wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

We got a ticket in February for past due inspection. We got the car inspected but forgot about paying the ticket (I know stupid). Now exactly 1 month later with no follow-up ticket or reminder our car has been towed. This seems pretty severe for a 30 lapse - is this typical policy to tow after 30 days with no warning?

meant screwed "us" again!

so we just went outside to where our car was parked as of last night. bizarrely enough, there was another car of the same make and close enough to the same color that when i went to try and open it i realized it wasn't our car after all! our car had been towed! towed bc of these damn faulty inspection stickers! we had the bad luck of ours falling right off and not even noticing it til we got a ticket. we were working on resolving the problem and taking care of it once we found out a press release was written for these stickers not sticking. we didn't get another inspection done bc didn't want to spend money to get another one but finally did get a second sticker. in the intermi of that process, we were given several tickets for non inspection. we were corresponding w/ the powers that be about the entire situation and working on getting it all resolved but in the end they just decided to be disgustingly greedy and tow our car for over $300! to boot on the night before we were going out of town. best part is on the site, it says the tow company may or MAY NOT be open on sat. sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. lovely stuff. thanks ny state--even though it's at no fault of our own you screwed up yet again!

I got my registration for my new car this past Sunday. It didn't stick at all when I tried to put it on...I actually thought I was doing something wrong. Over the next few days, I'd find it hanging off my windshield when I came back to my car, and I'd push it back on, over and over again.

This morning, I went to my car to find a $65 ticket for not displaying the stick properly, because it must have fallen off completely (it was on the dashboard) sometime during the night.

The DMV issues a press release back in MAY about this. What jerk came onto my residential street and has now caused me unnecessary, unfair aggravation in my life? How is it my (or anyone else's, besides the DMV's) responsibility that the sticker has crappy adhesive? This is ludicrous.

I have it taped on with clear packing tape now. I hope that is allowed.

I put a new registration sticker on my new car on Sunday morning. Then I took my daughter to her swim class. When I got out, my sticker was on my dash and I had a ticket. Now that I've researched online, I see this appears to be the DMV's issue. Very annoying.

After the long Memorial Day weekend enjoying the "no parking sign summer in Fort Greene" I found two $65 parking tickets on my windshield for a missing registration sticker. The 2 1/2 month old sticker was lying in plain sight on the dashboard and had fallen off because of faulty glue. I immediately went home and returned with scotch tape and my digital camera. I then wrote two letters, printed the pictures, and mailed them in separately to the DMV. I received two replies with the usual reduction of a $65 to $43, but I am still not paying $96 for this. But, at that point you are informed by the DMV that if you contest the ticket one more time it will go to a judge who could charge you the full penalty plus late fees. I am sending it in regardless; wasting another round of letter writing, toner, stamps, paper, and envelopes. And I could now be out $130 plus penalties. Why should I have to go through this nightmare ? They could have just dismissed these bogus fines right off. After all, there are pages of Google Search news media entries about the faulty stickers - all stemming from March 2009 inspections. The guy who made those stickers should have to pay our tickets -- or the guy that tried to save a few pennies who hired that crap company to make the stickers. What a colossal waste of my time - and my money.

This problem with bad adhesives on these stickers goes back at least 10 years, and it still is not fixed. Yet another case of government incompetence.

And never mind the 2 year inspection cycle in NJ, how about states that don't require inspections at all? That's precisely why so many people in this area have cars with Florida plates. Same reason why so many people who move into this area from the state of Washington never change their plates.

Just a warning, I was telling someone about this show and he let me know that he got a ticket for using tape on his registration.

I have a motorcycle and my sticker came off too. Only unlike on a car - its lost because its not behind glass, but on one of the forks. I had to get my bike re-inspected in order to get the replacement sticker - nice little earner for the state.

The ticket patrol certainly is in overdrive these days!

I have not received a ticket for my limp sticker (I will make sure it is taped-up, though) but I have received tickets from super-overzealous traffic cops. The most blatant example was a no standing ticket at 4:01 in a zone that was no standing starting at 4:00!!! This was while I was loading the car with groceries!!!

