They took my state inspection license yesterday !

[fastfredracing]

Last week, I noticed a discrepancy on my online portal with the state inspection bureau. It was their mistake, not mine . I went online and got instructions on how to fix it . I got it straightened out , then updated all my insurance information and contact information . I like to keep this all tuned up . This must have triggered an audit.
I came back from lunch yesterday , to find the Quality Assurance officer sitting in my driveway . We have always been pretty cordial .
He says " we have a problem, I have to suspend you " I instantly start spinning, trying to figure out what I have done. I inspect every car , by the book, and I keep good records .I nave never once, sold a sticker, or inspected a bunk car. I go by the books. Its my livelihood .
I have had an inspection license since 1989, and I have had my own inspection station since 1993. never as much as a written warning .
Here, I let my PA drivers license expire . It expired on May 6th. I did 23 inspections with an expired drivers license . A real hardened criminal
A total honest mistake , I have nothing to gain by letting my dl lapse , other than saving $30.50.
I explained, that I do not even remember seeing a renewal in the mail . I also explained to him, about my current situation with my wife . I asked him to please go easy on me, that I am simply overwhelmed with life , and have slipped a few things over the last 6 months with all that has gone on . I am doing it all by myself
He seized all my stickers, and made me hand over my inspection license . He left it at , he is going to come back on Monday, and as long as my drivers license is restored by then, he will give me all my credentials back, and try his best to not get the state involved . I looked it up, and the penalty for first offense would be a 2 months suspension from the state . I know of other people who have gone through this, and it is a nightmare getting it back, 2 months , turns in to 4 really quickly So, they will essentially cause me to lose 50% of my income for 3-4 months for an honest mistake, not fraud, or faulty inspections .
Here is the kicker . Since my wife's stroke, she has a horrible habit of getting the mail, then hiding it . I have had to have all of our bills mailed to my shop to avoid her hiding them. I have received shut off notices from several utilities before I figured out what was happening
I just found my drivers license renewal , dated Febuary 22 nd, in her nightstand drawer . I never even saw it .
It kind of pisses me off, because , you can renew online instantly , He should have just asked me to do it in front of him and moved on, but whatever, he has a job to do, I get it . I have zero points on my dl, and have not had a ticket or violation in over 16 years .
How often do you check your drivers license ? Ours expire every 4 years here .
Any how, wish me luck. I am pretty sure he will take mercy on me . If not, I will be appealing and driving to Harrisburg next week with a head full of pissed off .
I hate bureaucracies , like they never make a mistake .. Maybe next time they mess up , I will only pay half my taxes for 3 months

[rfuerst911sc]

Take a deep breath , this will pass . On the life scale this is nothing , you have other issues to worry about . Get your driver's license renewed and then your state inspection license . You come across as a rock solid honest individual and I am sure you have a reliable customer base that will continue to support your business.

But it does sound like you are overwhelmed, don't be afraid or too proud to ask for help . Is in home care/assistance a possibility to help with your wife ? Even one or two days could be huge . Can your wife get around ? A one day a week stroll to a park can help refresh you mentally . I wish you the best .

[LWJ]

Fred. I have never met you but I have a very good idea who you are. And, I like you.

If you want, PM me and we can chat online or via phone. I am a good listener. I will confess that I have had similar overwhelm feelings in the last few years. I don’t have any idea how you keep stuff together in your situation. But I suspect you could use a friend to listen to you vent.

You got this. But what you need in the long term? An outlet for your stress and strategy to move forward.

Let me / us know what we can do.

Be well friend!

[KFC911]

^^^^ What LWJ said .... and better than I ever could.

Fred, hang in there buddy, get your DL renewed, then move on... best to you and your family. You'll get through this... and this is a good place to vent your frustations ... we care about you man. You have my utmost respect.... thank you for sharing!

[Baz]

I just sent an email this morning to a friend of mine in Maryland and made the comment to him "I'm glad I'm no longer in business - and I have the utmost respect for those who still are running a business in this country."

Most business owners figure out how to navigate through all the hoops they throw at ya - but they don't make it easy.

Like you said, Fred ....this guy was only doing his job so hard to blame him.

I know things will work out because you will make it happen as you always do. In the meantime please continue to vent here...

Regarding the mail thing - some here know my Mom is 99 and still living on her own here in town. I have a system I developed where I place a basket on the kitchen table and ask her to put all the mail in the basket. So I can review and help process as appropriate. There's so much junk mail these days and Mom doesn't have the capacity I have to quickly sift and sort through it all. I know it's hard for her to give up her authority persona but I try really hard to do as much WITH her included in the process so she will feel a part of the process.

