The importance of car tabs

My husband had a business trip in West Virginia today. I typically hear from him on landing, but I couldn't connect with him and was mildly concerned by 6 pm - so, naturally, I hacked into his e-mail to get the reservation confirmation of his hotel and gave his room a call.

Here's how the trip went:

A 5:30 am sojourn to the airport was interrupted by the lovely flashing red lights of a cop car. He was pulled over for expired tabs. He's been a little distracted by some other things going on (ahem, see previous posts on the big SNIP) and apparently didn't get that done. After handing over license and registration, the cop let him go without a ticket. WHEW!! (my heart is pounding at this point, because I'm fairly certain there's a yet to be paid traffic ticket in his desk - curses on those photo enforced intersections!!)

Now he's used Master Park and shuttled to the airport and is in the crazy, crazy security line where they practically strip search you to let you on the plane. I just went though this line a couple of weeks ago and was paranoid that they would confiscate my Pediasure -it was a close call! So, here he is, about to go through the line... "Driver's License, sir?" Hm... that would be on the passenger seat of his car, where he'd tossed it after the whole cop incident. Oops!

Fearing that he'd miss the plane, he talked them into letting him on without it. How, I'll never know. He is in sales. ;)

Ok, whew, he's arrived in Pittsburgh! Now he just has an hour drive into the depths of West Virginia... he just needs to pick up his rental car - "Driver's License, sir?" Darn, that's an important piece of ID, he's learning! Of course, there is no subway or commuter train to rural WV, so he gets a cab.

The cabby was apparently quite an experience himself, and pretty pricey, but after a few wrong turns they find his hotel. The cabby was even nice enough to charge his phone. Except, now that he's arrived and tries to call me, it didn't actually charge and it loses power. Ugh.

But, by the time I talked to him, he was safe and sound in his hotel and about to call me from the hotel phone and settle in for the night.

He just has to get a ride back to Pittsburgh tomorrow, and convince the security guys to let him on the plane a SECOND time, without proper ID. I'm ready for a trip to the airport with a Fed Ex envelope in hand!

So you all might say a prayer that I get my husband back tomorrow. He has to fly out to New Jersey on Sunday, and I can promise you, there will be tabs on his car by then!