California man ticketed by cops for attaching 'SpaceX Starlink Satellite Dish' on car hood

A California Highway Patrol officer on Tuesday pulled over a man driving with a SpaceX Starlink antenna bolted to his car’s bonnet. He was ticketed for “visual obstruction.” Although, the driver contested the penalty, saying that the satellite on his red Toyota Prius apparently gave him better signal and internet connectivity. The cop, startled at the driver’s explanation, said in an agency release that the man was ticketed for moving violations and he found no issue driving with a large, none other than Elon Musk‘s, SpaceX Starlink antennas on road.

When asked if the antenna dish did not block his view whilst driving, the man casually responded “only when I make the right turns.” The man furthermore stated that he had wanted a fast Wi-Fi service for a business that he was operating out of the car. 

The California Highway Patrol in Antelope Valley shared the incident in a Facebook post, wherein they posted the images of the car. “It is in fact illegal to mount a satellite dish to the hood of your vehicle, obstructing your view under section 26708(a)(2) of the California Vehicle Code,” they reminded.

Further cautioning the drivers, the troopers said, “You also may not hang things from your rearview mirror, mount a GPS or cell phone in an unapproved location on your windshield, or display a handicap placard while the vehicle is in motion under this section.” It is about safety, the cops said. SpaceX meanwhile did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for the comment on the incident. 

Starlink is a Musk-owned SpaceX’s extraterrestrial satellite network project that aims to beam broadband internet throughout the world, except probably Polar regions. At the virtual Mobile World Congress 2021 conference, the 50-year-old tech entrepreneur had confirmed that SpaceX has launched more than 1,500 satellites so far, catering to over 69,000 active customers as it was expanding. 

'Better than nothing Beta'

Last year, SpaceX launched the beta for Starlink Internet named 'Better than nothing Beta' to get 12,000 satellites fully operational. The kit includes four major components: The user terminal, or antenna; a tripod mount; a Wi-Fi router; and a power supply that costs approximately $450. While there is also an option of rooftop mounting for the customers, attaching the whole dish on the motor vehicle has never been heard of or seen before. US law enforcement officers urged that the drivers follow traditional methods of driving. 

Internet meanwhile expressed amazement at the incident, with one saying, “another rocket scientist on the freeway,” while another asked, “Where do these people come from?” Another suggested, “Solution: mount it in the back, call it a spoiler.” Meanwhile the third joked, “I’m not sure this was how Starlink was intended to be used, bad dishy!”