we don't have that here and I've heard no more in your state can join. isn't that correct?

 

^ That is correct Mark. It is a closed club now.

But it still works like a charm if you are a member.

 

What is the 11-99 foundation?

 

Can't you still buy a license plate frame from an existing member? How rare are they?

 

I'd sure like to spend 10k and drive wherever and whatever speed I want.


BTW your Chief of Police scenario's would be crazy expensive. A trip around our state would find you in 100 precincts.

 

A California fund raiser by the CHP (I believe) that gives you a license plate wrap that gives you instant get out of jail free cards for almost every citation.

 

^ When I first moved to Orange County in 2004, you could make a donation to the Highway Patrol's 11-99 fund.

11-99 is the code for Officer In Distress.

The donations went directly to the families of Highway Patrol officers who died in the line of duty.

If you bought a "lifetime" membership (which ran about $5,000) then you would get a nice ID card and badge with your name on it. You would also get a license plate frame. But the frames got faked so much that it wouldn't help you.

If you were stopped for speeding by the Highway Patrol and you showed them your ID and badge, they would simply let you go.

This only worked with Highway Patrol - not municipal cops. In fact, it could backfire and make you a target for local police. So many of us never used the license plate frames.

There was a pretty big to-do about it a few years back - a big internal investigation. So they stopped taking in members. But if you still have the lifetime member ID card and badge, it will most likely still work for you.

It used to be very taboo to even talk about it. But most people know what it is - especially if you are into cars in California.

 

It was always hard to become a member though.

You couldn't just pay.

You had to be referred by two lifetime members in good standing and undergo a background check.

 

Why? Your wife drives much faster than you do 90% of the time!

 

Well that's a hell of a deal if you got it befor it ended