A Face Mask On Your Car Mirror Could Cost You
I was reading through some articles by other DJs from across our company, and this particular piece caught my eye. Binghamton DJ Traci Taylor and her husband happened to find out the hard way: Having a mask or anything for that matter on your rearview mirror could get you ticketed for up to $150 in the state of New York. As absurd as this sounds, I do remember this being a violation when I lived in Vermont as well, I am not sure as to why -- it just is.
I decided to play detective and figure out if Maine has a law like this, and if so, how much will it cost if you get pulled over. The answer was anticlimactically shocking. According to Title 29-A: Motor Vehicles And Traffic Chapter 19: Operation Rule #1. "A person may not operate a vehicle with a sign, poster, opaque or semitransparent material or substance on the front windshield, side wing or side or rear window that obstructs the operator's clear view of the way or an intersecting way. "
Then again, According to Title 29-A: Motor Vehicles And Traffic Chapter 19: Operation Rule #2: "A person may not operate a motor vehicle with an object placed or hung in or on the vehicle, other than the required or provided equipment of the vehicle, in a manner that obstructs or interferes with the view of the operator through the windshield or prevents the operator from having a clear and full view of the road and conditions of traffic."
That is more than a mouthful, and I am sure that you are thinking now, "How much could this cost me?" Well, get ready for these facts as you clutch your wallet. The Maine Judicial Branch Violations Bureau Schedule of Penalties on page 4, Chapter 29-A/ 558- A says, you will receive a minimum fine of $325.00. If you pay the fine then decided "Screw it, man, they won't pop me for this twice." You could be fined up to $625.00 for each subsequent offense. To put things further into perspective, if you have a mask, an air freshener, and some graduation tassels hanging from your window, you are looking at a $625.00 fine for each item on your mirror. That means you'll have to explain to the judge why your $1875.00 fine needs to be broken up into payments.
So now armed with this information, get that stuff out your window, please.