Got in an accident in the bus today. Nobody was hurt.

[artvonne]

and :

 171.02 Subd. 2. (c) Class D drivers' licenses are valid for:

(1) operating all farm trucks if the farm truck is:

(i) controlled and operated by a farmer, including operation by an immediate family member or an employee of the farmer;

(ii) used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies, including hazardous materials, to or from a farm;

(iii) not used in the operations of a common or contract motor carrier as governed by Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, part 365; and

(iv) used within 150 miles of the farm;

(2) notwithstanding paragraph (b), operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in section 169.011, subdivision 3, whether or not in excess of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight;

(3) operating a recreational vehicle as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 27, that is operated for personal use;

[artvonne]

  Whats Minnesota define an RV as?

  168.002 DEFINITIONS

  Subd. 27.Recreational vehicle.(a) "Recreational vehicle" means travel trailers including those that telescope or fold down, chassis-mounted campers, motor homes, tent trailers, and converted buses that provide temporary human living quarters.

(b) "Recreational vehicle" is a vehicle that:

(1) is not used as the residence of the owner or occupant;

(2) is used while engaged in recreational or vacation activities; and

(3) is either self-propelled or towed on the highways incidental to the recreational or vacation activities.

   So whats a Bus?

  Subd. 4.Bus; intercity bus.(a) "Bus" means (1) every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than 15 passengers including the driver and used for transporting persons, (2) every motor vehicle that is (i) designed for carrying more than ten passengers including the driver, (ii) used for transporting persons, and (iii) owned by a nonprofit organization and not operated for hire or for commercial purposes, or (3) every motor vehicle certified by the Department of Transportation as a special transportation service provider vehicle and receiving reimbursement as provided in section 256B.0625, subdivision 17.

(b) "Intercity bus" means any bus operating as a common passenger carrier over regular routes and between fixed termini, but excluding all buses operating wholly within the limits of one city, or wholly within two or more contiguous cities, or between contiguous cities and a terminus outside the corporate limits of such cities, and not more than 20 miles distant measured along the fixed route from such corporate limits.

[artvonne]

  I looked, but could find no statute for using a motor vehicle as a permanent residence in Minnesota. Guess you would have to call another state home??  Works for me, lol

 

[wal1809]

Your a better Christian than I.  I wish I had your level head and patience.  I believe me and that fella would have to have a roll or two down in a muddy ditch.  I don't have patience for anyone from the government threatening my right to be free of illegal siezure.  Even if he only threatened it as in this case I would not have been so level headed.  Thank goodness you are even on the keel side.

[Mex-Busnut]

1. A vehicle that is controlled and operated by a farmer; and used to transport agricultural products...

Hmmm. So if I wear bib overalls and carry a few chickens I might be O.K.?

[artvonne]

  Id just be really careful up there, bibs and chickens may not work either.

[Mex-Busnut]

Mr. Rick:

I also am happy to hear you are all o.k.

But as a former law enforcement person, fellow busnut and also Christian believer, I exhort you to take this to the next step. We must stop injustice, even if it is hiding in cowardice behind a badge. Every person who receives the harassment from that low-life officer after your experience will be on your good conscience, if you do not act. Plus you have a friend who is a lawyer.

Maybe we need to surround the police station with buses to get the attention of the media to this injustice.

Don't we also have Family Motor Coach Assn members here who can scream to their organization that Minnesota is harassing RVers?

[happycamperbrat]

Mr. Rick:

I also am happy to hear you are all o.k.

But as a former law enforcement person, fellow busnut and also Christian believer, I exhort you to take this to the next step. We must stop injustice, even if it is hiding in cowardice behind a badge. Every person who receives the harassment from that low-life officer after your experience will be on your good conscience, if you do not act. Plus you have a friend who is a lawyer.

Maybe we need to surround the police station with buses to get the attention of the media to this injustice.

Don't we also have Family Motor Coach Assn members here who can scream to their organization that Minnesota is harassing RVers?

Excellent post!! This could help all of us!

[artvonne]

Excellent post!! This could help all of us!

  It could also backfire. The media in Minnesota are as corrupt as the police. They say what they are told because if they dont, they are threatened they will lose access to future stories. They walk a very fine line. I would not be at all surprised to see the media use the opportunity to allow State Patrol to rage about these dangerous overweight vehicles being driven by senile people who arent qualifed (in their opinion) and who may be evading taxes by using the bus as a cover for commercial operations. They could then argue these should have cdl requirements and dot inspections, and on and on and ...... Slipery slopes are, well, slipery.

