Posted on 12/15/2012 4:53:44 AM PST by JoeProBono
WICHITA, Kan.,- A Kansas man given a $274 citation for decking his pickup truck out in Christmas lights said his illuminated vehicle has been spreading holiday cheer.
David Hill of Wichita, founder of the group OneSpark, which aims to feed and clothe the homeless, said he spent 16 hours covering his truck in Christmas lights and hooking them to a generator in the bed of the vehicle, KAKE-TV, Wichita, reported Thursday.
Hill said he was surprised when he was pulled over two weeks ago on the highway and fined $274 for his light display.
"I'm not saying he was right or wrong," Hill said of the ticketing officer. "The bottom line is there's so many people in this town right now that are hurting. And literally, there's been thousands of people that have taken pictures with that truck and it's brought a smile to their face."
Hill said he will leave the lights on his truck to spread Christmas cheer and bring attention to his organization's charitable efforts.
Police Lt. Joe Schroeder said the lights could prove a dangerous distraction for other drivers.
"When you take a vehicle and you cover it with that many lights, it's an issue of safety," Schroeder said. "You're going to get the rubberneckers who are going to be staring at the vehicle. They're going to have a collision or rear end somebody because they're too busy looking at this car that's driving down the road."
If it’s any comfort, blue tinted headlamps were verboten during the Clinton regime. The Bush administration relaxed that. When one is both blue AND poorly aimed it can be egregious. I’ve hardly ever heard of anyone getting ticketed for poorly aimed headlamps.
Oh Man I hate those friggin things.
I always though there was a law about headlights.
Those blue things blind me bad.
It’s amazing how well $274 eases the safety concerns of an armed government hireling that robs highway travelers for a living.
What I said would be within the scope of most existing regulations. Some jurisdictions are a little more anal retentive about lights (like bumper mounted fogs) that aren’t blessed under their regimes, and require them to be physically covered.
And who ever successfully sued the police to get them to crack down on anything? Puh-leeze.
Meanwhile modern cop cars blast pulsing and piercing flashes of bright colored lights that literally hurt the eye. Like those aren’t ‘distractions’? And where do they get off ripping $274 off from this citizen? A simple citation wouldn’t do or do the men in blue need to be revenue collectors rather than protectors? Eff Govt.these days.
And please all-—spell it Christmas rather than XMas.
We don’t say or wish each other Happy Birthday X. Perhaps the X is a symbol for Christ but the word Christmas is 9 letters-—just spell it out for crying out loud.
They’re going to have a collision or rear end somebody because they’re too busy looking at this car that’s driving down the road.”
Clairvoyant police state!
I’m with the cop on this one. Not only is the truck a distraction, but the lights could start coming off on the road and create a hazard.
Then there should be no Christmas decorations visable from the road any place.
Which is a picture of what?
One of my pet peeves as well. Christmas. I humbly suggest that our Lord’s birthday celebration deserves better. Great graphics!! Merry Christmas to all!!
That wouldn’t be a lighting violation though, but a loose-cargo violation.
Absolutely, and the lights didn’t fall off the truck yet.
No, he doesn’t; that is true.....he merely talks to us like children.
“Police Lt. Joe Schroeder said the lights could prove a dangerous distraction for other drivers. “
But these same police have no problem at all with three of them stopping someone at night, all three of their vehicles have all strobes blazing, blinding passing traffic.
Hey, guys, just ONE of you is bad enough and lets us know you are there. Three is a serious DANGER, not just a distraction.
XProBonehead. Go pet the cats now.
The term Xmas has hallowed scholarly origins, far before modern capitalism as we know it turned the holiday season into a worldly extravaganza. X looks like the Greek chi which begins the word having the modern English transliteration “Christos” that means messiah or anointed one.
And I say shoot yeah! It’s Messiahmas! If there was any valid reason to celebrate like mad this is it, just remember what the celebration is about. We don’t ever want to fail to let God into His birthday party.
That and one of the biggest problems I would think be driving behind this truck, being distracted by all the lights and not “seeing” or more precisely discerning the truck’s brake lights or turn signals….boom…rear end accident in the making. If I were the driver of a vehicle and rear ended this guy, I think I could make a very good argument about not being at fault.
Thanks Red about the informative, historical aspects of the X. Perhaps our modern minds record the symbol X as a rejection or incorrect symbol. I’m with you—rather just spell it out and honor His name here on earth so there are no doubts as to the intent of spelling. Merry Christmas you Red Necker smarty pants, eheheheheh.
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