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Thank you for the kind sentiment, Tam! Although, you make it sound like I'm dead or something, and I'm still alive and kicking, at least for now!

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As I stated in my letter, almost half of the cars that I inspect and possibly repair are either OBD 1 or OBD 0, so it is possible that your theory is at least partially correct.

That also means that a little over half of the cars that I inspect are OBD 2. In fact, I have had the "pleasure" of inspecting dozens of six-year-old cars over the years (drug dealers and pimps can make a tidy profit, and like to impress their friends and customers with a nice ride). Although it's impossible for me to prove it, I believe that I might have had the honor of being the FIRST person outside the factory to pop the hood on quite a few of them!

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Since there is no such thing as a NEGATIVE FPR score (at least not yet), I would like to cautiously share your optimism.

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It makes me feel good to know that I have made some friends and allies in my one-month tenure at iATN. I would like to thank all of you who have commented on my situation. I am not looking for sympathy (I'm a big boy), but I am looking for help in understanding my place in this profession, and your constructive criticisms and words of support have been priceless!!

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Quite correct. I am pasting my response to Jamey's post from another thread here:

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With all due respect, you are wrong and Tam is correct. The FPR's clearly stated intent is to evaluate INSPECTION performance, NOT repair performance! Otherwise, it would not be applicable to Test Only Stations, and, trust me, it's being applied quite heavily in that area.

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Of course you are correct here, but WHY the hell should it matter, if the inspection is performed accurately, which is the ONLY publicly-stated inspector quality being allegedly (and I use that term quite loosely) measured?

Sincerely,

Michael Barry
Technician
Quick Stop Smog & More
Sacramento, California, USA