This morning I went to get my vehicle emission inspection and was happy to see that, for once, I hadn’t showed up at a time when the entire world was getting emission inspections. I only had to wait behind one car before being non-greeted by the surly high-school dropout working my lane. She swiped my credit card and then drove my car to the far end for the “inspection”.
In days of yore they’d hook up a tube and funnel system to the exhaust to test for pollutant levels higher than normal. Those were the days. As long as the exhaust system on the car worked, the tube’n'funnel seemed like an honest way to test for pollutants. The last two cars I drove, however, did not have exhaust systems that worked. My parent’s van had a problem with it’s exhaust, I think the manifold was cracked when I took it in to be tested, and because no exhaust was going into the tube’n'funnel there were no pollutants going into the tube’n'funnel, so I passed. My next car, an 87 Accord, had an exhaust system that was completely rusted from tailpipe to manifold, and wasn’t even connected to the exhaust manifold anymore. It sounded like I had one of those stupid fart-pipes on my car, but I didn’t have to pay $200 to get it to sound like that. Idiots. It also passed with flying colors.
Today they only use the tube’n'funnel system for cars with 4WD, AWD, or trucks over 10,000 pounds. All the other cars get a little gadget plugged into their dashboard or engine to take a reading from the onboard computer. The surly young woman who was checking my car was kneeling on the ground leaning into my car trying to find a place to plug in the gadget. She was contorting herself in every direction to try to find a place to plug this thing in. I guess she didn’t know I was watching her because she eventually gave up without ever plugging the thing in. Then she printed out my receipt, told me my car passed and said I didn’t have to come back for two years.
Now I have a dilemma. Do I call someone to say, “Hey, your employees are idiots. My car wasn’t even tested.” and wait for them to tell me to come back in and be tested again? Or do I keep my mouth shut and consider the $14 fee a lost cause?
Stupid goddamned state government.
Fuck them. Take the pass and run.
If you consider that the main point of emissions testing is to get horrible polluting rustbuckets off the road, yeah, fuck ‘em.
Similarly wacky is that you only have to have a car inspected when you’re going to title it, so the minute you do that, you’re pretty much good to take the doors, exhaust, seatbelts, whatever off…
you shut the fuck up and take the pass is what you do. my isuzu passed the actual emmissions thingy (they still shove a rod up the tail pipe out here on the left coast - are you surprised?) but the goddamn check engine light came on at the end of the test and they failed the fucking thing. goddamn check engine light bullshit. and you can’t unplug the little light bulb, because they check that too. and damn “ahnold” (that prick) to hells for this. I blame him.
hey, at least it’s not PA, where you have to get a full inspection every year.
If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. Take the pass and run, Grasshoppers.
What’s the matter with you!? You got a conscience or something!
Ohh take the pass!
Well, speaking from a backwards state (KY) that has never had these inspection thingy-majiggies, I would refrain from doing anything that might result with you spending more money if your car didn’t pass inspection.
The main problem with this is that you’re paying money for an inspection that’s a waste to begin with, and is actually counterintuitive because the whole program is probably run at a loss.
I prefer my approach: drive a diesel, and you never have to get the emissions tested.
Ask yourself: WWAGD?
What would Al Gore do?
I guess you could take the pass and put them complaint in anonymously? It’s a moral dilemma, but I would go back myself.
I think you should nark on the bitch. They can’t charge you another $14 - you showed up and paid. They didn’t provide the service.
Hmm…..using the oxygen sensor already on the car to determine emissions. Now that won’t be promote cheating.
I hate to say it man, but call them. Please. It’s bullshit like that that’s making a bad situation worse. There’s a good reason they make you get your car tested.
Fucking stupid useless bitch should loose her damn job.
I wish I could find a funnel for my tube. It’s been weeks…
Take the pass and call them anonymously. That’s what we like to call a win-win situation. Well, lose for the stupid cheating employee, but you can’t have everything.
Here in Oregon we just drive out to the coast where the emission standards are less restrictive. It’s either that or buy a Hybrid, and fuck that.
You fucking hippie wannabe retard. If your car was polluting the air enough to fail the test, the “check engine” dummy light would illuminate. Now stop wasting so much time trying to make people think you’re Mr. fucking environment and use some of that time hanging out with Kmart you get-married-and-forget-about-your-friends asshole.
By the way, that’s why she didn’t plug in the OBD-II tool. Learn something before you degrade everyone you fucking meet you arrogant piece of garbage.
I gotta agree with Gwen. Why pay for something that wasn’t done? And if she did that to your car how many other cars has she “tested?” Blah. Kinda defeats the purpose.
And what exactly is Mr. Friend of the Devil going on about anyway? Bitter much?