Are cops going to try and find any little thing to pull me over now just because I drive an STi? Do I need to get a radar detector? In my old corolla I would drive by cops doing 10-15 over the limit all the time and they never looked twice, but now I worry b/c of the styling of the STi that they will think I'm some street racer kid and will try to give me as many tickets as they possibly can. Like even if I am going the same speed as everybody else, and everybody is speeding, will I be the one that always gets pulled over? Btw, I drive through Duluth on my way to/from work everyday, so that makes me even more nervous.
Welcome to the site! I dont have an STi but the car definately attracts a lot of attention. The big wing on the back is a big cop magnet but I havent heard of too many people being pulled over for bogus charges in them. Hopefully some other STI owners will chime in.
It's illegal for cops to just target one type of vehicle all the time, but if you go more than 10 to 15 mph over the speed limit consistantly you are in fact just asking for a ticket. A cop friend of mine put it this way when we were talking about who he'd pull over for traffic violations: and he asked me "have you ever been fishing?" I said yes, and he said "well you know you can't catch all the fish".... The point is that if you take the risk eventually you'll face the consequences. Here are a few tips: If you're on the freeway stay in a group of cars because if you're by yourself it's easier to get singled out. IF you see a cop when you've been speeding no matter where you are DO hit the brakes and make the brake lights come on to show the cop you've slowed it down. If you look around when you're driving you'll see cars with a little sticker that has a blue bar in between two black bars (see below). That sticker pretty much means I'm a cop or MP. And you'll usually see these guys and gals speeding a little too because honestly; we all do it.
I went from having an integra (was already a magnet being lowered with wheels) to the STi. you are totally correct. STi's are BIG magnets. i have been followed by cops while they just wait for me to do something. like the first week i had the car i got a ticket when i was followed by a cop, i was paying too much attention to the cop behind me that i didn't notice that the speed limit went from 45 to 35 and he pulled me over right after it switched over. My friend also got a ticket in my car this past weekend doing 15 over when we werent really going much if any faster than traffic. i thought it was funny tho because it was a female cop and she said on consoling words, "Yeah... I know this car can get it" LOL.
the other thng (other than the wing) 1. decals (esp with the word "racing") 2. loud exhaust 3. bright neon colors "I cant be speeding officer I drive a grandma's station wagon" thats my excuse and im sticking to it
The first three months i had my STi, I was pulled over 3 times. Twice i was on the way home from work in light traffic running about 75 in a 70 by county. The last time was 6:30 AM in congested traffic going 55 in a 65 by GHP. Each time all they did check my licence and insurance and send me on my merry way. I felt like it was just them letting me know that they were watching me. The trooper actually asked me, "Where are you heading this morning?" To which i replied, "I am heading to work, as i suspect everyone else is." I don't think he cared to much for that. BTW, i was completely stock then.
Just swap the winged trunk with someone wingless or wrx wing...that's what I would do at least. I'm sure that that would make the cops pay much less attention to you.
That could help. But I think cops actually take classes on which cars are fast and why and they learn, just like we do, what makes each car, like the brembo's on an STi. (and yes I know they could be put on after the fact, that's just one example)
Yep, you should definately run large Vinyl's that say Siegel Racing, Sakari Motorsports, and SOG Performance Divison :bigthumb: Definately attracts more attention, heh. With that, welcome to the WRXatlanta community, hope to see you out soon!
"I cant be speeding officer I drive a grandma's station wagon" thats my excuse and im sticking to it" LOL! me too.
Isnt that the sticker you can get for just donating a couple bucks to your local PD? I see so many cars with those nowadays I'd think they're pretty useless.
It's possible. I just see a lot of people who I know are cops or MP's with those on thier car and I put the two together.... but I've seen those badge shaped stickers you get for donating so, yeah.
yeah you sold me that wing and now I've been pulled over....course I was speeding lol. and by the way guys the "thin blue line" stickers are for law enforcement and their families. The red ones, which I don't see that often, are for fire fighters. You get that badge or sticker when you donate to the fraternal order of police and they supposedly buy bullet proof vests and things with the donations.
be honest i have had my sti for about 3 months now and i live in duluth...i have yet (know on wood) had any issues wit the cops....even when i drive pass them i dun see them starign the car down or anything...
