Weird UHP incident

[DrMoab]

I don't want to turn this into a cop bashing thread. There is enough of that here already. I just wonder if anyone else has had this happen to them.

On our way to Moab last week I didn't get two miles from my house and got pulled over by a DOT UHP cop.

He comes up with what looked like steam coming out of his ears and informs me that my jeep is not up to Utah inspection code and that it should have never passed inspection the way it was.

I had my mud flaps and flares off of it so I didn't scrape them off the rocks in Moab. I tried to inform him of this but he didn't care.

Oh and I guess I should say...MY JEEP WAS ON THE TRAILER!

I showed him the mud on the fenders from when I took them off. It was obvious that they had just been removed.

he told me I needed to remove my plate if I was to haul it on a trailer.

Maybe I am wrong but I thought it was against the law to tow an unlicensed vehicle on a trailer in Utah?

Anyway he didn't write me a ticket or anything but I thought it was a little extreme to pull over a vehicle that was being towed.

 

[wally]

I think I would have gotten his info and reported it. That does sound dumb to pull you over to tell you about all the things wrong with the one you have on the trailer.

 

[wick246]

Sounds like harassment to me. Did you get a name or badge number?

 

[Jeremy]

that cop should loose his job, i hate cops.......oh wait that is another thread not this one.

i am curious to see where this thread goes, i have often wondered what they can and can not do to a trailered rig.

 

[jp008]

Hmmmmm interesting. I used to haul this thing all over the country and never heard a word from the cops. I think with a litte work I could make it legal.

 

[ZUKEYPR]

Speaking as a former Cop, that's really weird. i think I would of reported it as well. Seems like there is a lot of prejudice out there lately against us folk. I'm not sure about the plate law being on a trailer and all. Still sounds like, and smells like.

 

[DrMoab]

I know who he is. I have two brothers that are Kaysville cops and he works this area so they run into him a lot.

Two reasons I didn't report it. One...I was kind of in shock. He didn't keep me long. I think he knew he couldn't really do anything to me so he let me go.

Two....I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. He wasn't going to write me and I knew it.

I wish someone could explain why there is such a big difference between city and highway cops.

 

[wick246]

It won't change if nobody ever say's anything though. It's o.k. to stand up to authorities when they are wrong - so long as you are professional and follow directions during the actual encounter. Your choice and I'm sorry he put a bad mark on your day.

 

[phillippi]

Speaking as a current cop, that is BS. It most likely was one of the older UHP troopers who does nothing but DOT enforcement. That doesnt mean that he knows all the laws regarding laws of towing or not. If you know his name, call UHP in SLC and report the incident.

 

[Caleb]

I know who he is. I have two brothers that are Kaysville cops and he works this area so they run into him a lot.

Two reasons I didn't report it. One...I was kind of in shock. He didn't keep me long. I think he knew he couldn't really do anything to me so he let me go.

Two....I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. He wasn't going to write me and I knew it.

I wish someone could explain why there is such a big difference between city and highway cops.

just out of curiosity (if you know)? did he used to be a Syracuse cop at one point? There used to be a Syracuse cop that would pull my company (large shrimp boats) EVERY TIME we would pass him. He NEVER wrote us a ticket but he would pull us over just to harass us. The only reason we never reported him was he also worked for the Fish and Game out on Antelope, meaning he could make our lives very miserable out on the lake...it wasn't worth it.

 

[V-DAWG]

that cop should loose his job, i hate cops......

That sentence does not make sense.




I think it is odd he would try and justify his stop based on the vehicle on the trailer. I could understand if the vehicle was not properly secured, or was on a trailer which was too small, etc. It sounds kind of bogus to me, and I wouldn't hesitate to speak with someone about it now. On the other hand, I would not argue with the officer at the scene even if he wrote a ticket. I would just accept the ticket, and fight it in court.

 

[wick246]

"I would not argue with the officer at the scene even if he wrote a ticket. I would just accept the ticket, and fight it in court."

Agreed, things seem to go bad in a hurry when you get confrontational during the stop. In court or with his superiors after the fact is the way to go.

 

[Badcop]

Maybe I am wrong but I thought it was against the law to tow an unlicensed vehicle on a trailer in Utah?

If thats the case, how is it were supposed to tow a project from one point to another?

Just saying, that is not the case, but I have heard the same thing and there is nothing in the books saying the vehicle on a trailer HAS to be registered.

My experience was a little different when I towed my 71' Chevelle from Logan to West Point, no plates, no drivetrain, etc. All I was asked is was it registered and to whom, I assume they were making sure the chassis wasnt stolen. Did the same to me when I towed that 65' Mustang chassis.

 

[mbryson]

............ 71' Chevelle from Logan to West Point, ............

pics? color? etc. {I could know some history on that car}

 

[DrMoab]

If thats the case, how is it were supposed to tow a project from one point to another?

I don't know for sure that it is. I do know its illegal to transport unregistered ATVs and motorcycles. I would assume it would be the same for other vehicles. I don't know for sure though

 

[Big Daddy C.]

Not To Bash Any Law Enforcement, but i have gone down to the UHP office twice to ask what exactly i would need to be sure to not be ticketed. Both times i was told two different things but basically anything beond stock, there are no gaurantees. So not being very fond of these responses i checked the internet and found the regulations posted by the state which are very presicely vague at best pretty, much leaving it up to the patrolling officer to decide. So then i went to talk to my neighborhood UHP officer (who turned out to be a guy i knew in school) who told me that if he were to see me on any road with a lifted jeep that had any portion of tire above 50% not covered, he would impound it,which included the front fender that is not 50% stock, along with some story of a girl that was killed by a lifted truck in provo canyon and how the guy should have been sued and so on. So I ask how can I be a good law biding citizen if they make the laws up as they go.
P.S. to my knowlage i never pissed off the above mentioned neighborhood UHP officer in school.

 

[Brett]

P.S. to my knowlage i never pissed off the above mentioned neighborhood UHP officer in school.

 

[phillippi]

So I ask how can I be a good law biding citizen if they make the laws up as they go.
P.S. to my knowlage i never pissed off the above mentioned neighborhood UHP officer in school.

Where do you live in SS? I might pull you over and check out your rig w/out harrassment.:greg:

 

[gijohn40]

I wonder if this same UHP officer pulls wreckers over for towing mangled cars that will not pass inspection? lol

if you can give the UHP a time and location they can tell which officer it was that pulled you over... they track their officers pretty good...

 

[cowmilker]

I do know its illegal to transport unregistered ATVs and motorcycles. I would assume it would be the same for other vehicles. I don't know for sure though

All training that I have (slcc post/murray police cadets/son of a UHP trooper)and experience on the road (O.K. it was only 5 1/2 months at NSL P.D.) tells me that as long as the trailer it is being pulled on and the vehicle that is towing it are registered it is off limits, however I don't want to "armchair quarterback" this trooper. I took MANY reports of stolen trailers (almost every trailer out there has a 2" ball so it is easy to just back up to one and hook on and pull away), and how can a trailer be recovered stolen unless some "investigative" traffic stop is made.
That trooper probably had a reason for doing what he did, although you may never know what that reason is.:-\