ABILENE, Texas —
For over 40 years TJ’s Auto inspection has made sure vehicles were safe to drive on the road. Starting Jan. 1 car safety inspections will be a thing of the past.
“We have to make sure the tire tread is at least 2/30 seconds, make sure the brake fluid level is up to the level in your brake fluid, listen to brakes,” Michael Young said.
Although the list of items checked during a state inspection may be long, Michael Young, the owner of TJ’s Auto Inspection says it’s for a good cause.
“I’ve had customers come in here only using e-brakes,” Young said. “The foot brake was completely out, and they were going through town with just the e-brake. If you don’t have any more inspections, how are you going to catch that? There are people out there that try to drive with their e-brake alone. That’s a concern.”
The auto inspector who checks 20 to 40 vehicles a day has a long list of concerns as the clock counts down to the new year.
“My main concern is they are putting me out of a job,” Young said. “Throughout the day I have cars coming in for vehicle inspections. That’s all we do. As soon as they take that away it takes our job away over 7 bucks. The state wants that $7.”
Starting Jan. 1, the $7 fee that would normally be charged for the state inspection will be increased to $7.50, and it will be added to the total when vehicles are registered each year.
“It aggravates me,” Young said. “I feel like they are only doing this because of the $7. That’s probably more than $1 billion they are going to take. That $1 billion is originally what us people who do this for a living would get. That’s pretty much our money that we work for. Our livelihood, and they’re just taking it.”
With Jan. 1 just days away Young says he’s making plans to hopefully keep his business open.
“I’m going to try to transition into TJ’s Auto Shine and Detail,” Young said. “I’ve already invested in all the equipment. It’s at the house. That’s the plan. Whether it works or not I have no clue. I hope it does. If not, I have to find a job like everyone else. There isn’t anything I can do about it. Law makers wanted a change and that’s what they are going to get.”