Stuck with the Wrong Identity

A small mystery involving the registration sticker on my ZX2

On this beautiful sunny afternoon May 19, 2001 I wanted to recount  a little fun I had during the last 2 days with a small mystery about my car.

 

Yesterday I went to fill up and was washing the front windshield, when I noticed the registration sticker expired in 04/11. I thought that was a bit odd because I bought it in Sept and had renewed the sticker every year in Sept. Also I had not gotten the usual state issued warning that I was about to pass go and have to fork over more money for the privilege of driving a car in Texas. But I just started assuming that my brain had just malfunctioned and emptied itself of the correct information in this regard and started planning how to rectify the situation.

 

When I got home, I went on-line to see about getting it registered, but was rebuffed because it was an expired registration sticker. Next I thought perhaps I didn't change the address on my car when I changed the title over to just me in the divorce, so I went back on-line and was allowed to complete that task. After I printed out the receipt, the mystery deepened, because it clearly stated my expiration date was September 2001. Hmmmmm

 

I then began to actually doubt that I had seen the sticker on my window that clearly proclaimed the expiration date as 04/11. I trouped out to the garage to check on my sanity, and there it was, just as clear as before.....expiration 04/11.By now it was 11pm and my mind was tired and mired in cognitive dissonance, so I gave up trying to reason it through and went to sleep.

 

Morning came and I dutifully gathered an old registration slip (which showed my normal 09/11 renewal date), the receipt I had printed for change of address, and my proof of insurance determined to go to the official hall of all things vehicle registration to unravel the mystery, or at least to get a different sticker that would lower my risk of getting invited to pull over tot he side of the road by some diligent police officer in the near future.

 

Once there, the kind clerk informed me that my car was indeed not due for renewal until 09/11, then suggested I go get the actual sticker and bring it in to her. I did that and finally the mystery was solved. The sticker on my windshield belonged to the wrong car! Apparently my X had decided to be helpful and put my new sticker on my windshield last year, but in his usual state of inebriation he put his car's sticker on my car!

 

I learned a few things today. If I had been stopped during the 13 months that sticker was on my windshield I could have wound up in jail. I drove so many places during that time period, it is simply a miracle I never did get stopped for anything. I also learned that the license plate number is on the registration sticker, so it is easy to check to see if you have the one that is right for your car. Lastly I learned that the state of Texas now has an electronic system that sends you a renewal alert by email if you sign up for it, which I did.

 

I guess perhaps I learned on other thing.....I am a very devious woman because I really want to NOT tell Dan he has the wrong sticker on his windshield and I really do hope he gets stopped and goes to jail. Shame on me, but its such a deliciously delightful thought.