DRIVETIME MAHATMA: U.S. 67/167 'corduroy' on fix-it list

Dear Mahatma: Is there any plan to repair or reconstruct the outside (truck) lane between Cabot and Searcy on U.S. 67/167? Some of it has become quite corduroy in places and very rough to drive on. -- Letter Writer

Dear Letter Writer: We were pleased to get your actual letter. It was sent to the newspaper, whose fine folks forwarded it here to the mansion. The manservant brought it in from the mailbox on the other side of the guarded gate.

We also feel your pain, having recently driven to Jonesboro on U.S. 67/167. This stretch of highway gives corduroy a bad name. While most of us would associate corduroy with a pair of winter pants, the historical definition is that of a road made of tree trunks laid across a swamp. At 65 mph, that's a mighty bumpy ride.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation, in the guise of spokesman David Nilles, reports two construction projects in these parts.

The first is reconstruction of 9.6 miles between Arkansas 5 in Cabot and the White County line. That work is scheduled to start in June of 2019. A second project will rehabilitate 18 miles of the highway between the Lonoke County line and Arkansas 367 in Searcy. That will involve patching, shoulder work and some rehabilitation. That project is scheduled for August of 2019.

Mr. Mahatma, I see many expired drive-out tags every time I get on the streets. Why are these drivers not being stopped and required to pay sales tax and tag fees for these vehicles? -- Mr. B

Dear Mr. B: This is a perpetual question for which there is no absolutely definitive answer. Instead, we will be long-winded.

These drivers are indeed being stopped for exceeding the 30-day limit on dealer or temporary tags. But the Department of Finance and Administration doesn't keep data on the number of such tickets across the state, although it keeps plenty of other ticket data.

Having an expired temp tag isn't a moving violation, and thus doesn't affect the status of a driver's license.

We can ask individual police departments, and the answers would be the same -- sure we do. And they do, only not fast enough or in sufficient quantity to keep up with all the miscreants who abuse the system. Keep in mind also the sheer number of police agencies. The state has about 500 municipalities, most of which have their own police departments. Toss in 75 county sheriff's offices, and the state police and the highway police and ... phew!

Consider doing something above and beyond the call of driver duty. Get the information off a temporary license and go to your city attorney. Ask that a warrant be issued for the driver. That warrant will presumably wind its way through the system to the police, and maybe a ticket will be issued.

Vanity plate seen on a red Toyota: FOXYBRN. We crept up to look, and she was.

[email protected]

Metro on 04/14/2018

Upcoming Events