cop busted me for too many lights...

i was out the other night, driving at or below the speedlimit, and a cop pulled onto the road in front of me.
we both drove along for a couple blocks (he was quite a ways ahead of me), and i saw him turn into a parking lot thinking "ut-oh, must be responding to a break-in".

as i drove past the lot he pulled into, i looked in my mirror and saw him pull out with his lights on. i wasn't concerned at this point because i had (obvoiusly) done nothing wrong.

i stopped the car, pulled out my liscense and waited for him to come foward.
"liscense" he said
i handed it to him asking what the problem was
"you've got way too many lights on your car" said he
"really? i wasn't aware of any such law, where might i be able to find it?" said i
"yea really, what do you think i'm kidding?!" said he
"no, i didn't mean to imply that, i was just surprised." said i
"go look it up" said he
"where might i look it up at?" said i
"it's in the book of laws" said he
"okay..." said i

he rudely explained to me that you can only have 4 lights on at a time, and you shouldn't drive with your foglights in the city (though i think that part was just a pet peeve of his, and not an actual law?).

he went back to write the ticket (this took a whole 10minutes), the whole while leaving his headlights, spotlight, and blue and red flashers on, so that they were nicely reflecting right into my mirrors and into my face. when he got back to hand me the ticket i almost handed it back to him calling him a hypocrite /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

after getting home that night, i looked it up a bit, but was unable to find any such law for iowa (though i admit i didn't look that hard, as i couldn't find anything worthwhile on the iowa site). does anyone have an idea where i could find out for sure?

really sucks to have my first ticket given to me for such a stupid bullshnot thing as that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
and by such a rude asshole as well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

worst of all, i had jargon design a custom circuit so i could add 4 more luxeons to the front of my car, and now it looks like i won't even be able to use it!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Get a judge to dismiss it in court.
Can you post a pic of the lights?

it's too late tonight, but hopefully i can get some pictures tomorrow.

it makes me mad, because my car looked so mutch cooler with all the lights on /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

Four is maximum in California, we have probably the nations strictest vehicle codes.

and probably more violations than the entire nation! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You stuck luxeons to the front of your car?

Was it a Marion Cop?

Man, that's just {vulgar term for having intercourse} {slang term for cat}whipped. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif
I got stopped for having the wrong color LEDs on the footrest of my electric wheelchair a few years back, but the magistrate threw the ticket out because he thought it was stupid.

i was about to stick 4 luxeons on the front of my car.
as it was, i had the normal beams, the standard foglights, and 2 aftermarket amber foglights i installed myself.

no gess, it wasn't /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
it was a state trooper actually.

Those marion cops will give you a ticket for anything, I once got 2 tickets in one night, dark tint and a light bulb out on my license plate holder, what a joke.

marion needs the money /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

sick though isn't it?
i rarely venture into marion (not like i ever really have a reason to... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

I believe that really is a law... but probably varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. You can try www.findlaw.com to research it.

I recall hearing that some places prohibit aftermarket foglights, but factory installed 'daytime running lights' are a-ok -- go figure

I recently moved to Des Moines, you can't believe how much less the cops bother you out here, its amazing.

i searched more on google, and on the site that data provided, but was unable to find anything like that for my state.
anyone willing to help me find out if it really is an iowa law?
i might have to call the police department tomorrow...

the only other time a cop has "bothered" me is when i was testdriving my new car, and it didn't have a liscense plate. the officer kindly stopped me to make sure i hadn't stole the car, and before letting me go he said he liked the car and i should buy it.

what makes me maddest about this whole deal is just what a rude attitude the trooper had...

Two sets of fog/running lights? I hate to sound like a jerk, but I would have expected it.

His rudeness is gonna look awfully funny in court.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mpr.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif

[ QUOTE ]
turbodog said:
Two sets of fog/running lights? I hate to sound like a jerk, but I would have expected it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Many otr truckers get away with that nationwide all the time.
Just look at some of the brightly lit Peterbuilts thundering down the interstate. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
I would say;
Do a search on what to do about rogue state troopers.

Geez, that sucks...

Well you should've said to him, "Too many lights? I'll show you too many lights..." and proceed to empty your pockets of all your flashlights (if you were EDCing a few lights at that time)... I bet you guys would probably end up talking flashlights and have a beamfest instead of him issuing you that ticket!

Iowa Code on Auxiliary Driving Lights

Looks like you were in violation of the law, my friend. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

-Randy

There is also a law with wattage also, thats why all the new cars shut off the fog lights when you turn on the brights, it exceeds the allowed wattage. I also got a ticket for that one time in Marion, IA.

ack