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‘Grinched’! Man Faces $300 Fine for Covering His Truck With Christmas Lights

Dec. 12, 2012 2:26pm Billy Hallowell

A Wichita, Kansas, man has been greeted by authorities with a big “bah humbug” after he covered his truck with 856 Christmas lights to commemorate the holiday season. Rather than merely staring at the vehicle in awe, police fined Dave Hill $300 — a penalty he claims won’t stop him from spreading Christmas cheer throughout his local highways and byways.

Dave Hill Faces $300 Fine for Covering His Truck With Christmas Lights

Photo Credit: WTNH-TV

Hill’s refusal to give up his holiday cheer is understandable. After all, the colorful display took him and his friends 16 hours to assemble and is powered by an 8,000 watt generator placed in the back of the truck. Authorities claim that the red and blue lights that are included are dangerous, as they may confuse other drivers and cause people to mistake his truck as an emergency vehicle.

One local reporter used the word “Grinched” to describe the situation, however police see the scenario as more of a safety issue.

“It’s a safety issue,” said Lt. Joe Schroeder, an officer with the Wichita Police Department. “When somebody puts colored lights on their vehicle, they’re saying ‘everybody look at me,’ and when people are looking at that particular vehicle, they become a hazard.”

Hill, though, claims that this explanation is not necessarily valid, noting that thousands of people have taken pictures of the truck and stopped to “come up and look at it.” He is using the Christmas lights to promote his charity, “One Spark Can Start a Fire,” a group that urges people to perform random acts of kindness.

“A lady when I was getting my coffee today said ‘Hey, my husband died last week but this made me smile,’” Hill explained. “It’s over and over again people say, ‘Hey I’ve had a crappy day and those lights made me smile.’”

So, with Christmas still 13 days away, it looks like more tickets could be headed Hill’s way.

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Comments (69)

DZ-015
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 5:06pm
The lights on the hood might be a problem for the driver’s night vision. Suppose you miss the brake lights from a sudden stop up ahead? He should have been warned first, and ticketed only after not removing those lights deemed to be a distraction. If he fails to comply now, the owner’s a fool.

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- NeoFan
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 1:36am
  And you should not drive your vehicle through areas that have Christmas lights on display because they can make morons crash.
  
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- Pearsontech
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 8:51am
  Actually I could see where this would be a distraction and cause someone to wreck. Nothing against christmas but I can see the point on this one. Although the 300$ fine I see as just a way to soak this citizen for money so I don’t really agree with that part.
  
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THX-1138
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:43pm
I’ve got an old Trooper car and looked into the light thing. Technically the Red and Blue lights are flat out illegal (in GA anyway) but I suspect there are other laws that might prohibit the rest of the lights (laws here against lights under the car and so forth).

Kind of a shame but I can see the safety issue as well.

I bet he could leave them off on the public roads and turn them on when he’s in parking lots, etc. and still get some fun out of it…

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- catalina68
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 12:02am
  The reason these restrictions on red/blue lights were created was so that the police would have something to charge someone who was impersonating a police officer with. It wasn’t that long ago that people realized that by installing red/blue lights on there vehicle, they could get people to pull over, which made robbing them very easy. The police needed a law that they could use to charge someone who was not caught in the act of impersonating a police officer, but had a vehicle that was modified to look like a police car (even if it was just red/blue lights hidden behind the grill).
  
  The owner of this vehicle should fight the ticket as he (and I) can not possibly be mistaken for a police car, just because we have chosen to mount Christmas lights on our vehicles.
  
  As far as being a distraction, it is no more a distraction that a decorated house is. Anyone who is so distracted by a decorated car should lose their license because they are a danger to others.
  
  As for lights on the hood being a distraction for the driver, approximately 600 of the 3000 lights on my truck are on the hood (it’s a big hood). And I can guarantee that they do not provide any distraction or make it difficult to see taillights. In fact the sun reflecting off the hood (or other vehicles) is much more dangerous.
  
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- loriann12
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 7:23am
  Depending on the flashing rate, it could cause an epileptic seizure. I don’t drive at night during Christmas season for just this reason. I only react to white lights, though.
  
  Report this comment
ReallyBigPaul
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:37pm
If the people in City Hall think that the truck will be mistaken for an emergency vehicle they need to have their heads examined. This is what’s wrong with Bureaucrats today.. They all stink.

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- THX-1138
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:46pm
  I suspect they’re more worried about someone driving off the road laughing or rear-ending someone while distracted by the truck. (…and some idiot suing them for “allowing” it to happen. Welcome to 21st Century America.)
  
  Report this comment
- rickc34
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 5:00pm
  It is an emergency vehicle, the Christmas spirit is dying and needs to be revived.
  
  Report this comment
- LeadNotFollow
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 5:32pm
  PAUL – I agree. There’s not a single emergency vehicle in America that looks like a lighted Christmas tree.
  
