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GlassG19 wrote: You apparently don't live there anymore though? WOW!

No, I don't, but my mother, aunt and uncle do, and I still have property there. I'll likely be moving back, at least on a "second home" basis in the next couple of years.

Things have been cleaned up. It's not perfect, no small town is, but it's a decent place to live and be again.

That incident, while not truly "isolated" because many were involved, was part of a unique and temporary situation. D magazine did a write-up on the town back in about 2003. The accusations and allegations in their article were disturbing, but true in fact, despite some spin. I and several others were caught in the crossfire.

It's probably worth noting that in those days I was driving a black Thunderbird with some "engine improvements," and window tint that was barely legal. I had a tendency to draw the eye of LEO wherever I went, and the visual shock of who was driving that car was obvious on more than one occasion. The car just had the "look" of thug-life, even though a well dressed, well groomed professional stepped out of it.

That was my last "visible" car...I now tend to stick to plain white pickup trucks, and they seem to be virtually invisible in Texas.

Jimmy Buffet said it well...You don't want to go to jail.

houstonag wrote: Thanks! You're not missing anything. I can't make this up. He told me the reason I was being arrested was because my truck was unsafe to drive and put other people at risk. So he arrested me and impounded my truck. It costed more to get my truck out of the impound lot than it did to bail myself out.

That sounds about right. I can completely believe it going down like that. Like I said, strange things happen, and while they eventually wash off, the do leave scars.

Fortunately, a class "C" is not going to disqualify you. It may not even create enough hassle to require all the paperwork for DPS, but I suspect that it wouldn't be a bad idea to have it on hand, put it in the files/safe just in case you ever need it again.

I've seen silly things come up for people over the years that were supposed to "go away" but didn't, and then when they have to dig up records from 10-20-30 years ago, it's almost impossible to find them. I now know that my little incident never generated any official paper, but I only know that from having to check into it.

cbunt1 wrote:

houstonag wrote: Thanks! You're not missing anything. I can't make this up. He told me the reason I was being arrested was because my truck was unsafe to drive and put other people at risk. So he arrested me and impounded my truck. It costed more to get my truck out of the impound lot than it did to bail myself out.

That sounds about right. I can completely believe it going down like that. Like I said, strange things happen, and while they eventually wash off, the do leave scars.

Fortunately, a class "C" is not going to disqualify you. It may not even create enough hassle to require all the paperwork for DPS, but I suspect that it wouldn't be a bad idea to have it on hand, put it in the files/safe just in case you ever need it again.

I've seen silly things come up for people over the years that were supposed to "go away" but didn't, and then when they have to dig up records from 10-20-30 years ago, it's almost impossible to find them. I now know that my little incident never generated any official paper, but I only know that from having to check into it.

Thanks for the insight, cbhunt1. I'll get whatever I can just in case something pops up in the near or far future.

Sorry I hate to beat a dead horse, but did the officer have a light meter to check your window tint? It must allow at least 35 percent of the light in on the front passenger and driver's windows. It can be darker on the back doors and rear window if you have exterior rear view mirrors. We never even gave a warning if we couldn't verify it with a meter that we carried.

Still just curious

I have been ticketed for my tint only because i didn't have the little sticker that said it was legal; although it actually was. Arrested over tint? isn't that excessive? But if it was some small podunk town it wouldn't surprise me by anything those towns do.


Try driving up to the coushata casino in LA. Those towns make all cops look bad.

by the way any window can be as dark as you want or painted black behind the driver and passenger window long as you have mirrors. You can also have the front window tinted long as its basically clear. anything above 70% is considered legal. Now do cops follow the law properly? well who knows.

Jusme wrote:Sorry I hate to beat a dead horse, but did the officer have a light meter to check your window tint? It must allow at least 35 percent of the light in on the front passenger and driver's windows. It can be darker on the back doors and rear window if you have exterior rear view mirrors. We never even gave a warning if we couldn't verify it with a meter that we carried.

Still just curious

Isn't it 25%?
https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

mojo84 wrote:

Jusme wrote:Sorry I hate to beat a dead horse, but did the officer have a light meter to check your window tint? It must allow at least 35 percent of the light in on the front passenger and driver's windows. It can be darker on the back doors and rear window if you have exterior rear view mirrors. We never even gave a warning if we couldn't verify it with a meter that we carried.

Still just curious

Isn't it 25%?
https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

Yup and when you get your inspection sticker they are supposed to check the window tint. Either people are constantly removing and replacing their window tint or someone is not doing their job right.

A bit off topic, but useful for the thread. Get a letter from your eye doctor, apply for a tint waiver and then you can tint anything but your front window as dark as you like it.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

A couple of benefits:

- Reduced eye strain.
- Everything in my vehicle is by default "concealed from common view."
- Reduced AC usage. I have a Mega Cab and there is a lot of air to keep cool in that thing.

Jusme wrote:Sorry I hate to beat a dead horse, but did the officer have a light meter to check your window tint? It must allow at least 35 percent of the light in on the front passenger and driver's windows. It can be darker on the back doors and rear window if you have exterior rear view mirrors. We never even gave a warning if we couldn't verify it with a meter that we carried.

Still just curious

Yes he did have a light meter. It was 5%. I have a medical exemption now so I can have it as dark as I want

steveincowtown wrote:A bit off topic, but useful for the thread. Get a letter from your eye doctor, apply for a tint waiver and then you can tint anything but your front window as dark as you like it.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

A couple of benefits:

- Reduced eye strain.
- Everything in my vehicle is by default "concealed from common view."
- Reduced AC usage. I have a Mega Cab and there is a lot of air to keep cool in that thing.

Shortly after this incident, I went and got this haha.

houstonag wrote:

steveincowtown wrote:A bit off topic, but useful for the thread. Get a letter from your eye doctor, apply for a tint waiver and then you can tint anything but your front window as dark as you like it.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

A couple of benefits:

- Reduced eye strain.
- Everything in my vehicle is by default "concealed from common view."
- Reduced AC usage. I have a Mega Cab and there is a lot of air to keep cool in that thing.

Shortly after this incident, I went and got this haha.

What is this medical exemption? A written letter from your doctor or an actual form?

Javier730 wrote:

houstonag wrote:

steveincowtown wrote:A bit off topic, but useful for the thread. Get a letter from your eye doctor, apply for a tint waiver and then you can tint anything but your front window as dark as you like it.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/co ... owTint.htm

A couple of benefits:

- Reduced eye strain.
- Everything in my vehicle is by default "concealed from common view."
- Reduced AC usage. I have a Mega Cab and there is a lot of air to keep cool in that thing.

Shortly after this incident, I went and got this haha.

What is this medical exemption? A written letter from your doctor or an actual form?

Forget it. Found the answer on Texas Administrative Chapter 21.3 (e) medical exemptions.