Does anyone here report cars they see with expired registration or inspection?

[octothorpe]

I heard one of my co-workers discussing how she reported a bunch of people in her apartment for having expired tags. I would have asked her more about her motivation, but I don't really know her and I didn't want to cause any issues. I personally wouldn't report others, but i wouldn't feel bad for them if they got a ticket for not keeping on their responsibilities. I dunno, maybe the lady gets a kickback from the towing company...

Anyway, is there anyone here who reports expired tags of cars they see? If so, what's your motivation for doing so?

[LP2K12]

1. Wow.

I've never even heard of someone doing that.

I don't see what the benefit would be and what if they renewed, but forgot to put the new decal on? I did that once.

[octothorpe]

3. I did that too last time I registered.

I didn't even notice it until one day was turning right and a cop looked right at my window (in Texas the tags are put driver side windshield). He quickly turned around and started following me. I was trying to figure out what I did to get his attention, and that's when I noticed I forgot to affix my new sticker. I'm guessing he ran the plates and saw it was up to date, because he broke off and turned back around.

[OriginalGeek]

9. lol, the first warning ticket I ever got

was right outside of Duncanville, TX for an expired inspection sticker...The first time I had my car out on the road a day after I got my driver's license.

I had owned the car since I was 15... sanding and painting and restoring it in anticipation of getting my license. But I hadn't taken it down for inspection yet so when I went to pick up my girlfriend for our first ever date without parents taking us I wasn't even 2 minutes from her front porch when a cop saw the dried up, crinkly scrap of old inspection sticker dangling barely by a brown corner from the lower left quadrant of the windshield and lit his dome up and pulled me over.

He listened to story of me working and waiting almost 2 years to get to drive my girl on a date and saw how scared we were and gave me a break and said if he saw me again without the sticker he'd write me up for real. I had it down at the station for inspection first thing Monday morning.


A week later my friend came by and talked me into going to a place he knew would sell us beer without checking our ID's and so I did and ended up totaling that 1968 Pontiac Firebird. Goddammit I miss that car. I know how lucky I am to be alive and have never done anything like that again so I reckon I learned that lesson pretty cheaply considering how a lot of teenage drinking stories come out. But at the time it seemed like the end of the world.

[RiffRandell]

2. No way.

Obviously she needs to get a life.

[blueamy66]

4. because they are assholes

nt

[geardaddy]

5. She sounds like an asshole.

or a shrew.

[RiffRandell]

7. Lol! n/t

[driver8]

6. Your co-worker needs to get a fucking life.

That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard...why should she care who is driving around with an expired registration or inspection??

[RebelOne]

8. Nope, because I would not want anyone to report me. n/t

[petronius]

10. I would guess it's because she hates her neighbors and wants to hurt them by any

means available. It could be that the neighbors are horrible people who deserve mistreatment, but my guess is that it's actually this woman who is not fit for human society.

I'm not really sure how this would work, though - would a cop come out to ticket/tow a car for having expired tags while parked on private property? Seems pretty trivial for law enforcement to care about, and I doubt that a tow company alone would be able to enforce it. Unless the lease requires current tags, and the management has a tow contract for 'unauthorized' vehicles?

[Momgonepostal]

36. see my post below for details...

but management here in CA had a contract with a tow company, and they would come out and do it, in the dead of night.

My friend started parking his car on the city street instead of inside the complex because a local cop told him the PD was unlikely to do anything since they have bigger crime fish to fry than expired tags. Go figure.

[TorchTheWitch]

67. here the police come out

and stick a huge orange sticker on the back windshield that states the law and the person has like 2 days to get the car up to date or it gets towed away. There's a spot on the sticker for the police to fill in the date and their badge number. This sticker is enormous - like a foot square. They only do it if there's a complaint though.

[Major Nikon]

11. I can only think of one good reason

If there are cars with way out of date tags that don't move and are taking up needed parking spaces, but this would really be the responsibility of the apartment complex to handle as they can have cars towed.

I seriously doubt if the cops would act on this. There's nothing wrong with having expired registration if the vehicle is parked on private property and isn't being used on public roads.

[bluedigger]

15. That was my thought as well.

If there were an issue with parking maybe.

Generally, I got shit to do.

[Fla Dem]

72. My only thought, other than she has an interest in the tow company, is she herself was towed

for expired tags, felt she was targeted so now she balances the scale by reporting anyone else.

