Holy day. This AM I had to wake up early to take my car to the shop to get looked at. It has been idling really weird and cutting out. After talking to a few people I came to the conclusion that it was the Mass Airflow Sensor (MAFS). The shop called at 10 this morning and told me I was right. Then they told me that there were 3 problems.
1. They would have to order it from Mitsubishi/Eagle.
2. The part would take 2 weeks to arrive.
3. The part costs $680.

This is lame news... Jon, my mechanic, said that I should find one online or something and install it myself to save about $600. I agreed and went to pick my car... because it was time to go to the icubs game that Pioneer paid for today, w00t.

When I was leaving the shop I got behind this state cop right at a 4 way stop. The cop was going straight, which is what I planned to do. However, I thought... maybe I should turn right here because he will probably pull me over (my luck). I went straight, he pulled off the side of the road, let me pass, and pulled me over. The weird thing is that this has happened a couple times before. I think that Iowa State Troopers have a routine that they follow which I'm sure is not legal.

First the cop pulls me over for not having a front license plate. This is legit. I should have one (even though that is a lame law and probably a significant tax cost). So I tell him that I need to get a bracket for the plate due to my non-stock bumper. He let's that slide but tells me I wasn't wearing my seatbelt. This was a blatant lie. I told him that I had it on so he let that slide. THEN he made me roll up my window (both were down) so that he could test the tinting. He had no reason to believe that they were tinted, he simply wanted to write me a ticket since he had me pulled over. So I roll it up, thinking that I was legal because my front tinting was the lightest available. It turns out my tint is not legal. He writes me a ticket.

Now the weird part. 4 years ago a similar thing happened while riding with a friend (Joe Wallace). An Iowa State Trooper pulled us over because his front license plate was not on. Joe's truck was crappy and the bracket had broken off or something. He showed the cop his busted up plate so he let it slide. However then the officer accused him of not wearing a seatbelt. Joe said that he had it on and I backed him up. So we got let go. A couple years later, I got pulled over by another state trooper for not having a front plate. I had just gotten my body kit put on my car and didn't want a plate. So he pulls me over, I tell him I need to get a bracket, and he let's it go. Then he said that it looked like I wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I ensured him that I was and he let it go. After that he said, "Well I'm going to go ahead and have to write you up for these tinted windows." He didn't even have a meter to judge them but claimed that any tinting on the front windows is illegal. The cop today said that they make 70% tint which IS legal.

A few things to note here.
1. It seems as though Iowa State Troopers are on some sort of system to guarantee a ticket for nearly every stop.
2. Iowa state troopers are unsure of the tinting laws.
3. Iowa state troopers have nothing to do.

Anyway, the icubs game was fun. A lot better than working. And I saw Maria Rogge there.

8:11 pm