Texas Safety Inspection

[Valeria H.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

NC exempts any car from a safety inspection reguardless of the type of license plate if it is 35 years old.

I believe PA exempts any car from inspection that is 25 years old but does place driving restrictions to once a week?? Please correct me on this if I am mistaken.

Sounds like the TX police officers are rather hard nosed.
Valeria

[Chuck S.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

...Sounds like the TX police officers are rather hard nosed...

They certainly can be when a murderer, rapist, or other bad dudes fall into their jurisdiction. But, truth be told, most Texas peace officers have better things to do than ticket sticker violaters, but it IS a violation of the law that provides revenue to the state. I have often been the beneficiary of that benign neglect.

Occasionally, you will encounter someone with a new badge they're still polishing with their shirt sleeve...it recently happened to my wife. Now, this woman has never had a moving violation in her entire life, and she's only had one parking ticket as far as know (the sign was covered by shrubs). Well, he tagged her just before she entered a construction zone.

I was riding in the passenger seat, and I remain unconvinced she was speeding, but I was enjoying her discomfort a little. His radar beam probably bounced off a car on the other side of the highway, but it's fruitless to argue with someone in authority that is supposed to know the technical limitations of their equipment. He checked her proof of insurance and called in her registration, and came back to tell her how dangerous it was to speed in construction zones and to slow down...no ticket. He couldn't see me chuckling internally.

Now, I'm thinking they were on the lookout for a serial rapist that had been targeting elderly women in Central Texas, and he might have thought I was that person in the process of forcing a victim to drive out to a secluded place. He might have been looking for any excuse to stop my wife and read the body language inside the car...and she was at least close to the posted limit (Texas law enforcement would generally give you 5-10 over the posted limit). Anyone that's seen my wife would never call her elderly (she is hot), but I like to think that young man was out there protecting the citizens of Texas.

The Supreme Court has ruled that law enforcement does not necessarily need to observe any violation if you are acting suspiciously in a vehicle, but Texas law enforcement usually comes up with something if they want to see your ID and registration. Being seen three times in the same day in a rare collector car with limited use plates and no parade might be just have been the excuse he needed to find out if Michael REALLY owned the car, or if he had just boosted it. Alas...having found out that Michael WAS the real owner, but driving his limited use car without a parade was enough to get a ticket. Technically, it was a violation of the law; But, the officer could have just been jealous...Don't Mess With Texas!

[Steven B.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

I was riding in the passenger seat, and I remain unconvinced she was speeding, but I was enjoying her discomfort a little.

Chuck, does your wife read your posts?

I don't know all of the reasons given drivers for stopping cars, vans, suv's, etc. on I-35 and I-30 in TX but there are alot stopped, and alot of drugs confiscated. You most always get 5-10 mph from the State Troopers, but the local authorities patrolling the interstates are a different story.

I remember years ago on a Dallas news cast a reporter asked the question "What do all small Texas towns have in common?" Answer; Dairy Queens and speed traps.

Steve

[Chuck S.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

I was riding in the passenger seat, and I remain unconvinced she was speeding, but I was enjoying her discomfort a little.

Chuck, does your wife read your posts?

I don't know all of the reasons given drivers for stopping cars, vans, suv's, etc. on I-35 and I-30 in TX but there are alot stopped, and alot of drugs confiscated. You most always get 5-10 mph from the State Troopers, but the local authorities patrolling the interstates are a different story.

I remember years ago on a Dallas news cast a reporter asked the question "What do all small Texas towns have in common?" Answer; Dairy Queens and speed traps.

Steve

HaHaHa...Yeah, Steve, she read it; I showed it to her. She knows my sense of humor. I diligently pursued full disclosure and transparency before we got married; the good, the bad, the ugly...she needed to be fully informed in order to make her own decision. She's my best friend; her only comment..."I'm hot, hungh?"

Now, her feelings would have been hurt if I had revealed that she drives like a nervous old librarian that gets out once a month. Uncharacteristically, she was cool and calm when the officer stopped her. Good thing, too...if she had been nervous and lost it under stress, the passenger might have been invited out of the car for confirmation of ID and a pat down...the laffin' would definitely have been over then.

[Steven B.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

HaHaHa...Yeah, Steve, she read it; I showed it to her. She knows my sense of humor. I diligently pursued full disclosure and transparency before we got married; the good, the bad, the ugly...she needed to be fully informed in order to make her own decision. She's my best friend; her only comment..."I'm hot, hungh?"

Now, her feelings would have been hurt if I had revealed that she drives like a nervous old librarian that gets out once a month. Uncharacteristically, she was cool and calm when the officer stopped her. Good thing, too...if she had been nervous and lost it under stress, the passenger might have been invited out of the car for confirmation of ID and a pat down...the laffin' would definitely have been over then.

Chuck, I gotta' tell this one. A couple of years ago my wife was riding with a friend from Dallas to Lake Cypress Springs on I-30. They saw a dog a couple of hundred feet off the highway then a couple of miles down the road my wife's friend decided to pass a truck. As she got around him going 80 in the 70 mph zone she saw a State Trooper. She got stopped. When asked why she was going so fast she said she saw a dog near the road and speeded up so as not to hit it. No, he didn't buy it but he did tell her to slow down. Now her friend is a bit naive. She had picked up a dozen Krispy Kremes before leaving Dallas and asked the officer "Would you like a donut?" He stared at her for a moment and politely replied "No thank you ma'am." My wife, after laughing and tears in her eyes, informed her of the stories about officers and donuts. She didn't believe my wife as she thought it was a joke.

Steve

[Chuck S.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

...He stared at her for a moment and politely replied "No thank you ma'am." My wife, after laughing and tears in her eyes, informed her of the stories about officers and donuts. She didn't believe my wife as she thought it was a joke...

HaHaHa...Angels definitely look out for fools and children.

In that brief stare, he determined she was really sincere in her offer. No doubt TDPS has very strict rules on accepting any gifts or bribes, regardless of how insignificant the value. I expect that story generated some mirth when it was retold back at the station.

[Rick S.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

After 30 years in law enforcement and 7 years working in the local district court, the stories continue.
When we stopped someone for a violation and the driver would exclaim, "Officer, I haven't had a ticket in over ** years" (you pick the highest figure you can think of), we would respond "So that means you haven't been caught in ** years". We always had a good internal laugh looking at their face at that point.
Or, the other good one was "What do you have, a quota?" The response: "Nah, the department dropped the quota system...... we can write as many as we want now".
It was always fun explaining to your supervisor when the ticketed person was complaining about our conduct.
Rick

[Jaime G.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

In California, all vehicles pre 1975 regardless of plates do not require annual or biannual inspections. Exempt, thanks to Arnold ,a car guy.

[Fred C.]

Re: Texas Safety Inspection

I got real tired with the hassle of yearly inspection, one guy did not know how to drive a manual the next year on another one of my vetts the guy was too fat to fit in the car, finally I got antique plates on both my 70 and 65 vette--------which does not require yearly inspection. It has worked out well for me.
fc