This past Saturday, I took the family to stay at a friend's house overlooking Sonoma Square. As we exited 101N onto Highway 37, I exited about 45mph then accelerated to about 80mph in the left hand lane. The only other car was a BMW 540i about 5 car lenths ahead of me in the right hand lane.

As I pull up along side of the BMW, my wife let's out a, "Honey! Cop!". I immedately slow down and the BMW continues past me. I continue braking just until I pull along side the CHP officer hidden in the tall grass, get off the brake and then shift it into neutral so that my exhaust doesn't draw any attention. As I pass the CHP officer I was trying to "will" him to stay put...

Needless to say, he hits the lights pulls in behind me. I move over to the left hand lane and he pulls along side of me (maybe I got away!). He looks at me and gestures for me to pull over. Then he takes off after the BMW and lights him up and tells him to pull over on the PA system. I follow them over to an offramp. He gets out of the car comes up to my car,

Officer: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Me: "No, honestly I don't."
Officer: "You were speeding."
Me: "Speeding??? I was going between 70 and 75mph."
Officer: "70-75mph eh?"
Me: "Yes"
Officer: "Okay, your license please." As he walks away to the BMW.
My Wife: "You know something? You need to work on your 'window side manner'"
Me: WTF??? " Now is NOT the time"

The officer goes and talks to the BMW, gets back into his car for a couple of minutes and walks back to my car.

Officer: "Umm. I can't validate your speed. I was tracking the BMW and therefore will need to take you at your word. Let me finish up with the BMW and you can go. Do you know the way back to the freeway?..."

Wife: "Thank goodness, we're going to church tomorrow. I suggest you thow a little thanks God's way "

Me: "Yesssss. Honey"


Whewww.....

I guess this confirms that CHP has laser/radar mounted facing the back. Anyone got any suggestions for me as far as detectors go?

 

Time to get a Valentine V1

 

been thinking about getting one myself

 

Yup always be careful as hell on 37. Going east they hide behind the big bush/tree near the 101 end and in the grass. Also going west after the bridge they hide near the parking lot.

 

just look in the back windows of CHP cars and you'll see the little white dot on the passenger side.

I got my radar detector for $80 at costco, works fine for me.

 

i mentioned to my parents that i wanted to get a radar and they told me "Yeah theres one at Costco for $80." how do you like it, is it worth the 80 or should i invest on something else?

-Ave

 

$80 radar? LOL Once you've driven in a car with a Valentine V1, you won't accept anything less. The arrows > *

 

Okay so here is my idea about a Valentine One... why not place the sensors in a "shark fin" housing that goes on the back of your roof? You know the ones, the ones they have for XM Radio. What do you think? That's pretty stealthy isn't it? Think it would work?

 

for long trips it comes in handy.

I wont be upgrading mine just for directional arrow LEDs though.
I have mine mounted right above my rear view mirror and it catches what's in front of me and behind me very well.

Not all of it is the radar, a lot has to do with where you place it too cause all the detector is doing is looking for radio frequencies within a certain spectrum.

 

if you are handy with soldering etc...

Just make sure not to paint it.

 

Just mount it above the rear view mirror. It's high enough that people can't see it unless they stick their head under and look. Then you can attach the remote display above your steering wheel column in front of the gauge cluster

 

Just out of curiosity why would you need to make it stealth? All radar detectors are legal in california as long as they're not radar jammers. If you're worrying about theft my brother has had his V1 for atleast 5+ years right to the left of this rear view mirror and his car has never been broken into.

 

Anyone has a cheap site/store to buy Valentine 1?
I'm getting one myself.

 

I have my bridge fastpass there. Okay I guess I may have to move it. Maybe I can "sell my idea" to Valentine and get a freebie.

 

I mispoke... I figured if it was mounted on the roof that it would have a more unobstructed scan line of sight for a full 360 degree field of detection.... AND it would be stealthy.