The Coronavirus thread

Quote: ams288

To each their own.

For me, the douche bag in the situation is any cop running a speed trap. That’s just my opinion though. You’re free to disagree.

"Hanlin, you've got the speed trap at Tenth and Montgomery today. We've had citizen reports of some motorists blowing through there at fifteen over recently."

"But, I don't want to do the speed trap. I don't believe in speed traps, so I will not work them."

"Hanlin, you're fired. Give me your badge and your weapon."

Quote: ams288

I guess it’s one of the few areas I veer more towards libertarian. We should all be more like Montana when it comes to speed laws.

And if cops can’t find more important things to do than man speed traps, that’s a signal that maybe we need less cops.

You can't ONLY call yourself a Libertarian when it comes to laws you don't like. Actually, I guess you can...but you shouldn't.

Being a Libertarian has nothing to do with picking and choosing particular laws that you like or don't like, though. Libertarians would even get rid of some laws that they like the effects of. We're pretty big on consistency.

Quote: Mission146

You can't ONLY call yourself a Libertarian when it comes to laws you don't like. Actually, I guess you can...but you shouldn't.

Being a Libertarian has nothing to do with picking and choosing particular laws that you like or don't like, though. Libertarians would even get rid of some laws that they like the effects of. We're pretty big on consistency.

lol I had a feeling that’d elicit a response from you.

And don’t worry, I would never call myself a libertarian.

Quote: ams288

lol I had a feeling that’d elicit a response from you.

And don’t worry, I would never call myself a libertarian.

Nor would we ever call you one. ;)

(Not meant as an insult. There is no question that ams288 and I have different political views.)

Quote: ams288

I usually have a mask hanging from my rear view mirror.

I find the left side lever on the steering wheel the most efficient placement. : )

Quote: ams288

Louis Gohmert, who refused to wear a mask, tests positive for coronavirus

Definitely can’t feel sorry for this guy. Probably America’s dumbest congressperson.

Louie is blaming his coronavirus on...... wearing a mask.

"I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t been wearing a mask so much in the last 10 days or so, I really wonder if I would have gotten it.”

He’s dumb as a rock.

And there is video of him interacting with overweight Bill Barr yesterday at the hearing.

Quote: ams288

I guess it’s one of the few areas I veer more towards libertarian. We should all be more like Montana when it comes to speed laws.

And if cops can’t find more important things to do than man speed traps, that’s a signal that maybe we need less cops .

You do realize the number of traffic fatalities (not to even get into injuries and property damage numbers).

Traffic enforcment is probably one of, if not the best thing, cops can do to protect lives (based purely on mathematics)....

Quote: Gandler

Quote: ams288

I guess it’s one of the few areas I veer more towards libertarian. We should all be more like Montana when it comes to speed laws.

And if cops can’t find more important things to do than man speed traps, that’s a signal that maybe we need less cops .

You do realize the number of traffic fatalities (not to even get into injuries and property damage numbers).

Traffic enforcment is probably one of, if not the best thing, cops can do to protect lives (based purely on mathematics)....

So your telling me.... you support speed traps?

My jaw is on the floor.

You of all people, who always seems to support anybody who has even one tiny bit of authority no matter what. Who could have guessed this?!

/sarcasm

Quote: Gandler

Quote: ams288

I guess it’s one of the few areas I veer more towards libertarian. We should all be more like Montana when it comes to speed laws.

And if cops can’t find more important things to do than man speed traps, that’s a signal that maybe we need less cops .

You do realize the number of traffic fatalities (not to even get into injuries and property damage numbers).

Traffic enforcment is probably one of, if not the best thing, cops can do to protect lives (based purely on mathematics)....

Speaking of traffic safety. I would make it a requirement that all insurance polices state the approximate increase in a person's insurance rate due to different cases of violations or accidents.

Right on the front page of every bill or policy in big bold letters.

I remember when they started requiring to show payoff on credit card policies vs minimum and within 3 years. Thought that was a good idea as well.

Quote: ams288

Quote: Gandler

Quote: ams288

I guess it’s one of the few areas I veer more towards libertarian. We should all be more like Montana when it comes to speed laws.

And if cops can’t find more important things to do than man speed traps, that’s a signal that maybe we need less cops .

You do realize the number of traffic fatalities (not to even get into injuries and property damage numbers).

Traffic enforcment is probably one of, if not the best thing, cops can do to protect lives (based purely on mathematics)....

So your telling me.... you support speed traps?

My jaw is on the floor.

You of all people, who always seems to support anybody who has even one tiny bit of authority no matter what. Who could have guessed this?!

/sarcasm

I don't believe in the phrase "speed traps" , its a misnomer, its like when people call "bait cars" "entrapment". As long as the speed limit is clearly posted and cops pull you over for going 11+ (which is the standard most places), its just the traffic laws actually being enforced.

The issue is most Americans are used to speeding, so cities/towns that enforce speeding are labelled as "speed traps" and are the exception, if traffic enforcement was more uniform the reverse would be true.

Unfortunately, most Americans, even most cops I know, think of traffic/parking enforcement as a bogus detail and would rather fight "real crime". The realty is you are far more likely to die driving than you are to be killed by murder and terror attacks combined, so what really is "real crime"? Speeding tickets save lives (while also providing revenue for towns without having to raise taxes), its a win-win.

If you drive (or get driven), it is by far the most dangerous activity you do (unless you do hard drugs or are a heavy drinker)…..

So yes, I support traffic enforcement. In fact I think there is far too little of it.... I personally know more people that have been killed by drunk drivers than terrorists, so as heroic as SWAT Officers are, logistically, Traffic Officers save more lives. Very few people will say this, both because its not intuitive, and its socially controversial, but its mathematically true.

I have little sympathy for people who get speeding tickets and DUI arrests and then cry about "traps"...…


I honestly think a good middle-ground that many cities are expanding to, is speed cameras (similar to red-light cameras). The only downside is, these tickets cannot put points on your license (since they can't prove the driver, they just hold the registered owner accountable like parking tickets). But, its a good way to issue hundreds of tickets a day with no risk to Officers. The PPA in Philadelphia is starting to install them over some roads, and warnings will be mailed out the first few months, but eventually it will switch over to tickets.


I have received three traffic tickets in my life, 2 for speeding (both I definitely deserved, even though I could have had one dismissed on a procedural error with the Laser which I was encouraged by an attorney friend to do), one for no seat belt (I was not the driver, and it was a work truck with no seat belt, but that is another issue), and you know what I did? I was polite to the police and paid them when they were due because I was in the wrong.... Its not hard.....

If you are going to intentionally try to spread a disease to somebody who is doing their job, you are just a bad person, and I hope you get an additional ticket for not wearing a mask during a public interaction.... If you feel a ticket is unfair, fight it in court, you will probably lose and then have to pay court costs as well, but that is the proper recourse. There is no reason to cause a scene over a 100-300USD ticket....