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Show ' JUST STUFF PY IflN c License plates not a subject often foremost in your mind. They're something that every driver takes for granted. They're always there right on your bumper, waiting for you to glance at and write down whenever you buy gas or check into a motel. Well, license plates aren't always there when you need them. They have to be placed on the bumper at some point, and putting my plates on my car hasn't ranked high on my list of "important things to do." Oh, I knew it needed doing. It was merely a matter of buzzing down to the auto parts and picking up a few nuts and bolts to attach the plate to the car. After a friendly reminder from a cordial cop that "plates are necessary, and you could get a ticket" my plate placing quickly changed rank as to importance on the "things to do list". I decided to take care of the little matter that very lunch hour. Unfortunately, nuts and bolts ranked second to "getting a bite to eat." I stopped at a lttle deli for a sandwich and when I came out to my car a pistol-packing police person was giving my car a ticket for too little money in the meter. "Walt, wait, I'm back," I cried, and she looked at me and wryly grinned. "Where's your license plate?" she questioned. I tried to explain that the plate was in the car and I was on my way for bolts. She obviously didn't believe me. "Are you sure this is your car? This could very eaily be a stolen vehicle." Now, I'm not up on my car theft etiquette, but were I a vehicle villian escaping from the deli to my stolen car, and I happened to notice an officer of the law lurking about, I wouldn't return to my get-away car. But this didn't seem to cross the dutiful, dippy, dame-of-a deputy's mind. Before she was able to slap handcuffs on me, I was able to open the car and grab the plate. Offering the plate wasn't enough. I had to produce two forms of ID and my registration before she'd loosen her grip. And then, she had to call in her recently found information to make sure it was legitimate. Luckily it all checked out, and she was cordial enough to send me on my way with a "gentle reminder" and a parking ticket. Needless to say, my next stop was the nut and bolt shop. And I placed the plates on the bumper right in the parking lot. But the story doesn't end there. Unfortunately, I bought the wrong bolts and the screws soon jiggled loose, along with the plate. I was buzzing down the freeway and heard the jiggle noise. I pulled off to the side of the road to inspect. Sure enough, the plate was vibrating right off the bumper. Without thinking I grabbed it and tossed it in the back of the car, meaning to replace it later. Just my luck. The parking lot at work was under construction and the only place to park was across the street, in a two hour parking zone. Eight hours later, at the end of the day, I found my car with ticket intact. "Oh, well, $5.00 for over parking," I sighed, and then I looked. $5.00 for bver parking and another $!&( $12.00 for no license plate or sticker! I have learned, the hard way, the importance of proper, prompt prominent plate placement. Poop! |