Dodged a Bullet This Morning

I was pulled over on my way to work this morning for an expired vehicle inspection sticker.

In case you are wondering, this is not me. I would never wear baby blue with pink. That's so ghastly

What is the vehicle inspection system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Let's take a look at the official Vehicle Check web site.


"Why do we test?
Emissions: Vehicle engines and air pollution
Safety"

Dear lord, that sounds important right? I mean for the safety of our roads, and the clean air we need to breath. Thank God we have elected smart leaders to protect us.

But let's be honest here. No new vehicles sold in Massachusetts, or the United States in fact, is likely to fail any of these tests in the first 4 years of ownership. Will that exempt the owners of these vehicles from shelling out $29 annually, starting from year one, for the pleasure of owning a vehicle in Massachusetts?

Not a chance. Bend over and pay up. Not to mention the time I need to wait for the inspection where they make sure that my horn still works.

But JM, as cars get older, or if the cars were made before 1996 - they don't run as clean as we like them to. Don't you want to protect our children from acid rain? Yeah it's true, the older cars are not as efficient in cleaning up their emissions. It would make sense to start the emissions test after the cars reached a certain age, but think of the lost revenue if they decide to do something sensible as that. Oh yeah, cars made before 1996 are not inspected by the new emissions test, guess it's not that important to stop all them evil pollutants.

Guess who else is exempt? All those nice T buses that pump out the nice black smoke as they rumble by you in the city. Come on, if they have to spend all that money to make sure the buses run clean, they would have no money left over to pay all the idiot sons, daughters, and mistresses of the idiot politicians.

Really, I would be much happier if the idiotic politicians in this commonwealth would come out and just admit to us that this is a tax, a fee, or whatever you like to call it. Just don't insult our intelligence and tell us it's for "our safety".

In my tax revolt against the Commonwealth, I try to push the inspection out as far as I can every year. Picking up free months by driving on an expired sticker. I was 2 months away from getting that free year. Hey, if I can master this art of evading taxes, there might be a spot for me on the Obama administration.


I got away with a written warning this morning, by promising Wellesley's finest that I would take care of it as soon as possible. Maybe I'll get it inspected next Tuesday - I heard that it's a holiday, oh wait, I don't get Evacuation Day off from work.

I am being rather harsh here on our local government. To be fair, we are getting a little better. In this past election, the fine folks in the Second Suffolk District did elect the smokin' hot Sonia Chang-Diaz over the corrupt busted mug Diane Wilkerson for State Senate.


I am encouraging Mr. Potato Head to actively court this young lady, so when they get married, she would change her name to Sonia Chang-Diaz-Chan. That would be cool.

Update:
After 40 minutes of my life and $29 that I will never get back, my car is deemed once again safe and clean by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This is really a down year for me, as I was only able to pick up 1 free month. After six years of owning my car, I am merely one month away from picking up that free year.


Now I can go ahead and remove my catalytic converter off of my exhaust system and attend to my back yard tire fire. Why? because I am goddamn sick and tired of the environment freeloading off of my hard work.