Car Registration

California wanted almost $500 to register my car this year, so I decided to register it in Utah instead. Besides, I thought I might be moving back there soon. I got the registration switched to Utah over Christmas, but naturally I haven't changed the plates yet. I still have another month or so before they can impound it again, so no rush.

Patty and I decided to go to the LA temple early Saturday morning. I volunteered to spend Friday night in Rossmoor, and I decided it would be a good idea to get ready for bed before I drove over to the house around midnight Friday night. I didn't anticipate getting pulled over in my pajamas for expired registration, but it happened.

The whole drive was uneventful, right until I pulled up in front of the Bostonian, and the cop car who had been kind of tailgating me down the street pulled up behind me with his lights flashing. He came over and asked me to show him my driver's license and registration, at which point I was forced to lie to him and tell him that I have moved to Utah and have therefore registered my car in another state. I told him that I was just in Rossmoor visiting friends. I justify that lie by telling myself that I did move to Utah this summer, and I was just visiting friends. Unfortunately I couldn't find the Utah registration. I had a bunch of stuff in my car so I was sifting through old homework assignments on the seat next to me. Then I moved along to the glove compartment and started pulling out a bunch of receipts from oil changes and car maintenance stuff. Over the next 15 minutes I did manage to find three different expired California registrations. By then the cop was looking very annoyed, and told me that "maybe we can just start with the driver's license." I have an expired one of those too that I was able to produce first before I got the right one. There is no doubt in my mind that the cop thinks I'm an idiot. I did finally find the Utah plates in the backseat of the car. He asked me why I hadn't put them on yet and I told him I didn't have the tools to do it. I was laboring under the impression that it required some sort of special tool, although I've now been corrected on that point. The cop just told me to put the plates on right away and hustled back to his car. He's sorry that he stopped me, I'm sure of it.

I found the registration right after he drove away.