  The best way, IMHO, is to change out the people who make laws and get people with common sense in charge to undo the ones that dont make sense. We dont need more Lawyers, we need Anti-lawyers

  In the meantime, just wait and have your day in court. The charges are rediculous enough the judge should throw them out. Just dont take any deal from the DA.

 

[bevans6]

I found it interesting that in the definition of an RV was:  (1) is not used as the residence of the owner or occupant;

I wonder what that does to people who full-time - what is their vehicle defined as?

Brian

[artvonne]

I found it interesting that in the definition of an RV was:  (1) is not used as the residence of the owner or occupant;

I wonder what that does to people who full-time - what is their vehicle defined as?

Brian

  Minnesota is not the state you would want to use for a home state. Look it up on the web, I think the FMCC listed 12 that are best to choose. Mn does not allow you to use a PO box for a resident address, so they wouldnt allow full time liviing in an RV.

  This is exactly the reason I argued so strongly against requiring RV owners to have CDL's and have their rigs DOT'd. Its just another way for states like Mn. to use laws against its citizens. I lived there long enough to know rotten cheese when I smelled it. It would be one thing if these Bus Conversions were out slaughtering everyone in site, but its just not the case.

[zubzub]

Hey Rick, just wanted to say, excellent work remaining calm and peaceful in the face of ignorance.

[ktmossman]

Rick,  I have to agree with Mex-Busnut.  I fully understand not wanting to jeopardize your testimony as a believer.  However, that does not preclude you from using the available procedures to report abuses of authority.  You can still do it calmly and respectfully.  I would wait until AFTER your own legal issues are resolved, however.  No use poking the dog with a stick before the fight.  But, afterwards, I would follow whatever procedures apply in that state for filing a complaint against the officer.  It seems to me you have multiple causes of action:

1. Failure to properly investigate the incident.  The fact that the woman admitted guilt and there were witnesses who were never interviewed seems to be a gross failure.
2. Ignorance of applicable law.  It is HIS responsibility to know the law he is tasked with enforcing.
3. Abuse of power.  It appears he went out of his way to go after you and even told the DOT officer something to get him on the train as well.

Now, your complaint may come to nothing immediately.  But it does start a paper-trail that may be of benefit to some poor soul down the road who has a run-in with the same guy.  A cop who has a documented history of abuse complaints eventually has a credibility issue in court and becomes a problem for his department.

[belfert]

I had a far better experience with the Nevada State Patrol when I had the axle fall off my trailer last Wednesday evening.

The officer's only concern was that nobody got hurt and that the axle was off the highway.  He didn't ask for my name, license, registration, or insurance.  He didn't write a report.  I think it helped that he was he was just getting off duty when he got the call and was supposed to have been at home by then.

[RickB]

Hey all,

I'm going to let these guys make the next move. I have no plans to pursue anything other than getting out of this unless this DOT conrinues on the path he started. Although I disagree with their evaluation of the accident, my bus, mu license they didn't do much but disagree with me and waste about 3 hours of my time and try to make me feel like I'm ignorant and I stress try because it didn't work then and it won't work now. I have been cuffed and thrown in the back seat of a cruiser a few years back because I decided to "argue" at the scene. I am all about arguing in a court of law. But I think that I don't have case of harassment yet. I don't feel they harassed me, threatened me yes, but if I was guilty of what they accused me of it would be within their powers to seize my vehicle. That is a fact. Whether I like it or not. We win and lose these things with witneses, videotape, elections.
But as long as there are people with power there will be a minority who will abuse that power.

And sometimes it will be me...

When I'm quick to anger with my kids or wife or those that work under me at my Church.

I really do appreciate all your passion for our rights as RV owners but the bottom line is, in my humble opinion. Do not be surprised if you are pulled over with a bunch of stuffed animals in your bays and a "stuffed animal for sale sign" in your coach. They will prosecute you whether you or I like it or not. Also, be careful about having any kind of office in your bus and remove any signs that suggest a passenger # anywhere in your bus because these governemnt agencies are in danger of huge layoff's with out finding new revenue streams to justify their existence.
I feel that at this point, they haven't done anything that I would consider harassment, inconvenient yes, Harassment no.
Thanks ,
Rick