Return-Path: Received: from cosmos.vlsi.cs.cmu.edu by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa13539; 15 Jun 92 15:29:47 EDT Received: from cosmos.vlsi.cs.cmu.edu by COSMOS.VLSI.CS.CMU.EDU id aa13761; 15 Jun 92 15:28:55 EDT Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1992 15:10:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Derek Beatty Subject: registering auto in PA To: bovik@COSMOS.VLSI.CS.CMU.EDU, pghguide@COSMOS.VLSI.CS.CMU.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I can't believe it, but I actually have something complementary to say about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This may be the first time you've heard someone praise the Department of Motor Vehicles! I have always regarded as quasi-fascist the requirement to make a tracing of a vehicle's identification number plate in order to register it. But I no longer do. West Penn AAA managed to drop a digit in transcribing the number of a car I was registering, and then complete several forms using the bogus number. Fortunately, the tracing (together with the vehicle's previous title) provided an end-to-end check. I have to admit that obtaining a VIN tracing to ensure that the title is accurate has to be less trouble than correcting a title error. Score one for bureaucracy. My experience nonwithstanding, when you register a car, check the numbers before you sign the form. Then check them again. On the other hand, correcting an error on a title might not be as much trouble as depth-first search in AAA's new telephone system. It's such a hoot from my desk phone that calling them for emergency road service must be quite a riot. -- Derek PS: Here's a hint for making a VIN tracing: use a 3"x3" post-it note, and place the adhesive portion directly on the numbers. This is much easier than the other techniques I've tried.