Wagner, Boy, this _is_ getting way OT . It's not that I'm necessarily against the idea, mind you, but .. This is how personal liberties are eroded. It starts out as a good idea with noble intentions. Who can say no to saving a child's life ? As time wears on, the idea is expanded at the expense of personal freedom. For instance, I've no doubt that our speed limit laws save lives. I am equally sure that law enforcement agencies are biased toward ticketing because they count on the revenue that said tickets produce. Then you have to wonder, as you drive down a four lane road where the stated speed limit is 30 mph and your natural tendancy is to drive at least 40 mph, who sets the speed limit, and what is their true motivation ? Especially when I see an officer regularly patrolling where it changes from 55mph to 30mph. There is, without a doubt, a price for the freedom we enjoy. The question is, how much is too much ? All the laws in the world can't make up for a proper education in morality and responsibility. Why ? Well, one reason is because we can't afford enough police. Increasing the fines doesn't help pay for additional police because the ones that can afford the fines (us) are more likely to be the ones that obey the laws. The ones your after either skip the ticket or weasel out of it because they grew up in a broken home and just need a break to put them on the straight and narrow . They just added a stop sign at the corner because my street runs parallel to a major road and people were using it during high traffic hours to save time ( and generally speeding ). It worked for about a month. Now those that use the road know that the police are never around and just run the stop sign. I don't know answer to the underlying problem (which has nothing to do with speeding or driving in general). I do know that more regulation is not necessarily the answer or even a good thing. Eric On Wednesday, July 14, 1999 9:39 AM, Wagner Lipnharski [SMTP:wagnerl@EARTHLINK.NET] wrote: > Margo Erickson wrote: > > > > Wow, what a great idea! Just what we all need is more government > > control in our lives. The government will take care of us all! Yes, more > > laws!!! You must live in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts. > > > > >Want more? I would vote to have a law to analyze a person's driving > > >ability, based on the info from the on-board computer download... > > >Stored by months... :) > > At least the chance to remove from streets those "ugly" "nasty" "bad > habit" terrible drivers. Then we could drive on the streets in a > controlled situation (again). Let me tell you one dream I have... "one > day wake up and realize I have a patrol police badge, red and blue > lights on my car, and the traffic law book". > > Right aside my house there is a playground, children cross the street > all the time in bicycles. There is a BIG speed limit sign showing a > enormous 25mph speed limit... I would love to have the driver's license > revoked from the guys that drive at 55 there... permanently... this is > at least a huge lack of respect not only by the law, but mainly by the > human life and social behavior... worse: they are my neighbors! > > A week ago another neighbor just crashed into the front bedroom of my > neighbor across the street. At midnight he (20yrs old driver) just lost > control of the vehicle in this small curve, drove 40 yards over the side > walk, ran (and kill) a 6 inches diameter tree, returned to the street > and crossed it, invaded the neighbor front yard and crashed at 50mph > into the house... the car stopped 20 inches from the bed where kids were > sleeping... can you imagine? glass, wood all over, the front wall just > went down. I rushed to the guy and asked "Do you know what is the use of > that BIG black rubber thing you have at the left of the gas pedal? it is > the BREAK pedal man!!! you just drove for more than 100 yards in an > uncontrolled situation without use the break!!!" the guy just answered > he lost control... crashed at 50mph into the house after his speed was > reduced by several things... in a 25mph street... we need to assume that > some people can drive, some don't. Fly a F-117 jet is a little bit more > difficult, but follows the same rules "some can do it, others don't". > > When a patrol car is riding on the street, everybody respect the law and > just follow the street speed limit, right? why? why don't they do it all > other time? Because they are respecting the patrol car, not the law > itself. Some people just make their cars a living concert hall with > 500Watts of sound power. They could install a shower, kitchen, bed, > family room and so on in the car, perhaps they could realize it would be > easier to do all of that at home. I understand perfectly human rights > related to freedom, but your freedom stops when starts mine, and if I > choose not to listen to 500Watts music, then your music is wrong to > invade my freedom. > > If we all respect just the "common sense" we would not need *ANY LAW AT > ALL*. Remember that laws were done to try to hold those who were born > stupid without this part of the brain, the part that make us see that we > are not alone, and that we need to share this planet with other people, > in a respectful way. Life is too much valuable than a driver's license > in hands of an arrogant, greedy and ignorant person. Make them all ride > a public transportation bus, > > "Long live to the patrol officer" > > Wagner.