I got busted..

[Grover]

When I got home today I found a letter from the California Air Resources Management Board. Apparently on a recent trip to Sausalito (where any BMW, Jag, or Benz made before circa 2003 is considered a dilapidated POS) someone reported me for having excessive smoke coming out my rear, and I'm not talking about eatin' too much chili!! I've known this for a while and am just pulling parts together for a rebuild. Bummer. Just venting...

[ClayW]

When I got home today I found a letter from the California Air Resources Management Board. Apparently on a recent trip to Sausalito (where any BMW, Jag, or Benz made before circa 2003 is considered a dilapidated POS) someone reported me for having excessive smoke coming out my rear, and I'm not talking about eatin' too much chili!! I've known this for a while and am just pulling parts together for a rebuild. Bummer. Just venting...

Holy crap. That seems like reason alone not to live in California.

So, what does that mean, anyway? The average citizen can just call up CARMB and say, "I saw billowing smoke coming from a car with license plate XXXXXX and, even though I'm not a chemical engineer, I'm sure it was bad for the environment" and you get a letter? Do you get a fine, too?

Here in Texas, they leave it up to each county to decide wether or not to smog test for inspection....and that's it. Wether you're in one of these counties or not, any car over 25 years old is exempt. I suppose that's because driving an older car means you didn't pay for energy wasting plants to create a new one.

God Bless Texas.

Hope it turns out well for you.

[RandyMolson]

We lose our liberty in bite-sized pieces. Day after day. Year after year. Is there not a line that can be crossed before Americans decide that they have had enough?

[DukeRimmer]

Here in Santa Cruz you need an environmental impact report to dig a post hole, and a permit to set the post (No joke. I heard it from a county planner.)

Changing our roof shingles, toilet, or circuit breaker are all outlaw behaviors. My neighbor was busted for "outdoor storage of personal property".

Sorry for the off topic, but it makes my blood boil to live in a place where it is impossible to get through the day without breaking some law.

New this year dogs can not be left alone in the car. I hate the nannys, now my dogs do too.

[02fanatic]

Amen Randy.....and PA is getting worse by the day...but living in California must suck! :-) Just kidding, I'm envious! :-)

John Weese

Landisville, PA

[Armond]

Grover,

That happend 6 years ago when I owned a MB 300D. I ignored it. nothing happend. I dont think they can force you to do anything. I think it's just an awareness thing. Good luck

[KFunk]

no rules here in southeast ohio! no emissions laws in hawaii either!

I once drove my Dodge straight thru Waikiki (the major tourism capitol) just billowing out smoke throughout the whole neighborhood on my way to a friends house to change the headgasket, and nobody said a word.

[jerry]

Here in Santa Cruz you need an environmental impact report to dig a post hole, and a permit to set the post (No joke. I heard it from a county planner.)

Changing our roof shingles, toilet, or circuit breaker are all outlaw behaviors. My neighbor was busted for "outdoor storage of personal property".

Sorry for the off topic, but it makes my blood boil to live in a place where it is impossible to get through the day without breaking some law.

Mitch, this topic makes me mad as hell and i could fill up a whole page of off-topic rants on this topic. i'm 5 years and waiting for a building permit to enlarge my workshop and add a garage. Marin County is populated with lawyers and the people who hire them and the MC Planning Department is only concerned with covering their A$$es.

i had to revise a complete set of architecturally rendered plans because she (miss planning commission queen), was concerned that, although the current neighbors had already agreed to my plans in advance, the fact that a former neighbor who no longer lived there, raised a concern 10 years ago, she was concerned with the 'potential' possibility that sometime in the future, some future neighbor MIGHT raise a concern. btw, the original issue was a result of petty jeolousy from a neighbor who played the system at our expense, but it's now public record and i allowed myself to be screwed by her (miss planning commission queen's) cowardice.

i'm sorry, this is WAY off topic but it's not hard to tell how mad and frustrated i am. there's more petty neighbor crap but i'll step down from my soapbox.

..........kicking the soapbox to the middle of the floor....., sorry... move along folks. the madman is finished. hurry along, nothing more to see.

[Grover]

The letter is nothing but a heads-up, no fine or anything, although they do offer to buy the car (since it's pre-1985) for a whopping $650... think I'll pass on that generous offer.

The letter also states that if an officer of the law sees my car smoking for in excess of 10 seconds I can get a $250 fine.

It's ironic that I'm the one that received the letter, and I'm actually in SUPPORT of this program. With my car currently ranking just behind China and India as the world's third worst emitter of green house gases, I was due for a little note suggesting I take care of business. Honestly, I've got no problem with our government suggesting that we drive cars which aren't gross polluters. Now if they made me take it off the road altogether, that would be another story.

[Armond]

Tell them you can use the 650 to help you fix it. I'm serious.

[Guest]

Apparently on a recent trip to Sausalito (where any BMW, Jag, or Benz made before circa 2003 is considered a dilapidated POS) someone reported me for having excessive smoke coming out my rear, and I'm not talking about eatin' too much chili!!

That's why I stay the h-e-double L out of Marin. That and the fact that I don't drive a Range Rover.

[Armond]

Grover,

Let us know the next time you're up this way. I'm about 10 min north of Sausalito. Oh yeah, I wish I had a Land Rover sport...Supercharged.

[cj]

Sell your redwood tree and buy one.

Cris

[jetboy]

ive gotten two of those, but they don't do anything. i kinda fixed the car anyway, its only when i'm fiddling with the carbs that ill get some bad smoke sometimes--

but seems like someone around here is really on it- ill go out to test and burn off a bunch of unused gas and boom! get a letter in the mail.

the other day i had a bad setting on and drove right past a huge police station - i was super paranoid but nothing came of it.

[steve k.]

got one of those 5 years ago from Berkeley on i80. Part of the letter stated that they really cannot do anything

steve