[Taverner]

12. That's just fucking cruel

Hell, maybe someone should go into people's houses and check mattress tags

[Curmudgeoness]

21. Check mattress tags!

I wouldn't give that woman any ideas.

[Iggo]

13. Of course not. What a completely dickish thing to do. (n/t)

[KamaAina]

14. Only if they have Rmoney/Ryan stickers on them

[hifiguy]

16. No.

That is an unbelievably mean-spirited and petty thing to do. Maybe those folks have money issues. Lots of people do these days.

[octothorpe]

18. That's what i was thinking too...

The only times in which I didn't keep that stuff up to date was because I was in tight spots. Having a car towed would have just made it impossible to rectify the issue. Not only does one have to deal with the fine and the cost of getting it out of impound, but they also might not be able to make it to work. It just seems cruel to me.

[HopeHoops]

17. Nope. I've got one on the street with an expired registration AND expired inspection.

I just can't afford to fix her right now.

[warrprayer]

19. bad times

I hav spent a quarter of my life dodging cops with an expired Pa. inspection sticker. It wasn't that the car was unsafe, it's that every time I have gone to get a car inspected they somehow find an excuse to rebuild the car from the ground up.

[Llewlladdwr]

20. I don't see the problem here.

Part of your registration or inspection fee goes to the state to help pay for infrastructure maintenance and other expenses. By not paying these fees you aren't doing your fair share. I wouldn't personally take the time to report someone but I can't see how doing so would be morally incorrect.

[OriginalGeek]

22. It's not "morally" incorrect

it's ass-holishly incorrect.

[Llewlladdwr]

24. So it's cool to skip paying fees and taxes?

And assholish to expect people to pay their share?

I'm not getting this....

[Throd]

25. Perhaps they are unable to pay the fees at this time.

[Llewlladdwr]

27. Then shouldn't they refrain from driving until they can do so?

Come on folks, think about this. You can't have a government without revenue. If no one pays fees or taxes then how do we maintain our infrastructure and social safety net? Would you justify not informing on an income tax cheat with this logic?

[OriginalGeek]

29. now we've gone from "Some people at an apartment"

to "no one"? Nowhere in this situation did anyone say the whole of society stopped paying for their tags.

If I don't report a neighbor for having expired tags the government will probably live to see another day anyway.

There is just no good reason to go out of my way to get someone else in trouble for dinky shit like this.

My first job is to take care of myself and my family. If the neighbor doesn't wanna pay his license fee, that's on him. Hell, if I can, I'll help my neighbor pay his fee. That would be the non-asshole thing to do.

If I overhear the neighbor planning a bombing and I see a new shipment of diesel fuel and fertilizer, yeah, I'll be on the horn to the authorities.

[Momgonepostal]

38. even if they refrain from driving...

they still have to PARK their car somewhere. This was a neighbor reporting cars parked in her apartment complex.

People SHOULD pay their bills, but times are tough. I could see how someone would let that one slide so they could still pay for rent, food, electricity...

[PD Turk]

48. you've obviously never been poor

I have, I know what it's like to wake up in the morning with your back against the wall and have to get into a beater of an old car to get to a crummy low wage job because it's all you've got and you've got no other way to get there. Looking in the rearview mirror on pins and needles hoping a cop doesn't come up behind you and see that expired tag you couldn't afford to get because the kid needed medicine.... seeing a cop a few blocks behind and taking a side street so he woun't roll up behind you at the next traffic light. Hoping and praying there will be enough left over after utilities and a few groceries to get the car tagged next payday.

It's an awful feeling, and a lot of people have no other choice, especially down here in red state hell where we don't have public transportation worth a shit. The last thing poor folks need is some prick ratting them out over an expired tag, we've got enough problems as it is.

[Llewlladdwr]

49. Obviously?

See my post #46. I've been poor as hell. Been in this exact situation.

But come on. Taxes and fees are the dues we pay for living in a civilized society. Without that revenue our government can't function. If you're not paying you're not doing your part.

[Llewlladdwr]

52. Touché!

Awesome debate skills ya got there...

[PD Turk]

53. I've got no interest in debating you

If you're the kind of person that thinks it's ok to rat out your poor neighbors I've got no interest in conversing with you at all, you're a piss poor excuse for a human being.

[Llewlladdwr]

58. I just think everyone should pay their fair share.

If you're using the roads you should help to maintain them.