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Wurlitzer28
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:16pm
Just another government thug who lost out in the IQ lottery.

How many real crimes were committed while this joy kill was writing this ticket? Hey tin star jockey, the white headlights on all cars also contain red, blue and green light as it is all part of the spectrum it just looks like it is white.

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- Pontiaku
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 9:55pm
  You’re an idiot.
  
  Report this comment
YallComeBack
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:14pm
Quote-
Authorities claim that the red and blue lights that are included are dangerous, as they may confuse other drivers and cause people to mistake his truck as an emergency vehicle.
Unquote

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Look moma. A fancy police car!

NOT!

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HI_Don
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:59pm
Enough separation of “Church and State”. The issue should be separation of State from Church. I would sue the police for infringing on my constitutional rights of religious freedom, first amendment. “The state shall make no law infringing on the free exercise of religious LIGHTS.”

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- fande3rls
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:46pm
  What they want is to have separation of church and mind and heart .
  
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CATSUEY
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:53pm
Oh, please….at least no one can say they didn’t see him coming.

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H.I.Mcdunnough
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:42pm
Just when I was about to stop reading this rag…my city makes the front page. Hi-larious! I saw this truck the other night parked in a fast food restaurant parking lot. I thought it was some sort of restaurant promotion. It definitely caught my eye but not enough to make me crash or anything like that. They shouldn’t have fined him though, just make him take it off or something…that sucks.

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- Bloody Sam
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:00pm
  An 8000 watt generator in the back of his truck?! What a stupid redneck!
  
  It is easy enough to get lights like this that run on 12 volts. No need for a generator. Just a new fuse block to run from an ignition switched 12v+ line. Or to the battery with a switch.
  
  Report this comment
- Dr Vel
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 7:25pm
  Sam has a good point. Ultrabright LED’s would work better and the entire assembly could then be run off the electrical system in the truck. 1,000 LED’s pulling 30 milliamps each = 30 amperes which is not much over both headlights on bright. 30 amperes times 14 volts = 420 watts. Bah humbug to his light display, people are killed on the road every day and distractions play a large part. This truck is a moving violation. If I were the cop I would write him one ticket for each non approved light unless it stays parked as merely a display. Running it while driving? That’s 300 grand (at 1,000 lights times $300 per ticket) every time I stop you son. How much more danger does a loose large generator with a full fuel tank running bouncing around in the back add to the potential danger in an emergency situation? Bah humbug this guy needs to smell the roses not the sunflowers.
  
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- SeekerEmerald
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 8:13pm
  @ bloody sam… Apparently the “stupid redneck” knows something you don’t. Getting that much light from the trucks alternator would not be possible unless he used high brightness LEDs that would cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and increase the install time by a factor of at least 4.
  
  How’s the view from that glass house?
  
  Report this comment
- catalina68
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 9:33pm
  Actually there is no need for LEDs. I run 3000 120V XMAS lights on my 1976 Chevy Blazer, using only a 1000W power inverter. Even with all of these lights, it only uses about 800W. There is no problem running out of power while driving, it is only when I come to a stop that I need to rev the engine a little bit to keep from pulling the battery voltage down to 10.5V which is where the power inverter shuts off.
  
  I have been pulled over only once, because my vehicle “matched the description of a vehicle that was used to commit a crime”. Because criminals always uses vehicles covered in XMAS lights.
  
  Report this comment
- Dr Vel
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 12:03am
  catalina68 “I have been pulled over only once, because my vehicle “matched the description of a vehicle that was used to commit a crime”. Because criminals always uses vehicles covered in XMAS lights.”
  
  Thanks I have not had a good laugh in a while. Was the cops name Barney?
  
  SeekerEmerald you have not been buying them lately then. LED bars are cheap and the right seller in China will provide 1,000 LED’S (18,000 MCD) for 4 to 6 cents each, far brighter than a typical string of incandescent Christmas lights. I buy them all the time.
  
  Report this comment
HI_Don
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:35pm
There you have it. Your argument in court if you ever have an accident near a police officer or other emergency vehicle, you were distracted and it was a safety issue, the fault of the emergency vehicle. We all are able to sue the state for secondary collisions at the scene on the freeway where emergency vehicles are present. “Rubber necking” is now the fault of the emergency vehicles, not the drivers of the idiots that don’t remember that they must drive first, and look at the pretty lights second. We are officially deemed the “distracted by shiny object” idiot citizens incapable of common sense or good judgement.
Down another notch peasants, down another notch. Our police department has spoken.

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joehanx2
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:33pm
pay the ticket when the police arrest the man for assault on the fox journalist …it`s a safety issue
“It’s a safety issue,” said Lt. Joe Schroeder, an officer with the Wichita Police Department.

