Hi Dave: List..
Do not get me wrong, I do not nessicarially agree with the laws, but they
are reality (Here in Mass, NH, NY and NJ: the places that I am familiar with
the laws). I do not agree with the rules that say I can only drive 65, not
carry a sidearm in church, or can't dump my waste oil in the ground anymore,
but they are the law, and I have to obey them. (Well at lest not get caught
breaking them<LOL>)
If you want to get technical; It is illegal for a civilian to wear a
military uniform. (read complete uniform with patches, name tapes.... not a
set of unmarked BDUs) This is one of the reasons the MVPA has a clear rule
regarding this.
According to the Mass Chapter 90 (VTL) it is illegal to own a vehicle that
is marked up as a military vehicle. Note the work OWN, not operate, drive...
OWN. Same as a used police car, the seller must obliterate the markings
before delivery. When ever I pick up a vehicle from DRMO Devens, the marking
are all painted over (Do not know if it is a national thing). I was failed
on a state inspection because one of my truck said "US Army" on it. No one
is going to confuse an arcaic looking M37 for a active duty truck, but thats
the rules...
If you like to drive without seatbelts, think about moving up here to NH
where we are free to do that anytime. (As well as ride a motorcycle without
a brain bucket...)
Do not mistake my presenting my thoughts for worrying about what the next
guy is going to do, or advocating more rules; I know what is right and
wrong, and where I choose to step over the line. (And I certainly do), I
offer my thoughts to add to an existing discussion.
Hank
(Who is going to drive home tonight with my seatbelts on, because it is
safer, not because it is a law.)
From: "DaveCole" <davidcole@tk7.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 2:42 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Lights and Sirens on MVs (An unpopular view)
> Wow Henry - talk about opening up a can of worms!
>
> I have a big problem with people receiving tickets for having lights on
their
> vehicles that are *not* operating. If someone puts blue and red flashing
lights
> on his car, truck, motorcyle, whatever and is stupid enough to use them
without
> proper authorization - ie he isn't a real cop or emergency vehicle...
give him
> a ticket. Same with the siren. (However I have been to many parades
where
> sirens are commonly used as part of the parade)
>
> To think that it is a good idea to ticket someone for just having the
lights in
> place is a real danger.
>
> Analogies:
>
> Driving a Military vehicle painted in camo ---> impersonating military
> personnel
> M38 with dummy weapon --> impersonating armed military personnel
> Civilians dress in military style clothing - impersonating national guard,
> military, etc
> People in possession of military manuals - creating militia without
> authorization, counter insurgencies, etc.
>
> This list can go on and on. Come on this is America, not Amerika.
>
> I think you had better stop worrying about what people do regarding
putting
> light bars on their vehicles and such and start worrying about the
neighbors
> down the street who think you are harboring weapons of mass destruction or
> weapons of war. If you think light bars are bad, what about camo painted
MVs?
> Scary looking half tracks. Armored vehicles. Using your logic, surely
that
> "must" be illegal also.
>
> Sorry, but Amber beacons are on top of school buses, dump trucks, garbage
trucks
> and many many other vehicles in Indiana. They are all legal warning
devices. I
> drive over 30K miles per year and still don't get confused when I see
amber
> rotating beacons. I just slow down a bit.
>
> Come on, we pay the cops, they should be doing things that really help
stop and
> deter crime. Non-operating light bars?? Doesn't seem like a big danger
to me.
>
> Folks, we if we keep going in this direction, America will become a police
> state. We can't have our rights but then also deny other people's rights.
It
> just doesn't work.
>
> Dave in Indiana - now going out and placing my large amber rotating beacon
on my
> M51 dump and going for a ride! I might even get real defiant and leave
off my
> seatbelt for a mile or two.
>
>
> "Henry J. Fackovec" wrote:
>
> > Hey all:
> >
> > After Dave Brubakers question about putting a warning light on a
restored MV
> > I started thinking about warning lights and the general lawlessness of
some
> > of the participants in this hobby
> >
> > While I am the first to restore a vehicle to factory condition, even if
it
> > does not meet current safety standards (I.e.single tail lights, no
reverse
> > lights, no seat belts...) I really take objection to people who put blue
or
> > red or amber warning lights, sirens, or the markings including the words
> > POLICE, AMBULANCE (i.e. Military police, Security Police...)
> >
> > Besides having been a member of the public safety community, I am in the
> > business of building and equipping emergency vehicles, and have been for
> > almost 20 years, in four states. Each state has laws that specify what
> > type/color of warning device can be displayed by what type vehicle.
While
> > the Military is generally exempt from there regulations; we, as Military
> > Vehicle collectors are not.
> >
> > I have at least two people in my club that are blatant violators with
> > illegal colored lights, and I can not even count how many members have
> > sirens mounted and operational on their vehicles. It is one thing if we
were
> > to trailer these vehicles to shows, park them on the line and trailer
them
> > home, but most of us drive to and from, drive in parades and generally
tool
> > about town in our HMVs. The temptation to sound the siren is great: It
is
> > fun, for a change you are on the other side of the siren switch, It get
> > peoples attention, lets the nit-wit who cut you off know that you are
> > someone "important", it also gets you noticed my the local (or not
local)
> > law enforcement communality. It may be fun rationalize that we are slow
> > moving vehicles with poor rear lighting and, and to drive around with
the
> > amber beacon rotating , but it confuses civilian drivers, and could add
more
> > danger than it averts.
> >
> > Bear in mind that even mounting a light/siren on a vehicle in many cases
is
> > illegal: The blue light does not have to be illuminated for you to be
> > charged with criminal impersonation, it just need to me mounted on the
> > vehicle.
> >
> > Some suggested guidelines:
> >
> > 1- Check your States motor vehicle laws and other applicable statutes
(i.e.
> > impersonation of Police officer...) before mounting lights.
> >
> > 2- If it is legal to mount a light (probably an amber one), check to see
> > when you can legally operate it. (i.e. only if you are moving; stopped
at an
> > accident; moving less than 10 MPH....)
> >
> > 3- If you are worried about being rear ended in you MV, instead of the
> > revolving light, hook up and use
> > 4 way flashers (Permanent or magnetic) (Though using them while moving
on a
> > vehicle under a certain weight is illegal in some states like NH )
> >
> > 4- Make canvas covers for the lights for when you are operating on
public
> > ways.
> >
> > 5-If you have a MP Jeep/ M43 ambulance, make blank magnetic strips to
> > obliverate the word Police/ Ambulance on the vehicle while you are
> > opperating in public.
> >
> > 6- If you mount a siren on the vehicle, do not hook it up. We are not
> > emergency vehicles, we do not have the right/need to clear traffic...
> >
> > 7 If you do hook it up, DO NOT use your siren in a parade: It is
becoming
> > the standard for emergency service to use the siren as a signal to clear
the
> > parade route for a REAL emergency..
> >
> > I know that these views will generate some hatred and flames, but think
> > about it; does the hobby need a bad reputation based on the illegal
actions
> > of a few putzes?
> >
> > Respectfully submitted,
> > Hank
> > (Waiting for Ron with his counter view<G>)
> > Stay tuned; tommorows topic: Fake or real guns on HMVs: What are you
> > thinking?
> >
> > ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> > To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> > To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to
<mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> > To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 08 2001 - 10:58:56 PDT