The Cobbler has no shoes, or in this case, Brains

I have a very peculiar habit. Especially in the town I live in. I check registration and inspection stickers in people's car windows.

I do this as a service to them, since I know people tend to forget that they have to do annual inspections, and that their registrations are due every two years, and sometimes the renewals do not come in the mail.

This is especially a problem outside of New York City, where they are very diligent in ticketing cars that have expired registrations or inspections. I always tell people that they should be very careful when going into the City, since it is something the traffic enforcement agents look for, and will gleefully slap a $65.00 ticket on your car.

I just consider it a service that I provide to the community, since it is something I constantly think about.

Or so I thought.

We were in the city for the High Holidays. Parked for three days on the streets of Manhattan. I was able to completely forget about the car after diligent effort, so that I could focus on thoughts of the day. So I didn't even glance over at it (much) when I walked by to make sure that it and all its pieces were still there.

Well, Lovey comes to get us Saturday night and she tells me that we got a ticket for an expired inspection. I felt pretty stupid.

But it gets better.

Now, I know that if the inspection just expired, then you get it done immediately and send in the receipt, and they knock down the ticket significantly. Someone once asked me what could be done to fight such a ticket, but they had been expired for NINE months! I thought at the time how could anyone not notice that they were months overdue? In that case, you just dispute the ticket, and the city takes off about $23.00.

So I look at the ticket, figuring I will send in the receipt, and I would just check to see how little I was overdue.

June 30th.

'nuff said.