[PD Turk]

59. then why don't you came down here

And talk to the oil-rich SOBs that keep this state in poverty and keep all of us living hand to mouth here? Talk about assholes who don't want to pay their "fair share". And public transportation, here? Forget it, by the time that asshole Ernest Istook got through with his tirades against anything "public" it's a wonder we even have a public library here anymore let alone buses.

And as far as "fair share" goes, us poor bastards who fall behind on our license tags here get whacked with all kinds of late fines and fees when we finally do manage to gather up enough money to get caught up so we wind up paying more than our fair share.

My opinion of a rat fink motherfucker that would snitch on his neighbors isn't subject to change, that's a lowdown dirty asshole to me.

[Llewlladdwr]

61. Look, I'm sorry you're struggling.

But that doesn't absolve one of their societal obligations. I mean, it's not like you don't know you're going to have to pay this. You have to register your vehicle every year. Set aside $10 a month and you'll have enough to cover it. Is $10 a month really too much for the state to ask in return for roads?

[Llewlladdwr]

63. Geez dude, take a breath.

Now exhale.....

Sorry my advice upset you so much. But it seems to me your "fuck society" attitude might not be out of place a little further to the right either.

[PD Turk]

64. I've got a better idea

I'll just use the ignore function, best thing to do with trolls

[OriginalGeek]

28. It's assholish to report people

for having expired tags. It just is. All we know from the story is that parked cars are being reported. Maybe these people aren't paying because they can't yet but that doesn't mean they are driving. And if they are driving they run the risk of getting caught and will end up paying even more most likely. So what kind of an asshole goes around looking in other people's business for minor infractions to report?

Go ahead and report. No law says you can't. Just know if anyone does that, they are an asshole.

[Llewlladdwr]

31. I respectfully disagree OriginalGeek.

When you decline to pay the fees and/or taxes you owe the government then you're stealing from all of us. That's what seems assholish, at least in my opinion. I can't find any moral outrage for someone who reports those persons to the proper authorities.

[OriginalGeek]

42. Well, that's kind of you to respectfully disagree

I appreciate that and will say that in a perfect hypothetical world, yes, everyone should pay their taxes and fees and all their responsibilities.

But in the down and dirty real world where I gotta live with my neighbors I just would never even think to report one for having expired tags. And if one of my neighbors said he was gonna report someone else, I'd think he was an asshole.

Times are tough all over and I sincerely don't want to add to anyone else's burden directly if there's any way I can avoid it. It's simply more important to me to help my neighbors rather than turn them in.

[fizzgig]

44. do you have any idea what it's like to not have money for that shit?

and still need the car to get to the measly paying job you need to pay for it? do you have to make the choice each paycheck whether you're going to pay rent, gas, electric or buy groceries?

you just make the assumption that they are doing it to screw us all, i'm willing to bet most of them do because they simply don't have the money at the time. and don't give me anything about how they can take public transportation because often times that is not an option, at least in cities like mine with laughable public transportation.

how about you take off your judgey pants and put on your compassion pants.

[Llewlladdwr]

46. Yes, I do.

I was recently divorced, raising two kids, and couldn't afford to repair my vehicle so it could pass inspection. So I rode the bus to work every day for five months. I went to the grocery store on foot. Scrounged up rides for my kids when they needed to go somewhere. Did a lot of biking. And eventually got together the money to get my vehicle back in operation legally.

So yeah, I've got some idea.

[fizzgig]

51. yeah, buses aren't much of an option here

and without being able to get to work, you can't have money for all the things you need to survive. hard to bike if you don't have a bike.

it's great you were able to do it, but it's not possible for everyone. you're coming across as though they're personally screwing you by not having up-to-date registration. the money will get there sooner or later.

[Llewlladdwr]

55. It's not that they're screwing me...

it's that they're screwing everyone else. All of the people who somehow found a way to pay whatever it was that they owed to the government. I can see that you think I'm being a jerk here but if we allow everyone to decide what they will or won't pay into the government coffers then pretty soon there won't be any money there at all.

Am I missing something here? I thought that progressives believe that if we all pay our fair share we all do better. We all pitch in for the common good so that there's enough money to do the things we need to do as a society. I'm fairly certain that your city and state are probably running a deficit, that seems to be the case most everywhere. Don't you think they need that money?

[crunch60]

71. Jeez dude, get off you self righteous soap box will ya! So your just a model citizen. Some of us

understand that many people are having a difficult time paying rent, feeding the kids you know? I am not going to look to make their life any more stressful right now.

