BaltimOregon to Maine

Oregon requires tire chains on some snowy mountain passes (Photo by gio9019/Flickr Creative Commons/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gio9019/2179219234/ )

No, the third try wasn’t the charm. It took me four stops at auto shops today to find a place that had special cable chains to fit the low-clearance tires of our Honda Civic. Les Schwab, the tire king here, didn’t carry them and the Honda dealer and Auto Zone were out. Finally Napa Auto Parts came to the rescue.

We’re still trying to wrap our heads around Oregon’s zany chains law. Basically the state requires you to carry chains in your trunk, because when adverse weather hits (especially in the mountainous regions), the highway signs can change and require you to put them on. Luckily, if we don’t use the $30 chains, we can return them after April 1. But what a pain.

For such a laid-back, marijuana-friendly state, Oregon sure has a lot of rules and regulations. Getting our driver’s license and registering our car here is also a pain. We have to take an extensive driver’s ed test to switch our license over and you have to pay to transfer the title to Oregon. Man, moving is expensive. It’s enough to make you want to sell your car. At least we plan to stay a one-car family.