Actually, Florida used to have auto and truck inspections, and when I lived there many moons ago, a truck I owned failed the brake test, and on the way home from the inspection station the brakes failed altogether (it was a bad master cylinder). So I can't say the inspections were a waste.
As for the emissions, I don't mind not breathing the unburnt fuel emmitted by 1973 Chevy vans that are running on 5 cylinders. Not at all.
DPS takes it seriously, and I know of several inspection stations that have had their licenses pulled for passing vehicles that don't actually pass inspection. It didn't used to be that way. In the seventies, most stations would pass anything. Most of them just wrote out your inspection sticker and charged you a dollar per headlight for adjusting them. I remember one old guy didn't even get out of his chair. Just filled it out, charged me for adjusting the headlights and handed me the scraper to change the sticker.
Y'know, this thread made me start thinking about the "good old days." I knew so many store owners that were crooked as a dog's hind leg back then.
My only concern about the emissions test is that like many things, the standards get jacked up until it costs a fortune to keep up with them.
So your neglected truck failed it's inspection...and you drove it home anyway?
They should have impounded your vehicle....or fixed it on the spot.
Stopping is pretty important. No?
IMO...that "inspection" was totally worthless if nothing was done about it....And it sounds like you were lucky maybe...you didn't have an accident...
fwiw-
I remember when Florida got rid of state inspections.
As a result there are some real basket cases that pass for automobiles. Some of the these vehicles are downright scary.