[bluesbassman]

23. Nope, that's bad juju. Don't laugh at cars broken down or with flat tires either. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

74. That reminds me of the time I had a blowout in Virginia

I called a tire shop from a pay phone at a convenience store, and the guy at the tire shop said he was across the street and saw the whole thing and said everyone in the shop was laughing about it. The stupid idiot laughed himself out of a sale. I ended up going to a tire shop on the other side of town.

[Throd]

26. Those are not the actions of a happy person.

[mythology]

30. I wouldn't do that, without an additional reason

but I don't have a problem with her doing it either. Of course, I can't imagine having so little to do that I'd notice other license plates and their tag status.

[hunter]

32. Report to who?

The State of California already knows who hasn't paid car registration and where they live. Our local cops are understaffed and too busy with worse problems to care. The Highway Patrol will sometimes pull someone over if they have expired tags, but they are usually looking for higher paying violations like not wearing seatbelts, speeding, or people driving in car pool lanes without passengers.

In a society where people have one or two low paying jobs that require a car to get to, paying too much attention to car registration tags is simply harassment. If a car in California doesn't pass the smog test it can take a long time to get that fixed, especially for anyone short of cash and employers who won't allow time off work.

Say what you will about the police, I don't think most of them want to be the cop who pushes an honest working person off the edge by towing a car away for something mundane like a recently expired tag.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

40. Exactly...

Agree with all of your points.

[handmade34]

33. that is just not nice

I can't think of any acceptable reason for doing that

[noamnety]

34. No, but

I do flag craiglist ads to sell or trade firearms.

[Momgonepostal]

35. Wow, I would never...

but when I lived in a condo complex, I know this happened. I got home from work about midnight once and a tow company was hitching up a neighbor's SUV. I asked and they said it was none of my business.

I woke up the neighbor and he came out in his pj's to try to talk them out of it. He ended up having to pay a fee just to have them unhitch the car. Turns out, the complex had been warning him this would happen if he didn't pay his registration. He'd just been downsized and was making less money than he was used to and just didn't have it. I thought the whole thing just sucked.

I can see ratting out a neighbor who's running a meth lab, but an expired tag? Please... Anyway, just my opinion, but I think your co-worker is a slime dog.

[HeiressofBickworth]

37. I must be really blind

It simply would never occur to me to even LOOK at someone's registration. I couldn't tell you if any of my neighbors have expired tabs. I've never looked.

I suspect that most people don't check their neighbor's registration tabs. There must be more to this story -- a long-running neighborhood conflict of some kind. Or, in the alternative, she is a bitch.

[MiddleFingerMom]

41. The other day on the bus, there was this VERY old woman who was complaining to the driver...

.
.
.
... about my walker -- even before I was on the bus. She was reminding him that I needed to fold it
up once I sat down to make it as unobtrusive as possible (I always do this unless it's loaded with
groceries).
.
I thought it a little odd (and a little bit assholish), but then a couple of blocks later, this blind man got
on with his seeing eye dog. She stood up and actually BLOCKED his way while complaining to the
driver that she knew this man's dog didn't have a service animal tag (he's a very frequent rider and
he explained to the driver that the tag had gotten lost -- who CARES if it were true or not).
.
He was confused as he didn't know what was going on at first -- knowing only that he couldn't make
it to a seat. Several people told her to sit down and shut up, but she kept complaining to the driver
until someone actually stood up, took her gently by the arm and LED her back to a seat.
.
My first thought was that this was a sad, lonely old woman with all the aches and pains you can
imagine someone that age might have... but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that
she was just too comfortable with what she was doing -- and had almost certainly been an asshole...
an obnoxious YOUNG tattletale and busybody and control freak all throughout her life.
.
SHE would've been the type to turn people in for expired tags, too. And for talking while the teacher
was out of the room.
.
Some folks are pathetically in need of the slightest bit of "power" and control over others.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That said, all of you just sit down and be quiet!!!!!
.
.
.

[HeiressofBickworth]

54. I agree with you

about the use of power. You're probably right about the woman you observed; it may be life-long behavior on her part.

I have a cousin who told me many years ago that she turned in a friend of hers to the IRS so she would get audited (and she did get audited) because she thought her friend needed to be taught a lesson (about which I either don't know or don't remember). It therefore came as no surprise many years later when she had the opportunity, that she stuck the knife in my back and twisted it. That was in 2003 and I have never seen or spoken to her again nor will I. I doubt that her control issues have ever been resolved or satisfied.

