I thought this was gonna be a picture of a sawzall. :laughing
I personally know dozens of people who have eliminated their fenders in a variety of ways and trust me, that's the last thing for which they're gonna get tickets. :teeth
I haven't had a "legal" tail in years and haven't had a problem. I ride the freeways and SF a lot. I also generally refrain from acting like a complete ass clown in view of the general public and po-po. I've passed plenty of stock bikes sitting on the side of the road gettin' lit up like a christmas tree by Mr. 5-oh, too.