I live in Massachusetts, and the legislature recently decided to have the auto emissions test done on a dynemometer, to more closely duplicte real conditions. These fools really have stuck to us-besides being expensive and time consuming, most shops don’t have the equipment yet!
Not only that, I used to work in a ghetto area-and you should see all the run-down wrecks sporting certification stickers! And, every day I see cars blowing blus smoke, polluting the atmoshere like 10,000 cars, and they just sail past the police cars-the cops NEVER stop these people!
Plus, busses and trucks are exempt-stupid, stupid, stupid!
egkelly, they did the same thing to us here in Colorado. They mandated dynamometers, and, of course, no shops had them or could afford them. So they brought in a company called Envirotest to do the tests.
The catch is this: You had to go to Envirotest to get your emissions tests. All private businesses were allowed to do were test on vehicles of the 1981 model year or older. So, by government fiat, they basically took business away from lots of private companies and gave it to a state-sponsored monopolies.
And, true to the expectation of any capitalist economist out there, with the lack of competition came higher prices and worse service. Hope you enjoy it! :rolleyes:
On a bright note, they’re now talking about doing away with all paid emissions testing. They are now testing remote monitors that measure emissions as you drive by. Kinda like photo radar, but with its powers used for good instead of evil.
…and you answer the ad that states “Smog Checks - $17.99” only to find out that the Smog Check Certificate will be an additional $7.
WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT?
Nevermind that a smog check is pointless without the certificate as proof.
Nevermind that the “certificate” is in name only–the actual “certificate” is transmitted to the DMV electronically by the smog check machine.
Rat-fink bastards.
I hope they somehow choke on an $8 valve stem that wasn’t included with the $50 tire I purchased.
God I hate this world of ours.
I just had to give my rant on this topic too.
Here in Ohio emissions testing is required in the Cleveland and Dayton areas only. What is up with that, the cars in the rest of the state are ok ? I once had it explained to me that these areas are targeted due to the pollution levels there caused by the industries. Well if the industries are polluting, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TESTING THE CARS ???
Second, I live and work in the Columbus area, and a great deal of my day is spent driving, so I have a company provided vehicle, a less than 3 year old one at that. (nice bennie!). It is, however registered to my office in Cleveland, and when it’s time to get new plates, I have to drive to either Cleveland or Dayton for the E-check to get the sticker. Stupid ass bureaucracy anyway.
Finally, the technology for the drive by road testing has been around since E-checking was thought up. Somehow though, it was determined not to use this method. After all, why would you want to waist time picking out only the vehicles that are actually a problem, when you can set up a state bureaucracy to test all vehicles, INCLUDING THE NEW ONES. Dumb ass’s anyway.
Thanks for the vent, I feel better.
I’m in “Smog Alert” country, where schools close because of it.
Yet, every day I have to wait 15 minutes at the toll booth, surrounded by sound walls and a mile of cars doing stop-and-go.
And not half of the toll booths are manned!
There is so much pollution there caused by the lack of a couple of minimum wage laborers.
Just thought I would make everyone jealous and piss off a few people:
Bush recently did away with the whole emissions testing in Florida! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. We do not have to bother with that crap anymore.
::cough cough:: And the air seems ok.
Every single power plant or major emitter of airtoxics in the Cleveland/Dayton area is required by the EPA to install and operate continuous emissions monitoring equipment (CEM) at the risk of fines that can run up to $10,000 per hour. However, since Cleveland already has an air pollution problem, and the power plants are already restricted pretty heavily on their emissions, it’s time to focus on the cars. That is, for an equal amount of money more pollution will be controlled by focusing on cars at this point rather than the power plants.
And don’t think for a minute that it doesn’t cost you directly for the plants to have even more emissions controls and regulations. That cost gets passed directly to you in your electric bill, and in the costs of goods and services that require electricity.
That having been said - Kansas also has no testing, thanks to Missouri. Missouri had vehicle testing and inspections (mainly “safety checks”) that resulted in a hideously corrupt mechanic kickback system, with no actual testing having been done whatsoever. They even required that new cars, fresh from the factory, be tested by Skeeter the mechanic down the street, who would basically just hand you a certificate in return for $20. The Missouri experience so scared Kansans that it likely will not happen here for a while.
The whole premise of auto emissions testing is just so stupid. Basically, any new car has emissions level so low, that they are virtually undetectable. So, instead of harassing people with new cars, the states should concentrate on vehicles >5 years old, or more than 100K miles. Also, any car older than 10 years is almost certainly polluting the air. I don’t see the logic of persecuting people with new, well-maintained cars, while leaving the blue-smoke junkers on the road. Of course, no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of politicians!
Jesse Ventura did the same in Minnesota too!
no more nonsense testing!
My Cutlass is 10 years old and is about to roll 327,000 miles. Emissons testing here is suppposed to be annual. The last time I had it tested the mechanic said it posted lower emissions than any car he had ever tested and gave me a sticker good for 3 years. There is no reason a well maintained 10 year old car should not be able to pass a dynamometer test.