Not sure something like this will work for you but worth a try.

Same as you've done, I have also diverted as much to my mailbox, inbox, and phone line as possible. And that has lessened the mental burden to keep things in order.

Please keep us in the loop if we can help.

Love you always, brother!

[Superman]

Flight attendants tell moms traveling with small children that if the oxygen masks drop down, put yours on first and THEN put a mask on the child. Take care of yourself, Fred, as the first priority. The biggest danger to you right now is not the licensure problem. Your most serious threat, by far, is your emotional state. Do all that you can to restore and protect and preserve your peace of mind. The rest is small stuff, and you will see that more clearly if you recapture your sense of calm and control.

I hope you do not see this as criticism. We like you, Fred. We have liked you for a long time. You are hearing the same suggestion from others here. Because we see you are at the end of your rope. And because we care. Breathe.

When I needed to recapture my peace of mind in order to save my fuggin' life, my best tool was breathing. I could not take a smooth, deep breath. So I practiced. The other tool that worked for me was listening. Listening to hear the birds singing, and whatever else was going on around me that I was ignoring. it worked. I hear the birds now, and I can breathe smoothly now. I often stop and just notice that my next action is totally my choice. Presence of mind is a HUGE thing for me.

[Superman]

Flight attendants tell moms traveling with small children that if the oxygen masks drop down, put yours on first and THEN put a mask on the child. Take care of yourself, Fred, as the first priority. The biggest danger to you right now is not the licensure problem. Your most serious threat, by far, is your emotional state. Do all that you can to restore and protect and preserve your peace of mind. The rest is small stuff, and you will see that more clearly if you recapture your sense of calm and control.

I hope you do not see this as criticism. We like you, Fred. We have liked you for a long time. You are hearing the same suggestion from others here. Because we see you are at the end of your rope. And because we care. Breathe.

When I needed to recapture my peace of mind in order to save my fuggin' life, my best tool was breathing. I could not take a smooth, deep breath. So I practiced. The other tool that worked for me was listening. Listening to hear the birds singing, and whatever else was going on around me that I was ignoring. it worked. I hear the birds now, and I can breathe smoothly now. I often stop and just notice that my next action is totally my choice. Presence of mind is a HUGE thing for me.

[flatbutt]

Fred you've been caught up in the machine. It may be a hassle, no check that it IS a hassle but your exemplary history should have it turn out right for you.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Fred you've been caught up in the machine. It may be a hassle, no check that it IS a hassle but your exemplary history should have it turn out right for you.

Sure hope this is the case. Also, sounds like you got a nice clipboard bureaucrat...gave you a bit of a break.

[Superman]

Regarding the licensure matter, I suggest we avoid discussing strategies for problems we imagine might occur in the future. Everything might be fine on Monday. It sounds like the QA Officer wants to help you. If licensure problems persist, then let's talk about strategies. I'm pretty sure there is an appeal process. Perhaps a formal one AND an informal one. I just retired, as of June 1, from a career mostly in public service. Government people are not monsters or idiots anymore than private sector workers are.

[Superman]

Regarding the licensure matter, I suggest we avoid discussing strategies for problems we imagine might occur in the future. Everything might be fine on Monday. It sounds like the QA Officer wants to help you. If licensure problems persist, then let's talk about strategies. I'm pretty sure there is an appeal process. Perhaps a formal one AND an informal one. I just retired, as of June 1, from a career mostly in public service. Government people are not monsters or idiots anymore than private sector workers are.

[Baz]

[SCadaddle]

The State of Mississippi used to have an annual vehicle inspection requirement. Every year you had to have the vehicle "inspected" and pay your 5 dollars for the sticker to be placed in the windshield.

It never really made to much sense to me, especially after stopping in traffic on a 2 lane rural highway behind an empty 50+ year old pulp wood truck with NO tail lights and not a single pane of glass in the cab. The driver had his left arm extended out the side window repeatedly flexing his fingers.

Oh, I get it. That's a left turn blinker.

But I have to pay 5 dollars a year for the "privilege" to drive my car yet that guy is the one that is running around overloaded and destroying rural bridges.