Oh, yes, she is a bible-thumping Republican -- did it even need to be said?

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

39. That person with the expired tags might doing the best they can financially!

There is a reason why someone's tags are expired and it is not due to being lazy. Maybe they don't have enough money to get their car fixed in order for it to be inspected... and reporting them which leads to another ticket and this leads to needing more money? Sounds like a merry may tattle tale with no life (your co-worker)

Your co-worker needs to mind her own business. There are so many I know who have something wrong with their cars and don't have the money at the time to get their cars fixed to pass inspection. You never know what someone's situation is. My message to your co-worker would be "if you're not going to help me, stfu and move out of my way!!!". Sorry but I strongly dislike people like her. One day she WILL be in their shoes and karma is going to comel. "Not keeping on their responsibilities..." - they are not killing anybody and no one else's life is affected if their registration is expired.

And the point that she is "bragging" about it while telling you and everyone else, oh karma is coming.

[BlueMan Votes]

43. i wouldn't even know how/where to report it...

i doubt that the 911 people would be too pleased with the call.
and most cops at the non-emergency number would probably think that it was just a prank call anyway.

[fizzgig]

45. it's a dick move

and not even something i look at or give a shit about.

[Mr.Bill]

47. Me and the cops seem to have a deal.

They never help me and I never help them.

[BlueJazz]

56. I don't try to make other people's lives harder. I wish they would buy their..

...stickers and such but if they can't, they can't.
It's not up to me to fuck with them.

The rich screw us out of revenue 1000 X more than any person without a sticker...

THAT I worry about..

[irisblue]

57. stay away from this coworker.

whatever soulsickness she has makes it too dangerous
and it would never occur to me to rat out someone for this.

[bigregg4838]

60. Stop Snitchin'!!!

That same person will witness a murder and be shook (scared) to say anything (thinking the perpatrators will "get" them). But, will sneak and report something so "small." Turning in someone who just may be doing bad... STR8 C O W A R D ! ! !

Even the person of authority to whom he/she snitches is like: No BitchAzzNess Please (Thanks DIDDY for the word; I luvs it)!!

[crunch60]

65. Absolutely Not! Thinking of my plumber, who rode his bike to my

house today, with lots of his tools in a backpack. Can't afford to get his vehicle fixed . He did a terrific job on my pluming issues. He blew a tire on his bike on the way to my house, so I bought him a new tube. He's a good guy. Many like him.
He and his wife have four kids to support.

[TorchTheWitch]

66. only if I suspect a car has been dumped

We have very little parking here for residents, and occasionally some ass dumps a car here so they don't have to bother taking it to the car dump. They often aren't drivable, have a flat tire or two, missing fenders, etc, and tags are either non-existent or very overdue. Other than that I don't care what the cars of the people that live here or their guests have for tags... wouldn't even occur to me to look. If I happen to notice a neighbor with an expired tag I might let them know so they don't get pulled over. I figure they just forgot about it, and I'd hate to see someone get ticketed just because they forgot or still need time to scrape up the money to get it done or something. This year I got my registration done just in the nick of time because I just plain forgot about it. It happens to the best of us. I just don't seem to remember these things, and I really appreciate it if someone notices and lets me know in case I forgot about it.

[hobbit709]

68. I've never had much use for the Gladys Kravitz types.

[GoCubsGo]

69. No.

I screwed up this year and forgot to send in my registration. I remembered a week or two after the deadline. It took at least a month before I got my new tag. I am glad nobody reported me, because I couldn't afford the late fees I had to pay as it was, let alone a ticket. I sure as hell am not going to report someone else.

The only time I was ever tempted to report someone was my crazy-ass ex-officemate. She had a house in another state, and moved here for her job. She kept her other tags, even though this state was her primary residence. It went on for 7 or 8 years, and she got away with it. The only good thing about us all getting laid off is that she took her batshit crazy self back to Texas.

[DaniDubois]

70. Never would I do such an awful thing.

People are having hard times, most can barley afford to take the family to the movies, or go on vacation anymore. Small business and the average worker are being taxed and regulated to death, meanwhile large corporations pay very little state tax and no one bothers to point them out or call them in. I believe in having my teammates back, not stabbing it.

[bamacrat]

73. One of the bigger douche moves I have heard of. n/t