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A couple questions which I did not find answers to in the earlier thread on licenses:
1) What is the fine for continuing to drive beyond the grace period without a VI license?
2) When did they do these random traffic stops to check for licenses? What time of day? Where on the island?
3) If you do get a VI license, do they take your stateside license or just leave it up to you to dispose of it? Because I would like to keep mine. If they make me give it up I will just report it lost and get a new one sent from Mass, because I know the two DMVs don't compare notes.
p.s. Is the saying "don't drink TOO MUCH and drive" somewhere on the written test? Is one asked to quantify "too much"? 🙂
Posted : July 16, 2003 8:46 am
Carib: If you get caught without a VI license they can "give you a ticket", but what the penalty is, I have no idea. Enforcement in general is inconsistent. It is like Dirty Harry, do you feel lucky??? I know someone who has lived here 20 years without one and I have heard of newcomers getting ticketed. Just keep your seat belt buckled! They did traffic stops for a day or two at a couple of corners (at the "T" in Nadir and by the National Park Road for two). They were "cracking down" on crime, but decided to stop, I guess. The most common place to get stopped is by the Injustice Center when the police are on break. They had a crackdown on children and car seats a couple of months ago and announced that they would be by the old Grand Union giving out tickets one Saturday morning! Yes, they take your license or deface it, and I have heard of your solution. "It is unlawful for any person who has 0.10 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive, operate, or be in actual physical control of any motor vehicle within the Territory." Of course, they don't have any breathalyzers...
Posted : July 16, 2003 10:21 pm
Thanks for the tips. I have a short commute and I wear my seatbelt so I should be safe. I think I'll continue to chance it for now...
Posted : July 16, 2003 11:13 pm
Carib and others,
There are folks that keep their state side licenses... I know quite a few actually.
Some have been stopped and say "oh I live half the time one place and half the time the other".....
the issue comes up when you register your car - sometimes you will get a attititude or more difficulty when registering without a vi license - you might ask someone with a vi license to go with you and they do the inspection part for you. Or say you don't live there all year round. If you are sticking around - the folks might get to know your face and say WHAT I see you here all the time... but hopefully you will still get by.
Seat belt and accidents... would be where you might get caught and ticketed??? They don't seek out new residents to ticket them for not changing their license - there are enough folks coming and going that it would be impossiable. So you may never have to change it. Luck of the draw like someone said.
--Islander
Posted : July 22, 2003 6:46 pm