I have a big wing like the STI wing and have not had problems because of it. I have never had a cop follow me waiting for me to do something. I have been pulled over, but I was speeding. I had the wing on my old WRX for a little over a year, and on this WRX for a little over a year. People say the wing attracts cops, and I have to call BS. Cops are attracted because you were doing something wrong.
Well if u wanna swap ur sti wing for a 02 wrx Wing let me know Another thing the day i got my wrx, i wanted to see the top speed and btw i didn't and i got a tick on 55 over 90 which the cop turned to a 78 since he was nice, he told me what if ur tires burst while going too fast, i said car is new, brand new tires, he didn't laugh, i said sorry sir, but i just wanted to see how fast this thing goes, and he said belive me kid, it will go fast while giving u tickets just like this one, noneoftheless, after that since then and now i have a total of 5 wrx speeding tickets, 7 kia spectra speeding tickets, 3 nissan sentra speeding tickets, 1 nissan sentra crash, 3 lane change with wrx. now my license is suspended for 2 years.. cars down there with a hoodie on it, so cant drive it.. anyway a simple matter if ur in a high class speeder like a sti, or even a wrx it would be wise not to speed until every1 around u is, if they r dont stay on the left lane, stay on hov if ur 2 or stay on 2nd or 3rd right maybe 2nd left..
or u could gangster tint ur windows, find the loudest exhaust possible and hence make urself look like prime suspect... kinda like me
I've never had cop problems down here, never been pulled over...my last car was a lot more suspect...black, tint, lowered, system, chrome rims, 86 monte carlo (wasn't fast, all show)....but I don't really speed though now...I like going fast...anyone can speed (ie:caravans, SUVs)...being fast is another thing...you REALLY don't need to speed to get your point across 8 out of 10 times that your obviously faster....I agree with the above that if your breaking a law be prepared to get a ticket, doesn't really matter what car your driving.....cops don't get more for a ticket from an Sti vs. an Escort....
i was cuising on 85 north around north druid hills last night at 82 (i looked) as i was passing a GSP on the side. he didnt even look twice
Be careful with some of these donations. Bluelinescooby can probably offer his comments on them, but I'll share my experience. Initially it seemed like a really nice thing to do; however some research showed that a rather obscene percentage of the donations go to 'overhead' and very little actually ends up where they claim. It seems like they are obligated to provide you with those #s if you ask. Last time I got a call I did just that, and they said something like 65% of donations were used for 'administrative costs' and the remaining 35% went to the actual cause.
I wish I still had some good pics of it.....there's some back in NY.....didn't take any pics while it was here....sold it after a two years of being down here then bought my wrx....much happier now, possibly another classic in the works but I need to stop modding my current car:keke:
I noticed I got way less attention when I got rid of my rear spoiler. Plus I could actually see when a cop was behind me without the spoiler flappin around in the wind.
lol off topic but funny story kinda. Back when i had my '98 volvo S70, i turned down this road and a cop pulled in behind me and i was like shit, this is a long ass road (barnwell). So i decided to turn into a neighborhood to let the cop pass me. I wait in the neighborhood for like a minute or two and then i go out. I drive for 10 seconds and i see the cop on the side of the road, and he pulls in behind me. And i was like DAMNIT. So i just kept driving and he just pulled into a side road like a minute later. I was so scared.
btw i'm looking for a trade myself, i need an STI Wing, for my WRX Wing, we could swap the trunkz if u like, if u trying to go wingless then sorry.. but if u wanna go wrx wing, then kool, or eles disregard this message..
