Driving Restrictions

When I first arrived in Mexico City, I quickly learned about the "no hay circulación" law by getting pulled over by the police and paying my first bride (notice the use of "first" bribe, I paid the police off again recently). Since the last number on my license plate is an 8, I can't drive on Tuesdays. I could get my car "verified", which means an emissions test, but only cars less than 8 years old are allowed to be verified. My very clean running 1992 Subaru wagon is therefore unverifiable even though is passes the Colorado emissions test with no problems. So I was left with only one option, not to drive on Tuesdays. This is not so bad I thought. I take the metro anyway to work and very rarely drove on Tuesdays anyway. Then, in August Mexico City began "no hay circulación sabatino", which means the second Saturday of every month I am not allowed to drive my car. Even with all the "no hay circulación" rules, the Mexico City air pollution was not being reduced. Therefore, a new regulation began on September 1st that states, "any car with plates from a different country or from any Mexican state other than the DF and Mexico cannot circulate in Mexico City from 5am to 11am Monday through Friday." Currently, I am waiting for the clock to turn 11am so that I can go run some errands.