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Priscilla King
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:23pm
In the daytime, it’s lovely. At night, brightly lighted vehicles make it harder for other people to see the road. I don’t think he should be allowed to drive a lighted-up truck at night. I think the highway patrol should also write more tickets for drivers who fail to dim their lights.

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- HI_Don
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:43pm
  So, do they ticket all the kids who have tricked out their cars with the undercarrage LED lights? Do they ticket tow trucks? Do they ticket truckers whose rigs and trailers are outlined in lights? How many lights would have been O.K. 10? 20? 5?. Are using your flashers O.K.? Does it make a difference if the lights stay on steady like these or if he had put them in blinking mode?
  I love how police have these “general” charges like “safety issue”, “hazarding”, “excessive noise” or “inappropriate” where it is completely up to the officers discretion an completely impossible to argue in court.
  Can the police use this to outlaw Christmas lights on your house? What’s the difference. Can’t drivers be “distracted” by looking at your house all lit up as a safety issue?
  
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- retiredfire
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 2:08pm
  Don’t know about Kansas but here in Cali, the Vehicle Code is very precise as to where, and what color, lights are allowed. Uniformity allows one to more easily judge length and direction of travel during low-visibilty conditions, such as fog.
  As someone who had a hand in design of some emergancy vehicles, I am aware of these laws and why they exist and as a former EV driver I appreciate the application of them.
  
  Report this comment
OldSurfRat
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:14pm
WHAT??????

A safety issue??? What nobody will see him comming?????

Wichita cop that gave him a ticket is an idiot!!!

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The-Monk
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
I’ve seen 18 wheelers with as many lights or more (per total count).

I wonder if this Officer is an atheist?

Oh yeah, can’t have those red and blue lights displayed… like anyone would confuse it with a Cop cars red and blue lights.

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- Zipit
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:35pm
  Monk! When I see a cop, or strain my neck to look at a 458 italia, or even glimpse a woman in a bikini on a billboard, for some reason, I don’t crash! Doubt that I would if I saw this guys truck on the road! Merry Christmas
  
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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:45pm
  Monk
  
  He’s in a truck that has a state tag.
  His truck is on a state or county road.
  He has a state provided drivers license.
  He lives in a state.
  
  This is clearly a government supported religulous statement.
  
  Off with his lights!!! LOL
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:19pm
  And a happy 12-12-12 to both of you. : )
  
  Report this comment
- OldSurfRat
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:37pm
  Monk
  Back at ya (:
  
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Snake
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
“It’s a safety issue,” said Lt. Joe Schroeder, an officer with the Wichita Police Department. “When somebody puts colored lights on their vehicle, they’re saying ‘everybody look at me,’ and when people are looking at that particular vehicle, they become a hazard.”

So according to Lt Joe…. ALL saftey vehicles are a safety hazard becasue they have lights on them that make other drivers look at them?

WTF????

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Kupo
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
This guy deserved the ticket. Huge safety hazard. Even if people don’t mistake him for an emergency vehicle he is still a big distraction for other drivers.

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- Polarized America
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:46pm
  >
  ………”a big distraction for other drivers.”………women are too…./;-)
  
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- HI_Don
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:53pm
  And the difference between this and decorating your house or your business covered in lights that say “look at me”? Rubber necking is rubber necking and collisions caused by distracted drivers are the fault of the distracted driver, not the shiny object. Otherwise billboards and neon signs are illegal, people holding signs for car wash are breaking the law, people who drive fancy cars are illegal, pretty girls and handsome men are illegal, beutiful parks/scenery/and majestic roadside views are ilegal…. where does personal accountability begin with you? Why kill humanity because there is POSSIBLY some risk? Under this policeman’s rule, we should all just sit in out homes with the doors locked and isolate ourselves from all distractions and hazards. What ever happened to “living”. Humbug Christmas is exactly what this is about. I’ll bet the cop turned on his blinding flashing lights in order to write the guy a ticket for his dim steady lit Christmas lights, talk about hypocrisy.
  
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- Polarized America
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:12pm
  .
  HI_DON…..you have to forgive ” Kupo “..s/he can’t see beyond that cute little fuzzy nose
  
  Report this comment
PeachyinGA
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:01pm
The man might have been inspired by watching Duck Dynasty on A&E. Jase covered his brother’s truck in Christmas lights during their hour-long Christmas show last week.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:55pm
Lt. would you cite the law that was violated? You said that it’s a safety issue according to who? You.

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- naughtycal
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:05pm
  The officer said when you draw attention to you you become a road hazard…right
  Well in that case every cop and emergency vehicle should be in violation of that same law…right
  
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- CanadaRocks
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 5:32pm
  You really cant see through the narrowminded fog can you. Emergency vehicles and large trucks as well as tow trucks have bright lights to distinguish them from personal vehicles. Why do you think cop cars are usually a few different colors or the classic black and white? why are fire trucks red? to separate them from the others so you know they are emergency vehicles. tow trucks have lights so when they are on the side of the highway people driving can see them. When you see the lights behind you, you know to pull to te right as they are going to an emergency. Please try using your brain sometimes and apply logic to your ideas on things.
  
