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Old 05-23-2014, 08:05 AM
 
Location: North Carolina
10,196 posts, read 17,746,094 times
Reputation: 13903

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Quote:
Originally Posted by StAcKhOuSe View Post
yeah, uncalled for sarcasm. but thank you for insulting my intelligence by explaining to me that you were using sarcasm. i can only conclude that this kneejerk response is a retaliatory defense mechanism to anyone who challenges your belief that PA is a fairyland paradise. how many more unsuspecting posters are you going to flame for sharing their experiences with the PA bureaucracy? you can crawl back under the rock from which you came now.

i addressed several other issues and this is the one you focus on?
You addressed several issues and I focused on this one because it's the only one I thought you were massively exaggerating. No, I don't think PA is a fairyland paradise, as proven by the fact that I didn't disagree with you on everything. Hating the DMV is standard fair in PA, I won't pull you up on that. But really, millions of people deal just fine with going to the state store and don't complain about it as anything more than a minor inconvenience.
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Old 05-23-2014, 08:52 AM
 
Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,834,624 times
Reputation: 2066
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81 View Post
But do they? I'd like to see that evidence. I think this is just a knee-jerk cry from the garages who do inspections. They've got a cash cow and they don't want to mess with it.

It's my understanding that you don't have to pay for a re-inspection after the repairs are made; I could be wrong.
To your first point here, I completely agree that there is very little, if any empirical evidence demonstrating the merits of car inspections in regards to preventing accidents, injuries, and deaths. This quote pretty much sums it up:
“Nearly three decades of research has failed to conclusively show that mechanical defects are a significant cause of motor vehicle accidents or that safety inspections significantly reduce accident rates,” report said.

We Don't Need Car Inspections in Pennsylvania Anymore | The Philly Post | News | Philadelphia Magazine

I am completely against car inspections and truly believe they are ineffective, I was just trying to take the side of those that believe they are effective. If someone believes these inspections are saving lives and they must be kept, than inspections need to be done by objective parties, not private businesses. I always thought it was odd that PA has government run liquor and private car inspections. There are definitely some honest mechanics out there, but the current system can help keep bad mechanics in business because there are always new customers looking for inspections (new residents, visitors, etc.).

To your next point, the rule is that you can get your car re-inspected for free at the garage where it failed inspection if you do it within 30 days. There are two problems here and I have encountered this before with a failed inspection on my own vehicle. First, when I was in college and had to find a new inspection station for my older car, I took my car in and failed inspection. The mechanic told me I could shop around, I had 20 days left until the inspection expired, so I took a trip home and went to the family mechanic. I passed at the family mechanic without having to do anything and when I called the other mechanic back who failed me and asked for an appointment, he said his earliest appointment was 24 days away. Of course I complained and told him that I passed elsewhere without having to do anything and he said "fine, pay them for the inspection." This is actually what ended up happening and I paid for two inspections even though one was a sham. The second issue is really one of convenience. Many people who fail an inspection do not shop around because it creates an awkward atmosphere with the current mechanic and it is not usually convenient because the clock is ticking and their inspection is going to run out soon.
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Old 05-23-2014, 09:37 AM
 
1,303 posts, read 1,805,518 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trackstar13 View Post
The second issue is really one of convenience. Many people who fail an inspection do not shop around because it creates an awkward atmosphere with the current mechanic and it is not usually convenient because the clock is ticking and their inspection is going to run out soon.
Totally. And for out of state people, Pa has this weird system where you get your plate before you get your inspection, so for all practical purposes you are driving around with a Pa plate and out of state stickers. Guess what happens when you pass a cop? He turns on his lights, pulls you over, and you have to go through your paperwork on the side of the road, while your neighbors are passing by looking at you. And you only have 10 days. The pressure is on to pay the "state mechanic" mafioso whatever bounty he demands. Not just excessive regulation, but incoherent regulation.

Last edited by ny789987; 05-23-2014 at 10:42 AM..
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Old 05-23-2014, 09:40 AM
 
2,079 posts, read 3,194,825 times
Reputation: 3947
Quote:
Originally Posted by PA2UK View Post
You addressed several issues and I focused on this one because it's the only one I thought you were massively exaggerating.
okay, that in itself is hyperbole. this is all i said:

Quote:
they dont even sell beer/wine/liquor in convenience stores or supermarkets..
what i said was a fact and not an exaggeration.

Last edited by toobusytoday; 05-23-2014 at 09:47 AM.. Reason: removed inappropriate language
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Old 05-23-2014, 09:47 AM
 
13,248 posts, read 33,367,912 times
Reputation: 8098
I have to admit that PA may have some weird regulations, but frankly so does every state. I think that I care less about that stuff because we've lived in four other states (DE, NY, WV and VA) and each of them had something that we thought was really crazy, but in actuality, it was just different than what we grew up with and were familiar with. Delaware also doesn't have wine and beer in grocery stores. Every state has unique regulatory laws concerning sale of alcohol: Liquor Laws by State | Legal Beer

My husband and I grew up in no-sales-tax-Delaware and when we moved to upstate NY, we tried to keep track of what was taxed and what wasn't so we would have the right amount of change to pay for stuff. And then we moved to WV, where they taxed a different way. I quickly realized it was easier just to not think about tax and think of it as a bonus if something wasn't taxed.

It is what it is....
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Old 05-23-2014, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,737 posts, read 74,703,059 times
Reputation: 66673
Quote:
Originally Posted by toobusytoday View Post
It is what it is....
And this attitude is why nothing ever changes ...
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Old 05-23-2014, 10:49 AM
 
13,248 posts, read 33,367,912 times
Reputation: 8098
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81 View Post
And this attitude is why nothing ever changes ...
I'm on the bandwagon to change things that I think are important. Issues involving education, the environment and social issues such as gun control and equal rights are fights worth being involved in. Where to buy beer and how our vehicles get inspected are low on my list.
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Old 05-23-2014, 10:56 AM
 
1,303 posts, read 1,805,518 times
Reputation: 2486
Quote:
Originally Posted by toobusytoday View Post
I'm on the bandwagon to change things that I think are important. Issues involving education, the environment and social issues such as gun control and equal rights are fights worth being involved in. Where to buy beer and how our vehicles get inspected are low on my list.
I disagree. State & local politicians should stay out of grand issues such as saving the whales and global warming, and focus more on the bread & butter issues that affect your everyday working schlep, like fixing the potholes and streamlining how you register your car.
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Old 05-23-2014, 11:20 AM
 
13,248 posts, read 33,367,912 times
Reputation: 8098
Quote:
Originally Posted by ny789987 View Post
I disagree. State & local politicians should stay out of grand issues such as saving the whales and global warming, and focus more on the bread & butter issues that affect your everyday working schlep, like fixing the potholes and streamlining how you register your car.
"Local politicians" are your school board members and township supervisors who deal directly with bread and butter issues in their own communities. Individuals can indirectly affect the global community by supporting national agendas through groups like Moms Demand Action and the Sierra Club. I personally am involved in all of the above groups. I feel good because of that. If you choose to devote your time to complaining on a Pennsylvania bulletin board and think that's going to do anything other than make you feel better because you vented, well than, complain away.
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Old 05-23-2014, 11:12 PM
 
3,603 posts, read 5,917,373 times
Reputation: 3366
Nobody has discussed the insanely complicated PA income tax forms. Local income taxes also are more complicated than they need be. And if you move out of state, you're supposed to send your license plates back to Harrisburg.

I am not at all fond of the PA state government. But the free parks are nice, and if you're a retiree the state income tax law is nice (but still overly complicated).
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