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sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

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Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

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    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker 23 Nov 2017

    State auto inspections have outlived their usefulness - thanks to federal regs, cars emit far fewer pollutants. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/11/22/are-auto-inspections-worth/rr8y7EWzU8xVNpHJAbj39M/story.html?event=event25 … via @BostonGlobe

    6:52 AM - 23 Nov 2017
    • 14 Retweets
    • 56 Likes
    • innovative Cody 🐝 Steve Sailer Sam Graybeal Cyril Morong AJS Never_Anyone NotYngwie Neverevernever, nope - not ever! Peter J Brown
    17 replies 14 retweets 56 likes
      1. Oklahoma Geek‏ @AnOkGeek 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        The emissions part of some state inspections are probably not worth it, but the basic stuff like make sure turn signals, break lights work and no obvious problems like bad tires, etc. are and can be easily implemented for a very small fee.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      2. Matias Kiviniemi‏ @RationalZone 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Emission testing every year might be questionable, but cars break down and its a good idea to regularly check breaks etc regularly before they fail on you

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      3. Mark Bulger‏ @Mark_Bulger 25 Nov 2017
        Replying to @RationalZone @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        What does a good idea have to do with a legal requirement?

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. Matias Kiviniemi‏ @RationalZone 25 Nov 2017
        Replying to @Mark_Bulger @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Because people dont do it otherwise. Dropping crash rate just by a percent is a concrete societal benefit/savings that MIGHT (I don't know the numbers). But it makes little difference to detect engine efficiency drop every year

        2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      5. Mark Bulger‏ @Mark_Bulger 25 Nov 2017
        Replying to @RationalZone @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        You're right - you don't know the numbers. Accident rates were the same in the 1990s in states of Georgia and Massachusetts when one had safety inspection, the other didn't. Because you believe in the necessity of social control, and assume that it must do good.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      6. End of conversation
      1. Sanat Patel‏ @sanatpatel 24 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Sanat Patel Retweeted Horace Dediu

        EVs still cannot pass themhttps://twitter.com/asymco/status/875432140296663042 …

        Sanat Patel added,

        Horace DediuVerified account @asymco
        Second year in a row my BMW i3 failed emissions State inspection
        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Don Bryant‏ @DonaldRBryant 24 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Yes, like tolls also. Good luck with that. :-(

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Adeptus Trashmechanicus‏ @BrainMechanical 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Except in cases where the inspections are physical... Looking for damage that results in years of corrosion buildup. Ever hit a spring pothole and gone off the road with a suspension failure? If not, you probably live in a nice part of North America.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Robert Ekendahl‏ @rekendahl 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Does anyone really see it as anything but an inefficient way to add a tax?

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Eric Green‏ @verdant 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        I still see black spot being omitted on occasion. We should give those types of vehicles tickets.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. M Stone‏ @M_Stone969 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Auto inspections will never go away, no matter how obsolete: they’re an easy source of recurring revenue for the state, and inspection stations.

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      1. Steve Peters‏ @petesfg 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        But auto dealers/service shops get huge windfalls from all the “problems” they find at annual service inspections

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Lisette‏ @LisetteVogel 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Visit a state that did away with auto inspections years ago to see what a big mistake this is.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Kemal Yonick‏ @kmyonick 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Car emissions are clean enough, but diesel trucks are filthy and are hardly regulated at all.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Autar Kaw‏ @numericalguy 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        We had them in the 1990s in big cities in FL. Got rid of them as most were meeting standards!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Sean Jason Webb‏ @SeanJasonWebb 23 Nov 2017
        Replying to @sapinker @BostonGlobe

        Last year my 2004 Chevy Venture passed the Ontario Drive Clean Emissions standards test. Then about a month later most of the exhaust system needed to be replaced. How did it pass when it was clearly failing?

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