Today, after over 2 hours at the ***** Registry of Motor Vehicles, I have
a legally registered M35A2. Ok, it's registered as an Antique, 32 year old,
14 passenger, 2 door, 23,000 lb GVWR passenger car, but I showed them
pictures and the TM 43 Tacom Data sheets, and that's the only category
they could get it to fit into.
We also had a go around with a Trooper who was "POSITIVE" I could only
drive my "car" on Sundays, regardless of what the Application for Antique
Motor Vehicle Plates said ( Saturday, Sundays, Holidays, Exhibitions, Club
Activities, Parades,to and from repair shops and other 'Functions of Public
Interest' ). I asked how I was to get it inspected since there are no
inspection stations open on Sundays? He said I'd have to find one and do it
by next Sunday(?????). I remembered what our esteemed law enforcement types
on the list said and stood with hat in hand, ear to ear grin, punctuated
with an occasional perplexed, vacant hang dog look at my shuffling feet when
they said "No". It's gonna take months to get rid of the furrows on my brow.
(Maybe I could smear Bondo on my forehead!)
The VIN wouldn't fit in their computer, so they started from the right
and counted their spaces versus my Vin and chopped accordingly. The Branch
Manager had a family member who bought a vehicle from DRMO a couple of years
back, so Form 97 in someone else's name other than mine, with a date of
issue 1 month LATER than the out of state notarized bill of sale only caused
shaking heads. We also have a state law that you have to pay the sales tax
within 10 days of purchase regardless of if you register or not or face a
$500.00 fine plus a surcharge. She decided that since the Form 97 was issued
last week, the gentleman who sold it to me didn't own it when he sold it
even on the day he took my money and paid DRMS and then gave me a bill of
sale meant I was OK.
Manufacturer could only be Kaiser or Jeep, but not both. After 2 calls
to HQ to 2 different departments, Manager said it was because the US Govt.
doesn't have a clue about what they are doing and to process the paperwork
and let the "Title Dept." figure it out.
When asked about people riding in back on the "Troop" seats we got
opinions from 2 Troopers and 3 depts. at HQ again that 1) Must have
seatbelts, 2) don't need seatbelts, 3) Adults don't need seatbelts, but kids
do, 3a)neither do kids, 4) it didn't have seatbelts when manufactured, so
don't need them now, 5) it's an antique so people can't be carried in back
EVER, 6) It's an antique so current regs don't apply to passenger carrying
in a non-commercial instance 7) ok to have people in back in parades only,
8) ok to have people in back on any day that plate is valid for operation
regardless of age or seatbelts being present, 9) side facing seats aren't
covered by seatbelts, 10) up to officer at time of stop. They then handed me
my plates and drool covered forms and I exited, stage right.
All I can say is that Oklahoma City would never have happened if McVeigh
had lived in my state and tried to register a car. They would have shot him
at the counter when he went ballistic at the old "SALES TAX" window, never
mind the applications window. See, back a few years ago, they would process
how much you owed for sales tax and you would pay it first, then go to
another line and get your paper work rejected after a 2 hour wait because
you mixed upper and lower case letters or used a blue pen in the black pen
only area or...., Well you get the picture. That's why the gun laws in this
state are aimed at law abiding citizens. CRIMINALS DON'T REGISTER THEIR
CARS, They steal ones that are already registered!!!!!
A punch drunk but happy( not gleeful yet) M35A2 owner
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue May 01 2001 - 07:42:39 PDT