Got a ticket for no front plate......

[Section147]

Man...WTF is wrong there in the Windy??? Is the city that broke and mismanaged that they have to seek revenue
by scouring garages for license plate tickets? Christ, maybe the powers that be might want to consider tightening
their belts a little and stop pissing all of the tax money away every single fiscal. Great city, but maybe the worst
political system (and politicians) in the country. Sad.

[__ivy__]

Originally Posted by SpacE82

^like the bastards that park in the exits lol. That annoys the hell out of me. I'm gonna pay it, but not going to put the front plate on. If i get more tickets, I'll get the tow hook. I dont want to put holes in the bumper.

3M 2 sided tape is your friend. Just be sure that you clean the bumper well with 80% isopropyl alcohol before you stick it on.

[Section147]

THIS was just posted in the other thread re: front plate removal/reapplication.
One of the strongest I've seen and a steal @ $74.

[2012one35i]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

I don't understand how they can issue you a ticket if you were not driving. What if you were inside buying a front plate bracket? Kind of like sitting behind the wheel while being hammered vs driving while intoxicated. The vehicle is not being *operated* without the front plate so I don't see how it's illegal.

If the keys are in the ignition, it's DWI.

[Section147]

Originally Posted by 2012one35i

If the keys are in the ignition, it's DWI.

Revenue-generatin' nonsense.

[Simsims]

actually the north american plates are much harder to 3M stick on than EU plates

NA plates are fat so it's impossible to match the front bumper's curve - it's easier on the 135/128 but almost impossible on the 1M. Really hard to bend the plate into a 3D curve shape.
Tried it, failed.

[__ivy__]

Originally Posted by Simsims

actually the north american plates are much harder to 3M stick on than EU plates

NA plates are fat so it's impossible to match the front bumper's curve - it's easier on the 135/128 but almost impossible on the 1M. Really hard to bend the plate into a 3D curve shape.
Tried it, failed.

What about using tape to attach the plate bracket?

[SpacE82]

So I talked to the garage and the guy said that now they CAN ticket in private garages. AND, I didnt know this, but the license plate covers aren't allowed anymore either. So yeah lol. I'll probably just remove the tinted cover and get that tow hook bracket and put it on when i'm in the garage since that's the only place I get hassled for it. I havent had a front plate on this car since ive gotten it or my previous car and these are the first times I've been given any tickets for not having one.

[Section147]

$120...that's at least six Malnati's pies you coulda paid for!

[SpacE82]

^hahaha yeah, fortunately I'm not a huge Malnati's fan, so that didn't cross my mind I'm hoping there aren't more tickets today cuz i didnt get a chance to remove the cover

[JasonCSU]

Wow, that really sucks OP. For those of you asking why some of us don't run front plates, maybe you either don't care about the aesthetics of your cars as much, or feel the need to strictly abide by every little law in the book. If the latter is the case, do you guys also drive at exactly the speed limit as well? I personally don't see why not having a front plate is such a big issue when I see all the other moving violations drivers commit on a daily basis that police should be focusing on instead.

If states actually had the long and narrow style of plates the the EU uses, I would put a front plate on because it matches up to the bumper much nicer. The style of plates we have in the US almost make some cars look like they have buck teeth when mounted on the front, and potentially affect airflow to radiators/intercoolers.

[Section147]

I've never met a single police officer - not one - who said that a front plate helped him ID anyone involved in the commission of a "crime".
Any cop who's honest with you will tell you that the roughly 30 states that still require a front plate keep them in place to aid with laser/radar
infractions. Like the majority of the silly traffic laws on the books, it has much, much more to do with revenue that it does with "safety."

[135iguy10]

Ive had this happen to me twice already since i've had the car. Insane!!! no speeding tickets since the first day of owning my car. great radar. look up 9500ci escort.

[Sinister Crayon]

Originally Posted by 135iguy10

Ive had this happen to me twice already since i've had the car. Insane!!! no speeding tickets since the first day of owning my car. great radar. look up 9500ci escort.

Like I said earlier, if you don't run a front plate and legally your state requires it, then don't be surprised if you get a ticket. That's a risk you take. My girlfriend has run no front plate on her Jaguar X-Type for the last 7 years she's owned it... no issues or tickets. Hell, I've been pulled over for speeding in it and there was no mention of a lack of a front plate. Simply put; if there's no mount for a front plate then they're less likely to care at least here in St. Louis because they presume your car came from Oklahoma; a neighboring state that does not require a front plate.

I will say that I think 135i owners are probably more likely to get a ticket for no front plate because... well... the 135i is a sports car. That's what the cop sees, and immediately makes a presumption about the type of person behind the wheel. That is; male, young, and irresponsible. That massively increases the likelihood of getting a ticket (my friend and neighbour is a cop... we have discussed exactly this) because there's a certain mindset among certain officers that young, inexperienced and irresponsible drivers need a few "dings" in order to become more responsible drivers. This may or may not be true... though I actually think I was a more responsible driver when I was in my early 20's than I became as I approached 30. Having now just turned 39 I like to think I only match the cop expectation in that I'm male... but truth is I can be incredibly irresponsible; I just do it in places where I know I can (the track, empty roads etc.)

And the Escort 9500 is a fantastic unit. However, you can also get very similar functionality from it's cheaper younger brother; the QI45. It's end of life now so you can pick it up dead cheap, and the install is really stealth. I have the display for mine at the top of the A pillar where I can see it while I'm driving easily. It's saved me from a couple of tickets already, and while it's not a magic bullet (no radar detector is), I consider it another pair of eyes looking for clocking officers. The new version of the QI45 is the 8500ci and it's still cheaper than the 9500. It doesn't have a rear antenna, but I've never needed it as 99.9% of the time a radar behind you is still picked up by reflection. I've seen radar in a car by the side of the road that continues to notify me for almost a mile after I've passed it.

[SpacE82]

got ANOTHER ticket for no front plate. gonna get the tow hook holder. but the worst part is I also got a ticket for tints! Its legal in Illinois but apparently not in Chicago. I live in the suburbs. it's a $250 ticket.

[1911A145]

Pirates is all they are...but then again, you do live in one of the worste states. They are liberal, anti-gun, and pro revenue through higher taxation and ticketing. I blame you for choosing to live there.

[dorkdog]

Originally Posted by onlyar18

Pretty sure you have to be moving or operating the car for a them to give you a ticket for no front plate.

If the garage was a public garage or affiliated with a govt. office I think they can ticket the car. OP does not state.

[dorkdog]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

I personally don't see why not having a front plate is such a big issue when I see all the other moving violations drivers commit on a daily basis that police should be focusing on instead.

What makes it even stranger is that, here in PA, we have no front plates. PA only issues one plate; on the back it goes.

This does not make us immune to traffic cameras however as I learned during a recent trip to Iowa in a MINI Clubman. I got a ticket in the mail when I got home.