Beware of smog check road blocks!

[5-90]

You are 100% correct but do you really have no problems with this? Just the thought of this sets off a ton of red flags for me.

Oh, I have plenty of problems with this!

If you don't trust the places where we go to get (biannual/annual/biennial, depending on location) smog checks, then take it up with them and allow me to go about freely.

It's bad enough I have to pay more for the smog check than I do for the tags as it is! Cutting off the 30-year rolling exemption was a Bad Thing as well (in a few more years, I wouldn't even have to have bothered with my 88 if they hadn't done that.)

And, considering CARB maintains records of all of the smog check results and can look them up by license plate or VIN, they're still "profiling" by whatever criteria and sending most of us with light trucks over 15 years old off to "Test Only" stations - just because.

NEWS FLASH - As far as I'm concerned, every station is "Test Only." I barely trust them to properly identify the #1 spark plug lead to attach the timer, I have to remind them that my 88 is "pre-OBD" and the CEL/MIL isn't supposed to be functional - every damned time! (I take the FSM in with me. If that's not an authoritative enough source, I go elsewhere.)

And, I've talked directly with CARB (the second time on the run I got sent to "Test Only") and that's how I found they could pull up the results for an individual vehicle (they'd asked me for the VIN or tag # - I gave them the tag, since I had it handy.)

And, despite the fact that my 88 put out less emissions than a comparable vehicle fifteen years newer - and than most vehicles in general ten years newer - I couldn't get the profile lifted. (There should be some benefit to aggressive maintenance, y'know...)

Couple that with the fact that, the more I see of "creature features" thrown on vehicles that I neither want nor need (ABS, DRL, ESP, speed-proportional steering, nav systems, ...) and therefore shouldn't be forced to pay for, is it any wonder I just want to say "Hang it all!" and buy something like a 1955 Willys to restore? Or an original DJ-5, just for the novelty value (convert it to 4WD, throw in a Lightning Rod shift kit and a twin-stick D300, and leave the keys in it. All those handles sticking up through the centre console should screw with just about anybody - providing effective security. If you don't know how to drive it, how can you steal it without a tow truck?)

[/RANT]

 

[JeepFreak21]

Ah I hate to rain on the "bitch at nothing parade" but if you READ the article it clearly states, "voluntary evaluation brought no consequences". Which means you can absolutely decline to participate. When the Officer asks you to pull to the side into the cones simply and politely ask if he is asking or ordering you to do so. Then simply state you are under the belief that you have a right to decline and then ask him if you may leave. Don't accept any answer other than yes unless he wishes to intiate a full blown traffic stop. Of which he can do. But understand your rights and by all means follow his directions to a "T". When the Officer states you have a right to decline say thank you with a smile and pull away.

Yeah, I didn't need the article to tell me it was voluntary! I've read the 4th Amendment! i would tell them to pound sand, but how many people others are going to do that? Or how many are going to be intimidated into pulling over? Why did they have CHP there anyway? To intimidate people into doing what they said! Either that, or to look over all the vehicles that chose not to stop. You think there isn't anything he can write every one of us up for at any given moment? I was writeen up for not having enough fluid in my washer bottle once! That cost me $22 and about 4 hours of my time!

Besides, this is just a giant step in the wrong direction... it's not the end of the line! These things could EASILY be made manditory once we all get used to seeing them. Then they'll be all over town and we'll be paying to pass through them! They'll fine us or impound our vehicles based ont he results (since everyone driving older, possibly poorly maintained, cars can afford to make up the worthless legislature's budget deficit!).

And then, if Obama and the liberals get their way, there will be another checkpoint 3 blocks down the road (we can't be too efficient, can we?) to check our body fat perccentage!

:flamemad::flamemad::flamemad:
Billy

 

[Ben H]

And then, if Obama and the liberals get their way, there will be another checkpoint 3 blocks down the road (we can't be too efficient, can we?) to check our body fat perccentage!

Game over, I'm going down.

 

[kdailey4315]

Oh, I have plenty of problems with this!



And, considering CARB maintains records of all of the smog check results and can look them up by license plate or VIN, they're still "profiling" by whatever criteria and sending most of us with light trucks over 15 years old off to "Test Only" stations - just because.



And, I've talked directly with CARB (the second time on the run I got sent to "Test Only") and that's how I found they could pull up the results for an individual vehicle (they'd asked me for the VIN or tag # - I gave them the tag, since I had it handy.)


[/RANT]

It's must worse than CARB keeping smog records. Anyone can type in a license plate number and see the smog history of a vehicle. Just the fact that there is a Bureau of Automotive Repair is ridiculous.

http://www.bar.ca.gov/pubwebquery/Vehicle/PubTstQry.aspx

 

[5-90]

It's must worse than CARB keeping smog records. Anyone can type in a license plate number and see the smog history of a vehicle. Just the fact that there is a Bureau of Automotive Repair is ridiculous.

http://www.bar.ca.gov/pubwebquery/Vehicle/PubTstQry.aspx

I knew that smog records were generally available, but the publicly-accessible records are "pass/fail" (and the only "Fail" listed on my 88 was before I got it.)

