Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 09:04:05 -0400
Reply-To: David Brodbeck <gull@CYBERSPACE.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Brodbeck <gull@CYBERSPACE.ORG>
Subject: Re: Not passing smog, still... Need help!
In-Reply-To: <bf.2522f93f.2a9462eb@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Tue, 20 Aug 2002, Kim Brennan wrote:
> In a message dated 8/20/02 8:12:09 PM, jbrush@AROS.NET writes:
>
> >Good luck, this emissions and safety stuff is a total pile of governmental
> >bull cookies.....
>
> Perhaps you didn't live in Los Angeles during the 60s. The emissions stuff
> was DIRECTLY responsible for cutting down the smog.
May be true, but the rules they use in most states seem aimed more at
generating profits for repair shops, testing stations, and auto
dealerships than at really reducing smog. If they *really* wanted to
reduce smog, they'd use test-in-motion gear (which exists).
What often happens with the current system is someone's car fails, so they
take it to a mechanic. The mechanic tweaks it a bit, says, "It'll pass,
but bring it back afterwards because you can't drive it that way." The
person takes the vehicle (now running like crap) to the testing station,
it passes, then they take it back to the mechanic, who puts it back the
way it was. Nothing changes except the mechanic and the testing station
get richer.
Likewise, the rules about having "all original equipment" are just aimed
at selling new cars. Why should they care as long as the vehicle tests
okay? As it is, you can't even make changes that would *reduce*
emissions.
> As to the safety stuff, well, you haven't driven behind a truck when it
> decides to lose the tread on a tire. Recent survey have demonstrated that 40%
> of all trucks on Virginia roads will fail one or more safety check (tires and
> brakes being the most common failures.)
Yeah, but the safety inspections the rest of us have to go through are
irrelevent to that. Semi trucks seem to be exempt from pretty much all
laws, including speed limits. (When was the last time you saw one pulled
over? When was the last time you saw an *open* weigh station?) I think
the trucking lobby is greasing some palms, or maybe knows where a lot of
bodies are buried.
_ _
__ _ _ _| | | | David M. Brodbeck (N8SRE) Ypsilanti, MI
/ _` | | | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------
| (_| | |_| | | | @ cyberspace.org
\__, |\__,_|_|_| "Geekdom is fantastic at being AGAINST something, and
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