A few years ago, I noticed the car driving alongside me had a wobbly rim. At the next stop light, it was obvious the lug nuts were loose. I signaled the driver to lower his window, which he did. I said “The lugnuts on your left rear tire are loose. You’re about to lose it.” He proceeded to tell me “Go f . . k yourself! If you bother me again, I’ll call the police!” I rolled up my window, and hoped I would be lucky enough to see that rim overtake him
Several years ago, an older couple approached me in a grocery store parking lot, and asked me to install their spare tire. I readily agreed. I installed their full size spare, using their onboard tools, and put the spare in the spare tire well. I advised them to have the flat tire checked out as soon as possible, and to check the air on all of the tires. They gave me $5, which I tried to politely decline, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I had pretty much ruined my pants and t-shirt, but at least they were genuinely grateful.
I saw an old Impala with new tires and shiny new 24" rims in front of me. Both rear tires were wobbling. I stayed waaaaay back from them. As they started to slow for a red light, both rear tires shot off the car and it dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks. One tire went down in a ravine and the other into the woods on the other side of the road. When they got out their eyes were huge and they were in total shock.
I think these stories are a testament to the necessity of state mandated safety inspections. I know many states don’t do inspections well, but I believe the answer to bad government is good government, not no government. We all recognize these people who drive on damaged, underinflated, or bald tires are a hazard. It’s a shame we can’t agree on a solution.
Just consider the “never do preventive maintenance” folks a cash cow for mechanics, tow truck operators, morticians and banks. These are the folks that always drive leased or heavily financed cars, and never have enough money to replace a bad tire because they spend it all on car payments. They expect a car to be like a refrigerator; open the door and a light comes on, turn the key and it goes. Never buy a used car off one of these people!
We have no safety inspections in Ga only emissions and you can really tell.
In NJ, our esteemed governor eliminated safety inspections early in his first term, so that he could claim that he was reducing expenditures–even though he didn’t actually reduce expenditures. As a result, now I frequently see cars with no tail lights and/or no brake lights, and sometimes I see cars driving on bald tires with the steel belts showing through the tire carcass.
As an inspector at an inspection facility told me, “Even if somebody drives in on four flat tires, with no windshield and no brakes, I’m not even allowed to mention those problems to him”.
I would mention my safety concerns to Chris Christie, but I don’t know his forwarding addresses in…Iowa…New Hampshire…South Carolina…and all of the other states where he now spends his time, instead of being in NJ.
“he s wasting his time. no way he ll get the nomination”
I know that, and you know that, but his Delusions of Grandeur will not be denied…at least…not yet.
His PR machine has been working overtime, but at some point, the truth will come out, and once the rest of the country becomes aware of how he has run NJ into a ditch, he will be lucky if he can be elected as Dog Catcher.
^
And, ironically, when he is out of state, his duties are assumed by his Lieutenant Governor, who would have been indicted a few years ago, if not for the fact that our esteemed governor shut down the investigation into her wrongdoings when she was a county sheriff.
Shutting-down an investigation into official corruption?
I wonder how that will play in Iowa?
I live in northwest New Jersey And I totally agree with the last several posts. When you take your car to state inspection stations it seems there are as many inspectors as when they included safety inspections. The difference is that most of them don’t do anything.
One of the most obvious defects I’ve noticed , living on a steep hill, is people aren’t bothering to fix bad exhaust systems. I can imagine what other safety defects these cars have. So now New Jerseys budget deficit has grown wider while in other states it has narrowed.
I’m also in NJ, when my wife took her car for its first inspection a couple years ago, she asked me to check if her lights were working. I told her “no need for that anymore. The new inspection protocol is if your check engine light isn’t on, you pass”. I’m very concerned that Christie’s gutting of our inspection rules ( we used to have a comprehensive safety and emissions inspection) will result in a tragedy.
Oregon has no inspections with the exception of 2 cities that have emission inspections. Typically vehicle owners who cannot pass have friends or relatives in another city register their vehicle mail them the new license plate stickers (there are no windshield stickers) and keep driving. Where I live there are many illegal immigrants who work in the agricultural sector. A used vehicle with new plate stickers which cost $80 for 2years can command a $500 premium. I see a few total POS vehicles. I call them “judgment proof” Very likely no license, no insurance, no property, and no income except for public assistance. I try to stay far away from them.
OK. Lets get back to the original topic who needs maintenance. Anyone who keeps their new vehicle beyond the first warranty required service. Anyone who buys a used vehicle and does not know if scheduled maintenance has been performed. That’s about it.
the same mountainbike “Who needs maintenance”? Vehicle owners who have to pass state inspections! Some inspections are non-existent or minimal. Others are very stringent. If someone including myself learns something from a post I consider it Win! Win!
@db4690, that incident you related about the guy who refused to listen in regards to the lugnuts is about as tragic as it gets short of killing someone.
You have to wonder later on how much cursing he did when presented a bill for a new wheel, new wheel studs and lugs, and how he’s being ripped off.
That guy should not even have a drivers license. What a …
Back when OK used to have a safety inspection program we used to catch it all the time.
Write up a rejection slip for a bald tire that looked like a porcupine because of all the steel sticking out of it and it would lead to one of the following about half the time…
You’re just trying to gouge me for a new tire…
I looked at the tires yesterday and they were fine…
Can’t you go ahead and put a sticker on it. I’ve got an appointment this afternoon for new tires…
Can’t you scrap the rejection slip, forget the whole thing, and let me come back next week? (Can’t do; law said once the process starts it goes to the bitter end.)