Richard Homsi: State of New Hampshire should keep inspection program

To The Daily Sun,

There is a lot of controversy over the current New Hampshire state inspection program on whether it is good or bad for consumers and whom it benefits. To "Live Free or Die" is a long-time slogan and means a lot in New Hampshire. When citizens drive a motorcycle without a helmet, they only affect themselves, no one else is at risk. When they drive a vehicle that no professional mechanic has looked over for a couple of years or more for its safety condition and they drive it, they put every person on the roads and sidewalks at risk.

In the automotive business in Massachusetts for over 42 years and counting, I have seen vehicles come in my place of business for a simple light bulb and I have found the vehicle's front end, tires, brakes, and even driveshaft parts to be highly unsafe to the point I have refused for my customer to drive the vehicle away. I give them their option to repair the vehicle anywhere of their choice or to tow it to their choice destination. The choice I don't provide is for them to drive it away and possibly hurt themselves or someone else.

I feel that the State of New Hampshire should keep the already-in-place safety program and have spotlight teams from the state secretly visit service stations performing inspections to see if they are treating customers fairly or not. If not they should be fined and if their behavior continues by taking advantage of consumers they should be removed from the program. This will hurt their pocket only, yet it will protect the consumer while the program will protect everyone.

The state should care about the safety of everyone on our roads. This is simple.

Richard Homsi

Laconia