A lot of guys have hit on it already, but yeah, generally it doesn't matter what you're driving if you're breaking laws. I've pulled over just as many SUV-driving soccer moms as I have punks in riced-out Civics. But keep in mind that anything you do to attract attention (big wing, loud exhuast, etc...) is gonna make you stand out. If you attract my attention and you're not doing anything wrong, no worries..... But if your gigantic smoke spewing exhaust is reverberating off of every building you pass, or your stereo is so loud your trunk is rattling, or the glare from you mirrored gangsta tint is blinding other motorists, of course I'm gonna pay more attention to you, and if you're doing something wrong it will be that much more obvious. As far as the STi being specifically targeted by cops, no. It does have the big wing and hood scoop, but as long as you're not driving like an idiot, you'll probably get no more attention than anyone else. Nope, we're pretty much on our own there. A lot of cops are car guys though, so it's a familiar subject. We do have to complete an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course, and they teach the basics of vehicle control and driving dynamics. Things like skid control, off-road recovery, emergency braking (with and without ABS), pursuit driving, and my favorite, the high-speed track. I can't tell you how much fun it is to throw an old hoss of a Crown Vic (with full harnesses, cage, and fuel cell) around a big track at full throttle. Now my screenname makes sense, right? Halfway correct..... the blueline emblem was created by a couple of DeKalb officers IIRC, and was originally intended to represent the brotherhood of officers and their families. Sadly that's not the case anymore and that emblem has lost most of its meaning. They are not given out (FOP will send a sticker with the FOP logo on it, not a blueline sticker), but are obviously fairly easy to duplicate, so now everybody and their grandma has one in hopes of getting out of a ticket. As for how FOP donations are divided up, I have absolutely no idea. :dunno Man, you guys are making me work.....
Yeah that's cool you cleared things up about the sticker. I hate that phonies are putting the blueline stickers on.
well i guess this is all a moot point now, as i just got a speeding ticket on PIB. i have driven the same speed i was going every day for 2 years in my corolla and never been pulled over. at least it was gwinnett county and not suwannee police. guess i'm gonna need that valentine one afterall.
yeah Peachtree Ind always has cops......sorry to hear about your ticket, hope it wasn't too bad....oh and thanks for the write-up blueline!!!! hope your enjoying the new STI......
At least it wasn't Duluth...... Anytime..... And that was me that you passed on Satellite behind Gwinnett Place the other day :bigthumb:
ooh, forgot to say i had a GSP car blow by me at like 90 and i paced him to about 87 as i rolled passed another officer taking speed on the side of the highway, they didnt get me
Some useful info blueline, speaking of peachtree ind. the two 06 satngs already got me nervous then I saw a doraville impala sittin on chrome 22's :squint:with the as usual balck with smoked out letters and I just plain don't play in duluth it's not no tellin what what they using for a police crusizer these days.
What the hell is up with doraville and coming 285 westbound right before peachtree ind. I cannot count the times I have seen 4 + patrol cars back up onto the side of the hill tagging people.
Duluth still has their Grand Prixs, but they have some Intrepids and Impalas as well...... Doraville has some neat toys..... I don't think their Impalas (the '96 style SS) roll on 22's, but they do seem to put chrome rims on all their cars. They also have a few Mustangs (the two recent body styles) and at least one Mercury Marauder...... all black with chrome rims.
yeah, i passes a doraville magnum 85 south under 285 at about 85-90mph, again, confused as to how i havent gotten tickets so far, even thogh i dont usually go insanely fast, jus all isolated incidents.
Ok Blueline, I have a question. What is considered Street Racing? I got pulled over one night leaving Milos. I was following behind a Modded Civic, not racing, but I was speeding, and I admitted that to the cop. He tried to say that I was street racing, and then went on to say that he is going to be cool and let me off with a warning. I don't Street Race. I don't think it is worth it to put my life or more importantly, other peoples lives at risk by doing something like that. I have no problem saving that excitement for the Auto X Track or Drag Strip or Little Tally.
i've heard that you can get a street racing ticket even if you are the only car on the road. something about any speed contest, even if it's against a clock, but also something about the distance, to where like if you're trying to go 60 miles in a specified time but you don't break the speed limit then it's not street racing but if you're trying to go 1 mile it is or something like that. would definitely love to get blueline's input on this.