One mechanic got away with arguably the one excuse in the world that can keep you from getting a traffic ticket. Except he was telling the truth.
In a viral TikTok, mechanic Mark Morales (@morales_automotive) shared his unfortunate experience of getting pulled over due to his car’s tint being too dark. He films himself inside the car while parked on the side of a highway. A police car with its lights on is parked behind him, with the police officer inside presumably writing a ticket. But it’s not for Morales.
“I just got pulled over,” Morales starts. “I’m in a customer’s car!”
Morales explains that he was driving a customer’s car to the Chevrolet dealership when the cop pulled him over.
“He says, ‘Hey man, you’ve got the most illegal tint in the world,’” Morales says the officer told him. He pans the camera around the interior of the car, showing how every window–even the windshield–is “blacked out.”
Once Morales explained the situation to him, the officer replied that this is “the only time this excuse will work.” Morales assured him he was telling the truth.
Luckily for Morales, the officer believed him and didn’t write him a ticket. However, the mechanic provided information on his client, so the same probably can’t be said for the Chevy owner.
Viewers share their advice
Morales’ TikTok sparked an idea for one viewer, who wrote, “Get business cards at a dealership and then buy a dealership shirt and then just pretend you’re driving a customer‘s car.”
Another user who appears to be a mechanic shared how he deals when a situation like this arises: “I always bring the work order on a test drive for that reason.”
“Happened to me at VW,” another mechanic commented. “Customer had a temp tag and a permanent plate on at the same time. Cop was chill and said just to let the customer know.”
How dark is too dark for tinted windows?
Window tint laws vary from state to state. For instance, in Texas, where the Mary Sue is HQ’d, it depends on which window. Per the Texas Department of Public Safety:
Windshield: “Sunscreening devices, when measured in combination with the original glass, must have a light transmittance value of 25% or more.”
Front side windows: must allow more than 25% of light to pass through.
Back side windows: No restrictions, can be tinted as dark as you like.
Rear window: No restrictions.
As for Florida, where Morales is based, the law is a bit stricter. Per Car Tinting Laws, the rule states:
Front Side windows: Must have a VLT of at least 28%.
Back Side windows: Must have a VLT of at least 15%.
Rear Window: Must have a VLT of at least 15%.
How much is the ticket for illegal window tint?
According to a Florida-based law firm, a traffic ticket for illegal tinting can be up to $116. So it’s always best to check your local laws as to how dark your tint can be.
Morales speaks
In an email to the Mary Sue, Morales said he often takes customers’ vehicles for a test drive after or before a diagnosis to verify the repair was done properly.
“I am a very cautious driver and this is the first time getting pulled over in a customer’s vehicle,” Morales wrote. “I didn’t realize how dark the tint was until the officer said something.”
@morales_automotive #mechanic#mechanics #mechanicoftiktok #police #trafficstop ♬ original sound – Morales Automotive
After Morales explained what he was doing, which was going to the dealer to drop off the car, the officer “asked for my license and registration of the vehicle,” which he provided.
“No ticket was issued, but the customer was notified by the officer,” he said.
“When the vehicle was turned in to the customer, we mentioned the traffic stop and they stated that the tint was just recently installed and it’s the first time they heard it was bad to have,” Morales continued. “I would probably say the one thing that saved me was being relaxed during the traffic stop and cooperate with the officer so they under your situation. They are doing their job just as well as you are.”
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