Regarding Bruce La Rue’s May 25 “My Turn” column on auto inspections:

Picture this: You are driving home from a long day at work, and the next thing you know you’re waking up in the hospital wondering what happened. A police officer walks in, (well, in this case an “operative”) and begins to explain to you that a little car slammed head-on into you at 50 miles per hour, putting you in a coma for a week. The officer goes on to explain that the other victim’s car had broken a tie-rod end, and the car steered into your path without control. It seems the owner was also on his way home with a smirky grin after “beating the system.” Yeah, he really got away with one. The first inspection failed his car, so he went to another shop that passed it. If only he hadn’t broken the law and instead had gotten his car repaired, replacing the part he knew was worn out.
Fortunately, this didn’t happen, Mr. La Rue.  Because most people are law-abiding citizens that take care of their cars. And for the ones that don’t, there are DMV officers who do what they are paid to do, and do a good job at it.
  You should consider the $166 ticket and the $700 repair bill a drop in the bucket compared to the alternative.
Driving is a privilege, not a right.  Own up to the responsibility. It seems to me you got a good deal, a thorough inspection for $12.75.
 — Todd Alligood
Salisbury