CARB keeps the detailed records - and that's what the guy was looking at when I talked to him. I had him read off a couple of reports and compare them to my file copies.

But, while I agree with the programme in concept, it is the execution I find woefully lacking. That, and if they'd get out of the way of us true motorheads; we'd be able strip out failure-prone devices, simplify the underhood arrangement, and reduce aggregate tailpipe emissions even more.

Eliminate the underhood visual inspection and go right to the mechanical tests. Who cares how I reduce emissions, just so they're reduced, right?

I'm all for protecting the environment (so it may be enjoyed - I'm a conservationist, not an environmentalist,) but get out of my way and let me do it, hm? I've been using cloth grocery bags for 15 years on my own, I started using CFL and LED bulbs long before Professional Gouging & Embezzlement started offering rebates for them, I maintain my vehicle to maintain fuel economy, I keep tabs on my tyres and don't need some halfassed badly-designed electronic system to do so, but I still get all of this crap foisted on me.

San Jose recently decided they were going to outlaw plastic bags (effective first of this year) because people were throwing them out on the roadway. The bags aren't the problem - it's the idiots littering that is the problem.

I started using CFL and LED bulbs to knock my power bills down. Howcumzit we always hear about PG&E wanting us to reduce power usage - then they jack up rates because they're not bringing in enough money?

We're supposed to be doing what we can to reduce fuel consumption. We reduce fuel consumption. Now, we've got various jurisdictions wanting to increase fuel taxes because they're not getting enough anymore - because we're trying to do what they wanted us to do. How's that work again?

I really do want to help the environment and the planet - I'm not done with it yet, and I want my grandkids to be able to enjoy camping (and maybe hunting?) if they want. But, there's really no incentive to do so - when the technologies to help cost more overall than the tech they're replacing, or .gov and .biz want to increase prices to make up for "lost revenue" due to decreased consumption.

While some of us are broad-minded enough to view a nebulous goal, but most people are going to respond to more pecuniary goals. However, when those goals keep getting stripped, don't come complaining to me that people "don't care" - because what's the point in trying for a goal if they keep moving the goalpost?

(Kinda like blood pressure numbers and cholesterol - I know they've knocked them down three or four times in the last 15 years or so. How'm I supposed to hit a target if they keep moving it?)

 

[Alex E]

Yeah, I didn't need the article to tell me it was voluntary! I've read the 4th Amendment! i would tell them to pound sand, but how many people others are going to do that? Or how many are going to be intimidated into pulling over? Why did they have CHP there anyway? To intimidate people into doing what they said! Either that, or to look over all the vehicles that chose not to stop. You think there isn't anything he can write every one of us up for at any given moment? I was writeen up for not having enough fluid in my washer bottle once! That cost me $22 and about 4 hours of my time!

Besides, this is just a giant step in the wrong direction... it's not the end of the line! These things could EASILY be made manditory once we all get used to seeing them. Then they'll be all over town and we'll be paying to pass through them! They'll fine us or impound our vehicles based ont he results (since everyone driving older, possibly poorly maintained, cars can afford to make up the worthless legislature's budget deficit!).

And then, if Obama and the liberals get their way, there will be another checkpoint 3 blocks down the road (we can't be too efficient, can we?) to check our body fat perccentage!

:flamemad::flamemad::flamemad:
Billy

Exactly, made mandatory. Its not that its voluntary or not, its the fact that these things are creeping incrementally over time. But the worst part is, what I call, "do gooders" in society, put others on the defensive. They say what do you have to worry about if your car passes smog, what do you have to hide? Or my favorite, "so you don't like clean air and water"? Its not that I don't agree with clean air or water BUT at what point does the government not intervene in every aspect of our life? I wish people would be better at conserving or treading lightly and being respectful. I just don't like the government micro managing all our lives and dictating to us how to conduct our self. I know there are a lot of A-holes out there who don't have respect for anything and its sad those people with no shame ruin it for the responsible ones. They are like the kid who sticks gum under the table and the next kid gets it in their pants so the teacher bans it, even when we all know who did it. I don't mind a little gum in my pants once in a while for the freedom we all enjoy.

 

[DaveNJeep]

Of course I have a HUGE problem with it. Especially as its executed. The CHP is there as an intimadating factor no doubt. Plus I'm sure they don't TELL YOU it's voluntary, you have to ask. And even then I'm sure the Storm Trooper tries to do everything he can to get you to comply.

This, much like DUI checkpoints violate MANY of our rights. But in todays society we as a people have said we are willing to trade some of our rights to justify an end result.

Yes, this is a very slippery slope we are all going down. Where does it stop? What if Society said they wanted to ban the scrouge of ...? and since we have set search and seisure precedent to this level just exactly how far are we from the storm troopers knocking on your door asking to let them in?