Typically the local car "enthusiasts" would tell you where to get a sticker without a hassle. I think the State's take was 3 or 4 of the 5 dollars. The "shop" got the rest for the service. But for some shops it was a real bait to make some cash. Once upon a time the "inspection" revealed that my reverse lights weren't working. The conversation went something like this:

Hmm! Your reverse lights aren't working. We can fix that for you!
Well. How about that. Hadn't noticed that issue. So, tell me again, isn't the only agency that enforces the inspection sticker the Mississippi Highway Patrol?
Yes, that's correct. The MHP.
Ok, got it. So tell me if I'm correct here. Isn't it illegal to back up on the highway? Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks for your time. I'll take care of it. Have a nice day.

Finally the Mississippi Legislature and the Governor decided the "5 dollar inspection fee" was a tax burden, so they discontinued the inspection program.

[Noah930]

This too shall pass. (Or, if you're like one of the secretaries in my office, she got "This to shall pass" tattooed on her foot.).

Super-aggravating. Stressful. But in the end, this will be a speedbump in your life. Take care of it, and move on to the better things in life.

[fastfredracing]

Yeah, it is what it is, If I have to take my lumps, I will . I could honestly use a little break anyhow. It will be kind of embarrassing telling my clients ., but Ill be fine. I have always been pretty proud to run a clean honest shop . No violations ,ever, and trust me, there are plenty of opportunities .
I think this guy can read me like a book. He can tell I am all car guy, and my shop, although an old building is always pretty clean and organized. I believe he knows I run an honest gig and play by the rules . I was pretty upset with myself when it all settled in .
I have a feeling he is going to make me feel lucky and give me my stuff back and Ill just have to keep my nose clean for a while .Should be easy . I am pretty sure they have some sort of points system for violations that are clearly not fraud, or malicious . and you have to accumulate 10 before they take action . I have a feeling Ill end up on the naughty list for a bit and it will all be over
This officer oddly enough is not even doing my area any more . He told me he is in the process of training his replacement, but did not want to hand this situation over to the new guy .
I think Ill be good on Monday, my license was restored 10 minutes after he left my shop .
Thanks for the kind words guys, its always good to bounce things off you all ! Just a blip on the radar screen.

[fastfredracing]

Yeah, it is what it is, If I have to take my lumps, I will . I could honestly use a little break anyhow. It will be kind of embarrassing telling my clients ., but Ill be fine. I have always been pretty proud to run a clean honest shop . No violations ,ever, and trust me, there are plenty of opportunities .
I think this guy can read me like a book. He can tell I am all car guy, and my shop, although an old building is always pretty clean and organized. I believe he knows I run an honest gig and play by the rules . I was pretty upset with myself when it all settled in .
I have a feeling he is going to make me feel lucky and give me my stuff back and Ill just have to keep my nose clean for a while .Should be easy . I am pretty sure they have some sort of points system for violations that are clearly not fraud, or malicious . and you have to accumulate 10 before they take action . I have a feeling Ill end up on the naughty list for a bit and it will all be over
This officer oddly enough is not even doing my area any more . He told me he is in the process of training his replacement, but did not want to hand this situation over to the new guy .
I think Ill be good on Monday, my license was restored 10 minutes after he left my shop .
Thanks for the kind words guys, its always good to bounce things off you all ! Just a blip on the radar screen.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Yeah, it is what it is, If I have to take my lumps, I will . I could honestly use a little break anyhow. It will be kind of embarrassing telling my clients ., but Ill be fine. I have always been pretty proud to run a clean honest shop . No violations ,ever, and trust me, there are plenty of opportunities .
I think this guy can read me like a book. He can tell I am all car guy, and my shop, although an old building is always pretty clean and organized. I believe he knows I run an honest gig and play by the rules . I was pretty upset with myself when it all settled in .
I have a feeling he is going to make me feel lucky and give me my stuff back and Ill just have to keep my nose clean for a while .Should be easy . I am pretty sure they have some sort of points system for violations that are clearly not fraud, or malicious . and you have to accumulate 10 before they take action . I have a feeling Ill end up on the naughty list for a bit and it will all be over
This officer oddly enough is not even doing my area any more . He told me he is in the process of training his replacement, but did not want to hand this situation over to the new guy .
I think Ill be good on Monday, my license was restored 10 minutes after he left my shop .
Thanks for the kind words guys, its always good to bounce things off you all ! Just a blip on the radar screen.

Excellent, that all sounds very promising.

[SCadaddle]

Good deal Fred. I wouldn't fret over it and beat myself up over it, because more than likely the dude from the State needed to drop the hammer on somebody just to justify his job.

[Superman]

You sound better, Fred. We do care about you.

[sugarwood]

50% of your income comes from doing loss leader $23 inspections?