Everybody’s Scalin’ – More of the Wrong Places

Wow, last week’s Scalin’ blog about how I got Das Boot from a local park when wheeling the Marlin Crawler really got you guys fired up. Lots of e-mails and also some great comments.

It seems a lot of you have been having this same problem. However, some did offer possible solutions.

The most interesting response came from commenter “John D.” who posted a link to the Cornell University website and the definition, by law, of a motor vehicle. He then suggested I educate the officer next time. I actually heard similar things from multiple people via e-mail as well.

The link is here, but the good stuff is below:

85.1703 Definition of motor vehicle.
(a) For the purpose of determining the applicability of section 216(2), a vehicle which is self-propelled and capable of transporting a person or persons or any material or any permanently or temporarily affixed apparatus shall be deemed a motor vehicle, unless any one or more of the criteria set forth below are met, in which case the vehicle shall be deemed not a motor vehicle:

(1) The vehicle cannot exceed a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour over level, paved surfaces; or

(2) The vehicle lacks features customarily associated with safe and practical street or highway use, such features including, but not being limited to, a reverse gear (except in the case of motorcycles), a differential, or safety features required by state and/or federal law; or

(3) The vehicle exhibits features which render its use on a street or highway unsafe, impractical, or highly unlikely, such features including, but not being limited to, tracked road contact means, an inordinate size, or features ordinarily associated with military combat or tactical vehicles such as armor and/or weaponry.

To me, this looks pretty obvious that a small r/c crawler does not fall under any of the criteria for a motor vehicle. I mean, anyone reading this column regularly knows that anyways, but this is an actual legal definition.

I have printed this out and put it in my toolbox for the next time this problem arises – and it WILL happen – and I’ll report back on whether it did me any good or not.

Boy, that is something I never thought I’d have-to-have in my scaling check-list and kit.

Radio Batteries Charged – Check
Wheel Nuts Tight – Check
Lipo Charged – Check
Wrench Set in Pocket – Check
Copy of Legal Documentation- Check

In my personal experience, telling an officer and/or person of authority that they are in the wrong typically doesn’t end in my favor, but I’m happy to give this the old college try!

Thank you all for the responses.