The New York police have already seen everything, they have seen people in costumes behind the wheel, they have seen escapes, they have seen stickers to avoid fines from the cameras, they have seen plates bought on Aliexpress.
Yes yes, as you read it, the New York State Police came across a driver who was circulating with registration and inspection stickers drawn by hand, literally, with a pen, a marker, and even crayons. Almost as if he had made the “papers” in a free moment with his child…
The car was stopped in the central area of the state and, when checking the windshield, the officer saw something that did not add up. That “something” turned out to be a pair of fake stickers made with all the affection… and no type of validity, of course. The man, Gregory T. Cawley, 50 years old, ended up with a collection of fines and his vehicle removed from the road.
He called it “art”
This happened on Route 20 in LaFayette. At first, the car caught their attention because it had plates that did not match with that time. But when the officer approached the windshield… that is where a completely different story began.
The stickers were homemade copies, with invented text, little numbers written by hand and even a “barcode” that was, actually, a black crayon scribble. A creative attempt to avoid a fine, but nothing more…
“A friendly reminder: craft materials do not count as valid documentation.” said the State Police on social media.
Who was the driver?
The person responsible was identified as Gregory T. Cawley, a resident of the area. He was driving a Jeep with plates that belonged to a 2011 Chevrolet Express. The story did not look good from the start…
The author of this news did not reveal why he made his own stickers, but social media pointed to two motives, maybe he did not have money for the repairs needed to pass the inspection, for driving without an updated registration or for having lost the plate due to previous sanctions.
The idea was that his vehicle would not be held and to “get by” if the police stopped him, but did this man think the police are dumb? The move went a bit wrong.
What fines did he get?
Driving a vehicle without inspection.
- Unregistered vehicle.
- Incorrect plates.
- No left side mirror.
- Exhaust system violations.
- And to top it off, driving without a valid license.
The car was towed immediately, because it met practically all the requirements… for not being on the road.
It seems like a joke but it is not
Annual inspections are not a whim, they verify the basic functions of all vehicles so that none of them is at risk:
- Brakes and lights.
- Emissions.
- Seat belts.
- General condition of the vehicle.
Fake stickers are not only a crime, but they can also hide serious issues that put anyone on the road at risk. And yes, even if they are made with colored crayons and look real.
Surreal cases
As we told you at the beginning of the article, the police are not even surprised anymore by this type of chapter, they have seen it all already. From stickers made with cutouts of postal codes to labels written by hand with invented data.
One of the most well known cases was a cardboard plate made by a mother who could not face a fine and decided to make her own plate…
And the one that said that Don’t do this – NYPD tickets driver for using fake hand-drawn stickers – everything you need to know about mandatory inspections, vehicle registration and DMV penalties
There is creativity… but the law does not have much sense of humor.
Cawley’s case has gone viral because it is so absurd it is hard to believe. But inspections and registrations are mandatory, and falsifying them should be extremely expensive.