Subject: RE: Traveler Incident
Author: Hans Rosenstein
Date: Jul 19, 2005, 2:57 PM
Post ID: 1719177160
Patrick, this is total rubbish and very bizarre behaviour by those
police men. Can you get them to quote you the pertinent law?
What Paul should have, is an international Tripkik (SP?) and an
International Insurance Certificate for the bike. That type of
documentation is issued by the local Automobile Club (in the US it would
be the AAA) and the bike's insurance company. The first is basically a
courtesy document confirming in several languages the vehicles' data.
Should you take your bike over to Europe, you would need similar
documents for the non-english speaking countries.
Here in Canada, I see lots of vehicles with California plates, and
likewise when I was in L.A. I saw plenty of cars with Canadian plates.
These need to be registered after a certain time, i.e. when the owner is
taking up residence in the new location, but for a tourist passing
through??? that's nonsense. Completely baffling.
Hans
| Patrick Hayes wrote: |
| 5: Here's the big one. BOTH of these CHP officers insisted that the vehicle could not travel at any time in California unless it bore CALIFORNIA REGISTRATION. I assured them he was on a multi-national tour and passing through California as a visiting tourist for about ten days. They both insisted the vehicle had to be registered in California and it had to bear a California plate in order to do this. Officer Wakefield said that was why I couldn't go home to fetch the documentation. Even with all the documentation in hand, the motorcycle was still illegal on California roads without a California plate. I reported that I had hosted numerous foreign guests, some of whom had been stopped for some violation, and California registration was never an issue as long as they were completely documented. Both officers insisted that such incidents must have involved local police as that would not have happened in their jurisdiction or with a CHP officer. 6: Officer Wakefield informed us that he likewise lived in Fremont. (He told me this when I wanted to negotiate for extra trailer time since this residence made him aware of how long the drive should take me.) He then proceeded to forewarn Paul by pointing his finger at him and insisting that if he saw the bike on the street, even while he was off duty, he would call one of his work associates to enforce the arrest and the impoundment. Now somebody please help me. I searched everywhere on the DMV internet pages. Can't find any such regulation. I can't believe that a foreign traveler going from Canada to Mexico has to do so by going AROUND California. I have seen hundreds of RV's and motorcycles with foreign plates on our highways. I can't believe that it is possible for someone to get a vehicle registration who has no resident address in the state and no work address in the state. I can't believe that I have hosted numerous motorcycle tourists in my home with foreign plates who all seemingly broke Officer Wakefield's law. I'm expecting twenty Italians next month. Please don't tell me I have to make them turn around at the border! Paul is about to depart tomorrow for his next tour leg down through the state towards Los Angeles and eventually Mexico. He admits it was foolish to have forgotten his documents. I have since looked at his documents and they are all in order, including the necessary multi-language international translation permits. Most foreigners do forget to obtain these translation supplements, but Paul does have them. However, he is now seriously concerned about this registration issue and the potential of his arrest and motorcycle impoundment before he leaves California. Its a beautiful afternoon, but we're lying low at the house. Paul won't be relaxed until he's a hundred miles down the coast and out of Wakefield's reach. He'll be looking over his shoulder all the way to Mexico. The big issue is the impoundment as they are mandatory thirty days. Paul's visitor status, which started two and a half months ago when he flew into Anchorage requires that he exit the US into Mexico by August 1. If Officer Wakefield impounds the bike, the calendar dates collide in a huge mess. So much for the welcoming hospitality to California. Patrick Hayes & Paul van Hooff Fremont CA |
Hans
1972 Eldorado