Dremel to the day/night paddle on the
bottom of your mirror?

--
- David Chesler >
Iacta alea est