At VCU this year, 619 wasn't doing very well - we basically had to rebuild the robot on Thursday - and by noon on Friday the inspectors were doing everything they could to let us go out on the field. So they let us sit on the field (and gain seeding points) with the bumpers ziptied to the robot - provided we promised not to drive with it that way. We didn't, and someone gave us a safety token for "not endangering other teams."
At the same regional, I watched 339 and the inspectors argue for about 30 minutes over whether the red light proximity sensors from previous years were legal. The inspectors didn't think they were because they required a 12V supply but didn't have the necessary gauge wire for a 20 amp breaker. The problem is, there smallest 12V supply on the robot is a 20 amp breaker. Eventually, the inspectors found a clause in the manual that permitted the use of any wiring provided it came already attached to the device.
And of course, I can't count the number of times I've witnessed the classic: "OMG WE'RE SO OVERWEIGHT - oh wait, the battery's in...whew."