There's got to be a better way to raise city revenue!!!

Criminal!

I have an older car (well maintained) that requires the it to be run through the emissions inspection manually - not simply plugging into a chip. And every year I struggle to find anyone who will do it. Conveniently the technicians are either not there or the machine is broken.

Before I caught on, I would be told, and charged for some small service or part, in order for the car to pass (anywhere from $25 - $100).

Two years ago I went to FIVE different garages before asking my mechanic (who doesn't do this) to help me out. It ended up costing me $70. This year I payed $75. It is absolute blackmail!
I have tried filing reports with the DMV - they could care less!

Couldn't agree with Pablo more. Regardless of the reason behind the adhesion problem, this is a fantastic time to squeeze every little bit of revenue out of drivers, etc.

Even though I am all for good governance, this is certainly a reason to be skeptical of the DMV money stream that tickets, fines, and poor/unclear oversight provide to both city and state.

two words: scotch tape ( as your guest said)

Also I take a picture of my sticker so I have a COLOR copy if needed. Digital camera or camera phone.

I also photograph those MUNI PARKING slips for my motorcycle.... in case it falls off the bike or is taken and I get a ticket. At least I ave a PHOTO to send in to court if needed.

Always photograph those little annoying things....

PS When are we going to get "EZ PASS" parking meters?? (I have given up on personal jet packs)

Good luck. dr dave

annual yearly inspection to comply with US emissions standards? Last I checked NJ was also part of the US and NJ does NOT have annual inspections. Hmmm

I think you're being unfair about the mechanics motives.
As a physician asked to do school forms (somewhat analogous) in which we attest to the health of a child, we cannot state that we have examined the child (car) and found them to be in good health (passed inspection) without performing the exam (test).

New Jersey does 2 year inspections.

CT does not require a safety inspection, only emissions every three years.

In East Harlem (NYPD Pct. 25), I received a ticket for not having my inspection and registration stickers affixed to the windshield in a straight line. That is, one was positioned slightly higher than the other.

Needless to say, when I left work to travel downtown to see the judge, the case was thrown out.

ask him why they don't put the expiration month on the inside of the sticker so you can see it before it expiores

My registration sticker is falling off my windshield due to faulty stick-em. Have you had any reported problems with the registration stickers?

Thanks for letting me know. My sticker issued April 2009 (PepBoys in Queens) has been peeling off - BUT a piece of scotch tape seems to have resolved the matter

The new registration stickers do not adhere either!

There are wide spread problems with ths inspection program its realy just a way for shady auto mechincis to rip off consumers. Last year when i went to get my car the mechinic tried to tell me I need a 500 dollars part to pass insoection and he put it in without even callimg me.
I looked up the regs and called the DMV and to be faar they called the mechianic and made him remove the part, but most people don't know how to deal with these problems. This program really needs to be ended it does not make us safer, it just costs us lots of money. Its a joke, its just more corruption from your state government.

I actually received a ticket because my registration sticker became slightly limp. I fought it for seven months with pictures but ultimately did not prevail. I suspect a Glue-gate. Worse yet, I just received a ticket for double parking while I was in the PROCESS of parallel parking.

I had the same experience with my registration sticker. I just taped it on to avoid furhter problems, but am still pissed about the fine.

Having the same problem with my registration sticker. I had to tape it on as it was peeling off and I did not want to get a ticket.

The same thing happened to me with this year's registration sticker, and I got a ticket even though the sticker fell on the dashboard, and was clearly visible 5 inches from where it was supposed to be

Ooh! Ooh! Let me guess! Stickers made in China! Am I right? Am I right?

This is known as a revenue enhancement opportunity.

The glue is doubtless cheaper and the cash from ticketing (and especially the towing of vehicles) has an excellent Return on Investment during a time when the state and municipal government is trying to keep money flowing in.

It has the added value of being virtually impossible to trace back through the decision making process to any particular responsible individual for their public flogging in the media. All in all, a politician's dream.

DMV/NYDT is on a towing bonanza for all kinds of reasons. At the tow pound in the navy yard, there were 50 people waiting in line to picked up towed vehicles.