[amsat-bb] Re: CA Ham Plates - Warning!

[Clint Bradford]

>> ... If you make too big of an issue out of this motor vehicle divisions around the country 
may begin to treat radio operator pates as vanity plates and charge accordingly ...

Originally this was almost a joke to me. But then I remember that my wife (who was in the 
car with me) asked me - quite seriously - "Is it OK for me to reach into my purse ... " while 
the original officer was back in her unit on her the radio ...

And from one with experience for decades in law enforcement:

> ------------------
> It's kind of amazing that it generally works as smoothly as it does.
> But that doesn't for one second diminish K6LCS's potentially
> life-threatening experience yesterday. His saving graces were most
> likely his own super-careful and cooperative actions in the moment, as
> well as the officers' safe handling of what, unknown to them *at the
> time*, could have been anything from a serious crime to, as it
> seemingly turned out, some sort of either system, typo, or other GIGO
> problem somewhere in the long, complex chain between Clint Bradford's
> license plate application form and the Riverside PD's dispatcher's
> screen.
> ------------------

Yes, if I was belligerent or otherwise not 100% cooperative, weapons would have possibly 
been drawn. This could have been very weird, indeed.

SO - If you are going to blame me for "making a big issue" as I attempt to clean up the 
mess that California has created with plates not conforming to CLETS and NCIC standards 
and, as a result, you pay a little more in another state for your plates, well, I couldn't really 
care. It is my intention to effect change so that no one else in California ever has to have 
what happened to me Monday occur to them.

I think that is a responsible campaign on my part. QST magazine has picked up on it, 
and will publish a piece on the situation. But I have to go - RPD is on the phone, returning
my call ...

Clint Bradford, K6LCS
909-241-7666