Ignorance Of Obscure Law Adds Up To A Big Tab

Learn something every day, they say.

One of my most memorable “days in class” came as I was exiting the freeway onto Second on Jan. 27 and decelerating to meet what I thought was a 35 mph zone. As I approached the light at Arthur and turned left, a police officer pulled me over.

I had an idea that I might have been going a little fast, but after all, I’m coming off the freeway. Do I slam on the binders and cause a wreck with traffic behind me?

The laser radar clocked me at 45 in a 30, the officer said.

Provided with my license, proof of insurance and registration, the officer ran the customary “wants and warrants.”

After a few minutes, which seemed more like an eternity, he returned to inform me I had a $66 speeding ticket. OK. Not bad. It’s my second one in 25 years.

The shocker came when the patrolman cited me for an additional $66 for having expired license tabs. How could this be, I asked. It’s Jan. 27 and my stickers say JAN 95.

The officer pointed out that tabs officially now expire on the anniversary date of the purchase of the vehicle - Jan. 10 in my case.

Washington’s legislature, with little fanfare, brewed up this change to go into effect in July 1991.

Wanting to continue running lunch-time errands, keep my job, and not end up calling my wife to bail me out of jail for telling the officer what I really thought, I signed the citation and drove off - slowly. Ironically, one of those errands was to get an emissions test so I could purchase my license tabs after work.

At lunch with some friends, and later back at work, I asked that burning question: “What day do your license tabs expire?”

“July.” “November.” “March.”

No, I repeated, what day, not what month.

Of the 30 people I asked, including two court employees, 25 didn’t know. That’s 83 percent.

Couldn’t the officer have parked at one of the many intersections and cited locals for that affection they have for running red lights? Seems that under the circumstances a simple warning would have sufficed.

Jan. 27 taught me an expensive lesson. Hopefully, today you learned something too.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.