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- naughtycal
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 3:27pm
  You really support your local gestapo don’t you……do us a favor stay in canada
  
  Report this comment
matt_c
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:54pm
Is Wichita that hard up for cash?

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WTFHappenedToTheUSA
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:52pm
I think it is about time we start showing these gustapo nazis exactly whose country this is.

I think highway billboards are more distracting that this mans holiday truck.

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Dscriptboy
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:49pm
Merry Christmas to all!

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- FlagWavingPatriot
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:38pm
  Merry Christmas!
  
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Imjetta
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:47pm
A ticket for what? Is it against the LAW??? Is there a statute that forbids Christmas lights??

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- YouCantExplainThat
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:38pm
  Have you ever heard of street legal? There is a code for what is allowed and not allowed on the road.
  
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- BasketFullOfPuppies
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:10pm
  Actually, Kansas DOES spell out exactly what lights can be on a vehicle, what color they can be, whether they may flash and lots more. Most states have laws on this.
  
  Report this comment
- Pontiaku
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 9:57pm
  Exactly. There’s a reason why people don’t drive with brake lights on front and headlights on the rear.
  
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:46pm
Maybe it confuses people in Wichita, but I don’t think anyone else would think that was an emergency vehicle, sine their lights strobe and they normally use a siren. Just more revenue enhancement going on there.

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BasketFullOfPuppies
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:44pm
FWIW though, if I saw it sitting still in a parking lot, I’d be smiling and impressed.

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BasketFullOfPuppies
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:42pm
I wouldn’t call this being Grinched. As a truck driver, I can say that it is easy to be confused at night, by something that you don’t understand and haven’t seen before. It IS a safety issue, in my opinion. You really don’t want 80,000 pounds of confused bearing down on you. It really puts a damper on Christmas.

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- HI_Don
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:10pm
  Perspective is important here. They guy isn’t driving this thing around in July. During new year’s eve, I drive extra cautions because there are so many drunks on the road, maybe I choose not to even leave my house. During foggy mornings we expect to loose visibility. During Christmas I expect to see lots of Christmas lights and decorations all over the place. They are not “confusing”. I don’t think “Wonder what Grandma wants under the tree…Hey what are all those colored lights over there, that’s odd?” If your confused by a pickup truck with Christmas lights on it (and I have seen many including lots of truckers who deck out their rigs this time of year, this isn’t the only guy EVER in the history of the world to do this) then perhaps might I suggest another explanation for your “confusion”? I would call it sleep deprivation, which from a trucker is more dangerous than this and YES indeed – I do not want 80,000 pounds of confusion bearing down on me, thank you very much.
  
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- BasketFullOfPuppies
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:27pm
  You sure have a lot of opinions on how I handle a truck. Considering that I have multiple safe driving awards and not one accident, aside from a single deer that decided to run out in front of me, while in the course of driving over 1 million miles, I’d say that your speculation is for nothing. As for the big rigs with their chicken lights, we see them all the time. No source of confusion there. But, what you seem to be missing here, is that the driver may not be me, or it may be raining and difficult to make out what is happening. What that driver does next may affect everyone on the road. Nothing should ever happen fast in a big truck. But, life and reality being what it is, it sometimes does. Even if it weren’t against the law, people with common sense not only ask themselves whether they can, they also ask whether they should. Whether it is a big truck or passenger car, people will be asking why this was allowed, at the first accident. So, here come the politicians with an answer.
  
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- HI_Don
  Posted on December 12, 2012 at 9:26pm
  Actually, I didn’t make any assumptions about your driving. All I said is the only explanation I could think of for being confused about a pickup truck with Christmas lights on it at Christmas time, would be sleep deprivation. I didn’t say you had it, didn’t say you were a bad driver. Your the one who claims this would be confusing to you, I said you wouldn’t – except under sleep deprivation. Now, I’m sure as a 1 million mile trucker you would have to agree that sleep deprivation among truckers is a worse problem than people driving around with Christmas lights during Christmas time, would you not agree? Stay safe – God Bless. Thanks for keeping our country moving and hauling all our stuff. I happen to be a big fan of truckers. I doubt seriously you would be confused by Christmas lights.
  
  My uncle once got pulled over by one of those blinking orange safety signs (back in the 50′s) – but his confusion was caused by alcohol consumption. I don’t think we should outlaw those nor do I think the construction company should pay a $300 fine.
  
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TEIN
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 2:39pm
Just driving period is a safety issue…what a thing to get ticketed for….

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