I went exploring yesterday in the boondocks of East San Diego County. Wow. There was a lot to see.
The first time I got out of my car, I was attacked by cold, wet stuff. I almost lost my foot.
I have reported the incident to the Centers for Disease Control.
Several people and I took a driving tour of Old Highway 80 from El Cajon to Ocotillo, about 72 miles. With switchbacks, missed turns, and sub-explorations, it was about 100 miles. Although I had done the driving tour about a decade ago, I went this time because I have a new interest in the San Diego & Arizona Railroad which pretty much parallels Old Highway 80 for the last 40 miles or so. I was not disappointed.
One of the more interesting places was Plaster City, a city totally owned by USG. I use “city” very loosely here because the “city” is actually just a huge monster gigantic really really big gypsum plant.
Some of you might remember the 1963 movie “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” with its all-star cast of Edie Adams, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Phil Silvers, and Jonathan Winters. Ethel Merman’s character is heard talking on the telephone to her son, saying that she was “in some place called Plaster City.”
I took the new 2017 Honda Civic, which still has its paper plates, so I got stopped 5 times by Border Patrol. Everyone in my car thought it was funny; I didn’t. The last agent who stopped me looked in the car at my four passengers, some of whom looked of Mexican/Spanish descent and asked me what I was doing. I told him we were photographers taking a “driving tour of Old Highway 80 from El Cajon to Ocotillo.” He saw all the camera equipment and seemed satisfied. He did caution me, though, that “with paper plates and a car full of people you’ll probably get stopped multiple times.” I told him that we already had, that he was #5.
He laughed.
My wise old grandmother always told me to add laughter to my day. Glad I could add some laughter to Mr. Agent’s day.
wow! I’d forgotten how close you were to the border. It’s a wonder they didn’t detain you, though I ‘spose that may come sooner rather than later…
great pic, the gov’t city reminds me of the Los Alamos, NM, where I lived a few years.
funny intro with the cdc, lol!
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Paper plates? Sorry, I have no idea what paper [number?] plates could be. Surely they aren’t really made of paper? All our cars have to have metal number plates from day one. 😦
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How do you get metal plates from day one? In every state I’ve ever lived or worked in they have temporary plates that are put on the car at the dealership for brand new cars (used cars come with their metal plates already on them). Then the dealership sends in the registration papers and registration fee and either the permanent plates come in the mail and we get a notice saying that we can pick up the permanent plates at a motor vehicle registration office. Occasionally, if the used car had personalized plates, those get removed from the used car so sometimes you can buy a used car and have temporary paper plates on it as well.
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I blush to admit, I’ve never bought a brand new car, so you’re probably right about new cars not having their final plates, but I still can’t see how they’d have temporary paper ones? I mean, wouldn’t they blow off or become a soggy mess with the first puddle??
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It doesn’t really matter because the paper plates don’t have anything on them other than the dealer’s name. The registration information is actually attached to the front windshield, here in California the lower front right inside corner.
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Oh! We had registration stickers as well but now the police have some new way of knowing the rego details.
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Our police and insurance companies can get all the registration details with the VIN.
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It’s all computerised these days isn’t it?
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Yep. Once the permanent plates are on the car, all one has to do is enter those 7 digits in the computer and hit enter. VIN, registration, name, insurance……….all shows up on screen.
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lol – welcome to the digital age. 🙂
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