Have any members of my family been known law-breakers? No one I know has been jailed for anything, or have had anything worse than traffic tickets sent their way.
Unknowingly, however, have there been law-breakers? Yes, many... including myself.
A not-often-cited law in Michigan prohibits a vehicle owner from hanging anything from their rear-view mirror, saying it will obstruct the driver's vision or distract from the actual driving. Driving home from work today after passing a car that had a wedding garter hanging from it, I remembered various cars holding these trinkets on the mirrors.
The first one I remembered was from the early 70s, where my aunt hung a stuffed dog that actually resembled a pinata. Fascinated with things in motion, I remember enjoying the dog move with every turn of her car. As I got into high school and received rides home from classmates, every one of them had something hanging from the mirror; whether it be beads or photos of the latest heavy-metal hero.
I've gotten into it, briefly, as I went through a "fuzzy dice" phase, then had a few air fresheners hang from them. And my late grandmother, one who refused to give up driving and household chores until she was forced, had her mirror literally filled with all her grandchildren's graduation tassels. Would the state pull her over for that? Evidentally so.
Within reason, I sometimes question why this law exists. If we go overboard on clutter, I can understand. If it jingles, or smacks the windshield, or moves too much, I understand that, too. But one graduation tassel? A small air-freshener? Even one of those imitation diamond balls hung from a long string that my mother wanted me to have one time? I couldn't believe her shock when I told her no, and she didn't buy my explanation as to why: I knew these were illegal.
But on some conservative trinkets, I don't know why. Take those hanging fresheners, designed to hang from the mirror. Where else could they go?
Like I'm fond of saying: "Why not extend the law to everything?" If you pull down the sun visor, doesn't that block vision? What about the wipers when you use them? Don't they move all over?
Now I have no need to hang anything from the mirror. My car will always smell like hell no matter what I put in there. But for the responsible driver who heeds the vision requirements and promotes no offense by placing something simple on the mirror to promote self-expression?
I think the law is short-sighted to them.
