>
> anybody else driven their vanagons somewhat less than legally for any
> long length of time?  anything come of it?
>

Not my van, but I am always happy to relate the time when I was driving
my unregistered car around the block to test some changes I made prior
to going to the emissions test. The bastard of a sherifff threatened me
that he could "have a tow truck there in five minutes and take it away
from me." I was covered with grease and dirt, not like I was going to
work or anything. The car is a Chevette that I had sitting for about a
year. I came pretty close to telling him to just stick it where the sun
can't find it, and walking the 75 yards back to my house.

I have no problem paying a fine if caught doing the wrong thing, but now
I do all I can to avoid having some power hungry, abusive cop, goose
stepping all over me and having to put up with their attitude. I have
respect for the law, but not for some of the enforcers. Thanks to the
recent Supreme Court ruling, o risk getting pulled over is to risk
having your vehicle impounded, being handcuffed and taken to jail, even
for a recently expired registration, and if you have "too much cash"
(whatever that means) they can take it away until you prove to a judge
how you got it, and even then they do not have to give it back because
you might have gotten if from a drug deal. (once again, okayed by the
supreme court) It can only get worse when you are driving a van <g>

In my youth, I did some silly things and got off pretty easy, but in the
police state we live in now, I am not of a mind to push my luck.

BTW, if you were in a vanagon, why would you ever have to hit the brake
around a cop? :-)

Regards from Utah,

John