Breaking the Law

Something about having my car inspected gives me the heebie jeebies. I’m sure it probably has something to do with my tortured mind. I mean, what if there’s something wrong with it, so it won’t pass inspection until I get it fixed. And what if that something wrong is really four things wrong, and each one costs an exorbitant amount to fix (and let’s face it, I’m not rich here), but I have to do it because I’m two months behind on the inspection anyway. Oops. Yeah, that’s what just happened to me (Don’t worry, though. The last time I went four extra months before having it inspected).

Just to give you some background, this fear has some actual basis. Now, I’m not sure if it’s a catch-22 thing, where my car has issues because I wait to get it inspected, or if the inspection is just inherently evil, but there it is. The first time I ever had a car of mine inspected, it was revealed that I had a computer malfunction, and a new computer for that car costs $300 (that I didn’t have, but somehow found). Within the next three months the car itself died on me, so then I was out the $300 bucks (that I didn’t have in the first place), and I needed to find a new car too. The next time I had a car inspected it was only because my driver’s side window had gotten stuck in the down position, so all the elements were getting in my vehicle. Did I mention it was also winter (and I was already a month past the real inspection date)? That baby cost me almost $1000 to fix. Luckily I had just gotten my tax return check, and it took nearly all the money I thought I was going to have for a new laptop.

So, the precedent was set, and it continues to this day. And yes, I know it’s wrong, that if the police decided to stop me at any time, they would have just cause, and I would play a rather stiff fine. But I can’t stop the insane worry. Now, this last time I went to get my car inspected (as I mentioned previously), I had all this worry loaded up again, and again it cost me. Apparently, my back two tires were, in the words of the mechanic, “bald,” so that baby cost me another $377 dollars (that I again didn’t have, but somehow found). I’m sure if I had gotten those tires a few months ago it probably would have been cheaper, but it’s for some reason the only thing I procrastinate on, while I guess I shouldn’t. Maybe next time I will get it inspected ahead of time. Maybe.

Sam