Date:         Mon, 16 Dec 2002 08:46:57 EST
Reply-To:     Willolyn99@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Marshall <Willolyn99@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Photo ticket at stop lights
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I can't believe all the complaints about not having a "human being" be the
one to give you a ticket.  This is all very simple -- if you break the law,
it doesn't matter who catches you.  You still broke the law.  This reminds me
of folks who think cops in helicopters and planes should be illegal.  The
absence of a cop doesn't relieve us of our responsibility to follow the laws.
 It's not a game of 'you see the cop before he sees you'. Does having a human
give you a 'sporting chance'?  Or maybe you think you could manipulate a
human into not giving you a ticket for the crime you just committed?  Has
anyone ever thought that a machine might have a smaller margin of error that
some over-worked, over-stressed cop?

Easy ways to get out of a ticket:
Drive the speed limit
Slow/stop on yellow
Don't roll through stop signs
Don't break any of the laws that you studied and were tested on, and agreed
to follow by signing your driver's license
Drive like there is a cop on your tail all the time (after all, if you are
driving legally, you shouldn't act any different when a cop is around)

If you don't agree with the traffic laws, lobby to have them changed.  You
are in charge of your own locality.  Here, for example, we just lowered the
speed limits in our own neighborhood.  If the duration of the yellow light
was changed, there will be people responsible and there will be a paper
trail.  Someone physically changed the settings -- find them and hold them
responsible for what they did.  The yellow light must be long enough to give
you time to brake before entering an intersection (if you are going the speed
limit).  If it isn't, then someone is breaking the law on the other side.  If
you do the math and figure out the braking time & distance needed at the
speed limit and compare it to the duration of the yellow, you may have
something that will stand up in court.  At least you will be able to take it
to a city council meeting an raise a ruckus.