Vehicle Inspection

One day last week I left work early. I'm driving along and a car passes me in the right-hand lane and as I see it go by I happen to notice the inspection sticker on the corner of my windshield.


It has a "4" and "2014" on it, which means I have to get it inspected in April 2014.


Which would be fine -- if we weren't well into May 2014.


This is bad. I have a way of forgetting to get my car inspected. This has happened to me before, and I wound up getting a $50 ticket.


Its particularly bad on this day, because the reason I left work early is because my uncle passed away recently and I was asked to give a reading at the services. It would really suck to have to explain to the family that I can't give the reading because I was pulled over on the way there and towed or something ridiculous like that.


Worse, it turns out that recently, every time I take my foot off the brake, for some reason my car's "Door Open" light has been going on. I do not think my door is open -- I've leaned the full weight of my body on the door in question while the car is in park (and I'm not light) and the door feels as shut as any other door in any other car I've been in. Is my car even going to pass?


I surf the Internet and find a place up the street that does car inspections. "We can see you right now," they tell me.


I stop in.


I hand them the keys.


I wait.


I pray that my car passes.


About a half-hour later, a guy comes out with my car, freshly minted with a yellow "5" sticker.


And I have a much more relaxing drive to the funeral home to pay tribute to my uncle.