Well Hugh,
What JC describes is pure citizenship. If we had a lot more of that, we would only have to prep for natural disasters.
I do what JC does, but I do it from my Rotary Club. I am complimentary and polite at the tax office, election office, school office, city hall, and building department. My truck got stolen and returned a year later. The nice lady at the tag office just took my word for it and over-rode the extra fees for not having a tag. I was pulled over for no seat belt last month. Driving a plain, late model pickup truck makes you a mark with the police in my town. Rather than a ticket, I get “Wear your seat belt Mr. V.” and sent on my way. I made sure I secured a good republican election sticker in the last cycle so that does not happen again. I got into a mess with a transmission light, and replacement and tag deadline. The wife got ticketed. The prosecutor cut the fine in half; the judge cut it in half again and acted embarrassed that he had to charge that. The stinking transmission started out as a $4,500 problem but was finally resolved down to $1,000. Still, you cannot get the tag with the orange light on.
A key piece of advice is to always have your coat and tie on when you have your drivers license photo taken. I have tried returning merchandise at a big box store without a receipt while covered with plaster waste and seen the conversation turn from “No way” to “Yes sir, Mr. V.” with the passing of the license as my i.d. It is a shame it is that way, but it is.
RV