The politicians are at it again . . .

We've surely all had our fill of them by now---the vehicle height laws, the bumper height laws, the light height laws, noise abatement laws, increasingly punitive emissions laws, firearms transport restrictions, the works. Not to mention the usual trail restrictions and land closure issues we're constantly having to deal with anyway.

But now comes this. Just this week, in both the Virginia and Maryland legislatures, bills were introduced which, if passed and signed into law, would ban the public display on your vehicle of . . . well, take a look at the photo, and you'll know what we're talking about.

Now, these Truck Nutz, or Truck Ballz, or whatever the heck they're called nowadays, ain't exactly our cup of tea. We've never used 'em and have no plans to. And we can understand how some folks might---repeat, might---be a bit bothered by the sight of a pair of . . . truck accessories, dangling down the Interstate. On the other hand, where we come from, cops and state troopers in most places have got a few more important things to do than pull guys over and cite their rides for Indecent Trucksposure.  

Now we do understand the intentions behind this---protecting impressionable kids from naughty, suggestive material and the like---but in the grand scheme of things, is this such a public nuisance to merit debating in a legislature, rewriting in committee, passing into law, then sending the Attorney General scurrying to court when the ACLU calls foul? (Meanwhile, the meter's running---VA and MD taxpayers take note.)

Our take? Good intentions aside, the War on Truck Nutz just might be the dopiest legislative initiative you'll see in America all year. Then again, it's only January.