General Cycling Discussion - Rear mounted bike racks: Any hassle from the cops?

I just got into biking and I'd like to get a trunk mounted double bike rack.

Do these obstruct your tailights or license plate to the point where The Fuzz might pull you over and give you a ticket? :eek:

I just got into biking and I'd like to get a trunk mounted double bike rack.

Do these obstruct your tailights or license plate to the point where The Fuzz might pull you over and give you a ticket? :eek:

- - I had a trunk mounted bike rack for several years which did obstruct my license plate. The Cops never pulled me over for it.
They could have rightfully given me a ticket if they wanted to. But I was living in LA at the time and I guess they had more pressing issues to deal with than my bike rack.

There's all kinds of racks on the market for carrying all kinds of stuff on the back of a car. I haven't looked into the legalities of it, but I wouldn't imagine it would be a problem. Especially if it's a temporary kind of thing and not permanently installed that way. At least not in appearance.

I just got into biking and I'd like to get a trunk mounted double bike rack.

Do these obstruct your tailights or license plate to the point where The Fuzz might pull you over and give you a ticket? :eek:
What license plate?!

I just got into biking and I'd like to get a trunk mounted double bike rack.

Do these obstruct your tailights or license plate to the point where The Fuzz might pull you over and give you a ticket? :eek:
It doesn't block our liscense plate and the tail lights shine through the spokes. As for the cops they can't say much because they way they mount thier's they end up using the plate as a resting point.

Mine partially obstructs but I have never been hassled about it.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/1999-k2-ozm/K2_OzM_Jeep_ZJ_2.jpg

I did get pulled over once... a day after I got done with some offroad driving and my license plate was all covered with mud. The cop gave me a warning. I just went to the closest carwash and hosed it off.

I have a funny story about this. One time my mom was picking me up from school, and I had just went riding the day before and hadn't bothered to take off the bike rack. When we were driving away from the school our "School resourse officer" (security guard) pulled us over and said that his main reason for pulling us over was "our straps hanging from the bike rack were partially obstructing his view of the license plate. After a short conversation and my mom freaking out because she was worried that she was in trouble the cop said "I also smelt a strong presence of marijuana and I thought that it could have been coming from this car!" LMAO I almost started laughing right there in the car, but figured it wouldn't have looked too good because of his suspicions. Anyway, that's my story about my bikerack attracting fuzz. Otherthan that one "incident" I've had no problems, even when there are 3 bikes in the way, sometimes covering the license plate.

And no, the cops' suspicions were not correct, I stay as far away from that stuff as I can

They only use that petty stuff as an excuse to check you out if your otherwise suspicious, fitting a description, or fitting a general profile (AKA "profileing", dirty old car in a rich neigborhood, or black guy in a rich neigborhood, etc. it happens daily)

the bike it's self will cause no problems, I have driven some 30,000 plus miles through a dozen states and 3 canadian provinces/territories with rear mounted bikes. the rack I use is a trunk rack for older cars that actually have trunks so it doesn't block too much.

Just don't do what the roadie did and put wheel covers over the wheels and block the tailights completely.

I just got into biking and I'd like to get a trunk mounted double bike rack.

Do these obstruct your tailights or license plate to the point where The Fuzz might pull you over and give you a ticket? :eek:

Depends.

If you happen to fit one if their profiles, you're likely to get pulled over. If you happen to be a 60 something grandfatherly looking guy like me, you can get away with some things that get some other people pulled over.

Hey, I didn't make the rules, I just play the game.

I have a funny story about this. One time my mom was picking me up from school, and I had just went riding the day before and hadn't bothered to take off the bike rack. When we were driving away from the school our "School resourse officer" (security guard) pulled us over and said that his main reason for pulling us over was "our straps hanging from the bike rack were partially obstructing his view of the license plate. After a short conversation and my mom freaking out because she was worried that she was in trouble the cop said "I also smelt a strong presence of marijuana and I thought that it could have been coming from this car!" LMAO I almost started laughing right there in the car, but figured it wouldn't have looked too good because of his suspicions. Anyway, that's my story about my bikerack attracting fuzz. Otherthan that one "incident" I've had no problems, even when there are 3 bikes in the way, sometimes covering the license plate.

And no, the cops' suspicions were not correct, I stay as far away from that stuff as I can

So, this security guard, who has no authority to arrest you, write you a ticket, or any real cop stuff, pulls you over because he couldn't read your plates, which have nothing to do with his job I'm sure. ? I would have laughed at him right there. After he tried to justify pulling you over by adding that bit about smelling the mari., I really would have been bent over laughing.

I really have no patience for security guards. They have no more authority than you or me. I respect what they do, but when they start behaving like police officers, I get really upset.

EDIT: Wait, you said security guard at first, then cop. Which was he? Police can pull you over for stuff, but private security guards that act like cops are a joke and are bording on impersonating an officer.

EDIT: Wait, you said security guard at first, then cop. Which was he? Police can pull you over for stuff, but private security guards that act like cops are a joke and are bording on impersonating an officer.

In my neck of the woods, Fl, School security guards are police officers.

Yes, he's a cop but he acts as a security guard. sorry, my fault for saying that wrong. He can write tickets etc...

I have had no issues using my Hollywood rack on the back of my Nissan Xterra and I've traveled several hundred miles around the state of Georgia with bikes on the back.

I was told directly from a cop here in Ontario that anything that blocks the liscence plate is illegal plane and simple. He than went on to say that there not going to waste there time pulling you over just for that. It would be one of those nice tack on charges that just add to agrevation or the "all be a nice guy a drop this charge if you don't fight the others."

"The Fuzz"? Please, come along and at least join us in the '80s here.

The serious answer is that while an officer could pull you over, it probably won't happen.

Are you really in Las Vegas? If so, I can say from experience that those boys (generally) have much higher priorities than stopping vehicles for tag infractions.

YMMV. Good luck, etc...

-Z

If a law officer needs you at the moment to fill up his quota or required daily "points" then it is entirely possible to be ticketed for an obscured license plate. I have better things to do than ticket someone for something like this, but then some I know are really irritated by some bicyclists' too-often disregard for traffic laws, and just might target a violation such as this. (Please! I am not trying to drift off-topic into that area!) Disclaimer: I am a law officer, but do not work for my home town listed here; ticket quotas are illegal in Texas, and I get plenty enough "daily activity points" without having to hunt for obscure traffic violations.

http://members.cox.net/jhanman/rack5

http://members.cox.net/jhanman/rack2

I leave my rack on most the time even when the bike is not on it. So far no problems