The average person wouldn’t think to attach a SpaceX Starlink satellite dish, affectionately known as Dish McFlatface, to the hood of their car. That is especially true while driving, but not everyone is as smart as the average person.
That was the case for one California driver, who was pulled over last week for the very obvious obstruction on the hood of his Toyota Prius.
Officer T. Canton of the California Highway Patrol of Antelope Valley pulled over the offending driver on Friday. After approaching satellite dish on wheels, Canton asked the driver about the “visual obstruction” and if it blocked his view.
According to a post to the agency’s Facebook page, the driver said that was only the case when he made right turns. Which seems a bit unbelievable when you see photos of the setup.
According to a report by WOKV, the driver apparently told the CHP trooper he was using the Starlink dish to get Wi-Fi for his business that he ran out of his vehicle.
In case you’re wondering, it is in fact illegal and the driver was ticketed for obstructing his view, a violation of section 26708(a)(2) of the California Vehicle Code.
The ticket from the CHP might be just the beginning of his concerns. The idea to create a mobile hotspot on his car goes against section 2.1 of Starlink’s Terms of Service to use Dishy McFlatface anywhere other than the account’s registered address. You also can’t use it for business purposes.
2.1 Residential Use. Services and the Starlink Kit are for use exclusively at the address you provided in your Order, and only for personal, family, household or residential use.
