A recent facebook post by ‘Maine State Police-Headquarters’ showed pictures of a truck that had been pulled over recently on a Maine road sometime yesterday, August 15, 2015…
photo obtained at https://www.facebook.com/MaineSP?fref=photo
“Maine State Police – Headquarters
10 hrs · Edited ·
.
Inspection stickers? We don’t need no stinkin’ inspection stickers!
This rolling cradle of death was traveling north on Interstate 95 earlier today around mile 225. I might add, that the speed limit on that stretch is 75 mph. This vehicle sports no Maine inspection sticker even though it has Maine plates on it. Look closely at the photos. One photo shows the one studded tire on the front passenger side. Another photos shows the other front tire is worn so badly the steel belt is visible. The steering column is torn apart and the ignition switch has a screw driver jammed into it. What’s that other thing? Yes, that’s what it looks like. A pair of vice grips clamped onto the rear brake line. Did I mention this chariot was hurtling down the road at better than 75 mph? There was more, but I think you get my drift.
Now before someone writes to me saying, “Trooper, this was just a poor unfortunate soul, down on his luck, doing all he can to get by.” Yeah, whatever, pull my leg and it plays “Jingle Bells” too. This is a guy that has said, “To heck with the rest of you, I’m going to do what I dang well please because I’m the center of the universe.” There is no place on our roads for “this” guy. Troopers, Deputies and Police Officers encounter vehicles like this every day and because we have inspection standards, we are able to remove them from the road. Luckily, this one was taken out of service before tragedy struck. We are vigilant in our efforts to remove unsafe motor vehicles such as this because you demand it. Call us if you need us, we’re in the book.
Semper Aequus
TF”
Granted, speeding, and a bald tire are pretty bad, and many of you might be concerned about the vice grips on the brake line, but even I KNOW that isn’t as bad as it may seem. I will also note that the post does NOT indicate the driver was actually speeding, but in all reality how many of us actually drive at the exact posted speed limit?
Where I have an issue with all of this is how this trooper makes it obvious that he does not care why this diver was on the road in this vehicle, and goes on to insinuate that this guy thinks only of himself.
If you take the post literally, the trooper also quotes the man as saying “To heck with the rest of you, I’m going to do what I dang well please because I’m the center of the universe.”
Now I wasn’t there, but I am betting the driver of the truck never said any such thing, and if he did, I offer my sincerest apology!
I will admit, I am the someone the trooper eludes to when he says somebody is going to write to him saying “Trooper, this was just a poor unfortunate soul, down on his luck, doing all he can to get by.”
In reality you would likely never drive again if you knew how many people are forced to drive with bald tires, bad brakes and faulty suspensions and front ends because they can not afford to make repairs on the only vehicle they rely on from day to day to go about their lives.
To insinuate that people drive these types of vehicles because they care only about themselves in rude and insulting!
I am a big proponent of freedom of speech, and when I defend folks who speak their mind in an official capacity I am often told people ARE free to express themselves in any manner they choose, but must live with the consequences of their actions.
Well I think this trooper needs to be held accountable for exercising his rights to free speech while serving in an official capacity!
This trooper will be lucky if the driver doesn’t decide to sue the state for defamation of character for misquoting him!
Another issue about this that has me riled up is the fact that a large portion of our roads are riddled with broken asphalt, and large dangerous pot holes.
A few years back, my wife hit a large pothole on Rt 69 near Detroit. That incident destroyed 2 tires that were less than 6 months old, destroyed 2 rims that cost $40 each to replace at a salvage yard, severely damaged the steering components, and ripped off a portion of the exhaust.
We immediately contacted DOT in person by showing up at their facility on Rt 7 in Plymouth where we were told by a supervisor that the state is not responsible for damages caused by road bed collisions.
After more than a month of communications with Maine DOT, and my local representative were told we were on our own. In the end, the 9 year old car had to be junked, because we could not afford the more than $1,200 in repairs we needed to get a sticker…And YES, we drove the car until the very last day the sticker was good, because we didn’t have a choice!
Why is it that the state is able to use the excuse that the funds needed to fix unsafe roads are not available, and there is no accountability?
When Maine citizens can not afford to make the repairs needed to make their vehicles “safe”…Like replacing the ignition that currently uses a screw driver… We are left to take our chances.
Most of the time our luck runs out, and instead of being killed in our rolling chariots of death, as the trooper calls the truck in this incident, we are stopped by the police, and issued a summons. And most of the time our vehicles are towed. So now on top of the repairs we already cant afford, we have to deal with towing and impound fees, fines, and likely loss of work making an already bad situation worse.
Drive a mile in our cars, and maybe you wont be so quick to judge us!
You can see the full comments on Maine State Police-Headquarters’ facebook page by clicking the following link… https://www.facebook.com/MaineSP?fref=photo
