How I got right with the law

Okay, that was a cheesy headline. I admit it. Driving without a license plate on the front of your car is not a felony. It can however get you $100 fine. I've heard some insurance companies can even nail you for a license plate violation with bumped up premiums. This was anecdotal and for the week I went rogue with no plate I certainly wasn't going to call my insurance company to find out.

Here's what happened.

I was on vacation last week and the beach house where we've gone every summer for the past six years has a low stone wall running along its front. Never had an issue with it before. But this time, pulling in, it happened. I finally misjudged it. Now it felt nothing more than a tap so I didn't think it would be any big deal. I backup two inches, parked, and got out.

There it was. The whole dealer frame that backs and covers the edges of the front of my license plate had been pulled off. I was shocked to see there was really no good place to just screw the plate back in. These cars are basically designed to accommodate only their dealer frame, which as we know in New Jersey can also get you a ticket if it obscures even a millimeter of one of the letters of Garden State.

So being really busy I put this off until today. This morning out came the tools. It doesn't look the prettiest, but hopefully it will do. If it falls off and goes missing, well I'm due in to Motor Vehicles to renew my driver license by the end of the month anyway so I'll just take care of it then.

It just feels good no to be on the run anymore. Maybe I can even open my curtains at home.

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