Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Drivers need not worry
about safety decal errorQuestion: I had the yearly safety check done on our GMC in December. The new sticker shows the month as "12" for December and "02" for the year, which is correct. However, on the bottom of the sticker, it shows "4/30" as the expiration date. When I checked with the mechanic, he said the state made a mistake and that it was OK and it will not be a problem until the expiration date of Dec. 31, 2002.
To put my mind at ease, can this wrong date be confirmed by the State Department of Transportation and that I will not be cited?
Answer: The state's vendor printed the wrong expiration dates on 90,000 decals that are supposed to expire in October 2002 and on 89,000 that should expire in December 2002.
The October decals have a Dec. 30 expiration date, while the December ones expire on April 30, acknowledged DOT spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.
She assures you that you will not be cited for the printing error, as long as you have your inspection form.
"The department apologies for the error and any inconvenience it may cause motorists," she said, noting that more than 1 million decals are printed each year.
The error was made even though the proofs signed off by the state show the correct expiration dates, she said. The error wasn't discovered until the counties began distributing the decals to the inspection stations -- after the invoice for the printing had been paid.
"When the counties received the decals from the vendor, they did not open each box and examine the decals," Kali said. "Instead, they confirmed the decal sequence numbers."
By the time the error was noticed, the DOT's Motor Vehicle Safety Office felt it was too late to have it corrected. Instead the office notified the stations, asking them to explain that the completed and signed inspection form would take precedence when there was an obvious error in the decal, Kali said.
"The inspection form contains all the necessary information to prove that the vehicle has been inspected and is in compliance," she said. "Motorists are required to keep a copy of the inspection form in their vehicle."
More on rice bugs
Recently a reader complained about discovering bugs in their rice container ("Kokua Line," Monday). I've found that leaving a couple of bay leaves in my rice bin will solve this problem. Just make sure that the leaves are relatively fresh enough to exude their familiar pleasant scent. -- John Min-Kim
Auwe
To two men wearing last year's red-and-blue NFL Pro Bowl Aloha Shirts who attended Sunday's Pro Bowl. They sat in seats that appeared to be empty, then apparently walked away with my uncle's Pro Bowl souvenir. If only they had taken the time to fill out an application for a new Visa card, they, too, might have received one of the FREE 10,000 limited-edition Pro Bowl football player statues. -- Rachelle
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