Spider vs Md emissions

["Giller,Bruce C." <bgiller@domain.elided>]

	In Md, we have emission testing every 2 years and this month was my
turn to take the Spider in.  We used to have just the idle test but now
they have the fancy 'treadmill' types (with rollers in the floor).  I
had just recently put on a new cat and even put on the old springs to
raise the car up to go over the rollers.  Before with Alfa Ricambi
springs, my car couldn't make it over the rollers and they made me take
the older idle test instead.  

	So I dutifully get in line and wait my turn on a pleasant Friday
morning.  When it is my turn, I mentioned to the operator (who will
drive my car onto the rollers and perform the test) that he needs to
push the clutch all the way to the floor and shift a bit slowly
otherwise he'll grind the gears.  I repeat this twice and then he gets
his manager.  The manager sez "What's wrong with the car?" and I go into
my explanation of Alfa shifting.  The two guys have a fast conference
and then tell me to drive the car over the rollers.  So I proceed slowly
over the rollers only to have the manager say that since my rear tires
were so bald (not really that bad but the wear bars are showing) he
can't do the roller test since the tires will only slide on the rollers.
 So they have me hold engine at around 1500 rpm (should be more like
2500 rpm) for about 20 secs and then hand me the printout and tell me
I've passed!  I don't think that they even performed the idle test at
all - they just faked it for the computer. 

	And you would think that they would require me to get new tires (which
is on my list of things to do) and come back again since I'm riding
around in a 16 year old car which is more likely to pollute more than a
newer model.  But they just gamed the system to get me out of there.

	Bruce 

	'86 Spider
	'73 GTV
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