Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[Joel]

PAPER TAGS!??!?!

As I commute to and from work via bicycle it has always been my inclination to view people's tags as they pass. And also to take a look at the driver and try to imagine what sort of person is behind the wheel (this give me the defensive rider a better idea what I am up against)

As a freelancer in the computer field I can change my place of work more frequently than some. There was a time when I was forced to take a route through Columbia Heights, Petworth, and on past the Hospital and then down North Capital. In these travels I noticed many things. One of these things was common appearance of PAPER TAGS. These tags would be torn, tattered and worn from the weather. The only thing in worse condition than these tags were the cars that they were attached to. Now how could this tag be issued or this car be sold when it is clear that these rust buckets will never pass inspection, nor would it be economically sound for someone to put the money forward to getting these cars into safe and running order?

Often in these morning and afternoon commutes I would often feel the surge of a fast apporaching car. As brave as I may be, I am not stupid. These cars often expected me to move out of their way as they approached. And I would not be here now if I did not do just that. So as such a car passes I would take a look at the car, the driver, and the tags. More often than not it woud be a tattered old Impala or Caprice Classic with those paper tags. Did I feel threatened? Yes.

If the person has paper tags? Why not real tags?
Maybe because they need insurance or pass inspection or be a legal driver to get real tags. If this person is not insured and they got into an accident what would happen. They would more than likely flee the scene. Now this is speculation. But the tags are out there. With the reqularity of these tags it would be my guess that rather than getting real tags these drivers continue to get paper tags over and over again. Somewhere within the system there is someone running a little side business. Selling paper tags.

Where do they get these tags? And why does this contiue to happen? Why not just consider the person with paper tags suspect. Pull them over with caution. Check their paper work. If it is clean, thank them, tip your hat, and ask them to have a nice day. IT is my guess that a good percentage of the time the officer would find that these drivers are neglegent in some areas whether it be registration, insurance, title, etc.

Give it a shot.
Try to check it out and enforce if for a week.
Just a thought
Thanks for letting me chew your ear (or your eyes in this case)

next we talk about the dreaded double parkers!
and the rush hours drivers hanging out in the No Parking/No Standing Zones

have a nice day

[rs]

I was hit into/ran away from recently on Capitol Hill. As you might suspect, paper Virginia tags. Late model Chevy Baretta. When I reported the incident, the officer was like, lotsa luck, paper tags rarely show up in the system. Sure enough, no record to be found.

[Andy Solberg]

Joel,

We're as frustrated by the paper tags as you are. I'd like to see the city and the DMV address the situation in an entirely different manner than is done now. It seems to me that if we are extending to people the privilege to operate a vehicle on our streets, we have an interest in seeing that the drivers and their cars are as safe and well-regulated as possible. I think we'd be able to do away with temporary registrations and force people to go down and get themselves and their cars squared away before they get the right to drive, especially the unsafe rust-buckets you refer to.

However, we don't have the ability, legally, to pull people over because the paper tags identify them as "suspect." If they make a traffic violation, then we can pull them over and then check the paperwork.

While we're thinking about cars and the DMV, what should we do about the small monthly and yearly registration stickers that we put on our hard tags? When thieves cut these off to re-sell the stickers, this represents a significant portion of the "theft from auto" crimes reported in this city (which represent a significant portion of our overall crime). If we solve this problem, crime rates go down, property values go up, and most importantly, peopler feel and are safer. There's an interesting discussion in the Post's "Dr.Gridlock" column in Thursday's (12/20) paper.

It seems to me that with a minimal amount of disruption in peoples' lives, we could make the streets a lot safer and get rid of bad and unlicensed and un-insured drivers, as well as their unsafe and unregistered cars. The law enforcement end is only a band aid solution to the much larger overall problem, which I feel needs to be handled by the DMV.

Email your councilmembers and tell your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Thanks,
Andy Solberg
Fourth District
December 21