There has been a well publicized backlash against Providence speed cameras placed in school zones ticketing those going at least 11 mph over the speed limit. But the anger is not because there is so much speeding in school zones, it is because their were so many tickets!
The apparent sense of entitlement that some motorists feel to speed in school zones is disturbing. It is hard to feel sorry for the plaintiffs in a anti-enforcement lawsuit, as reported in the 3/24/18 Providence Journal, several were caught speeding more than 20 mph over the speed limit and there was at least one repeat offender. They apparently care little about the safety of the kids and school employees. Pandering to them, there is a bill in the legislature, H7760 by East Greenwich Rep. Anthony Giarrusso that repeals authorization for the speed zone cameras – in effect allowing widespread speeding near schools.
Note also that the US has a relatively high fatality rate per mile driven, about twice that of northern and western Europe. It is also a guideline that about 1/3 of the deaths are due to speed, especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists not protected by tons of metal and airbags who, as just reported at a RIDOT hosted conference, have a 90% chance of surviving a 20 mph collision, a 50% chance of surviving one at 30 mph and only a 10% chance to survive at 40 mph. Speeding kills!
But it is still only two cheers for the speed cameras as the fines seem too high for a first offense, and there are legitimate concerns about the roll out including due process, the placement warning signs and cameras as well as hours of operation. There are bills pending in the legislature to make reasonable adjustments.
For reasons of economy, environment, and health, we have a societal interest in promoting more walking and bicycling. This requires controlling speeding on urban streets to make them safer for all. So cheers for the cameras!
Three cheers for increased police surveillance! I vote we put those cameras on every block of the East Side and see how much the neolibs like them then. What about the children?!
“So I cheer for the cameras. Note that despite airbags, better brakes and crash protection, beeps that warn drivers if they veer out of lane and more, highway deaths are rising…”
Clearly a problem requiring increased police surveillance. Let’s require RFIDs on all RI registered vehicles and highway mounted surveillance sensors!
E-Z Pass helps states clock motorists’ speeds; accounts suspended for repeat offenders”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/20/ez-pass-helps-states-clock-motorists-speeds-accounts-suspended-for-repeat.html
Anyone who disagrees with me must hate children. Don’t you know school buses are on our highways? (that means you, thumbs down voters)
I’m not sure what your point is? Not do anything to counter the rising death (and injury) toll? Just let motorists speed on city streets with little enforcement? Or is there something else you would like to see done? There is a state Traffic Safety Coalition meeting next Thursday if you have some ideas.
I know emergency room medics wold like to show folks hostile to countering dangerous driving the effects of such in the emergency rooms.
My point is that no one says, “hey, let’s set up a police state to monitor what everyone is doing.” It’s always a response to a threat, real or imagined, always presented as necessary, even prudent. Why not put cameras inside everyone’s homes or do you not care about preventing domestic violence? And what about fires? Just think of how much quicker the emergency response could be!
Increased police presence adequately addresses your concern without the bulk collection of data on RI residents. You present a false choice between doing nothing and subjecting motorists to blanket government surveillance, all without any evidence that the response is effective or warranted.
What’s with the voting, Bob? I though I was getting down votes, but I can see this one started with 5 votes the instant I posted it.
Whether you want it or not, you got a thumbs up from me, Pink Hat.
I notice over at “Uprise”, they’re going on about the Dems and “unity”. Not going to clog the comments to the other posts. But what are the choices? Corvese or Kennedy? And then Chafee and Whiteknight . . . . ooh, baby. Koch or Pepsi, one wonders, then there is the Royal Crown. Dollars, taxes. Had an uncle who lived there. Left New York after Bloomberg took on Giuliani’s role. It was a hard act to follow.
I think John Cornyn, Sheldon’s friend made a salient point at the Haspel hearings today. She’d be a keeper if Obama had nominated her. Seems you can’t tell the Republicans w/out a scorecard. Bloomberg for the Royal Crown in 2020. Stop and frisk for Progressivism! The slogan for today’s Dems, it seems.
Oh, and John Sheehan’s post about taxation, representation and charter schools, today, at Go Local, another of those progressive blogs. Yes, and his rumination, re: the PawSox and eminent domain, elsewhere, earlier, at the electronic Yellow. It seems he’s neither getting NRA money or Broad/Bloomberg money. Probably a commie, huh? Must be something about him in the Steele dossier. . . . As the World Turns, so are the Days of our Lives, like sands through the hour glass . . . All the news that fits. How soon before the Rhode Island Foundation and RINPR take over the transmitter at URI, one wonders.
To the barricades!
Sorry, James Sheehan – he raises some interesting questions, seems sincere and quite reactionary at times. Oh, Baltimore, ain’t it hard to live . . . Lordy, Lordy! I wonder what position he took on those license plate readers they wanted to put on the toll gantries he voted for. Those who have done no wrong will have nothing to fear until the powers that be find out what they overlooked, I suppose. You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time and that is my friend at Nestor, Inc. told me as he laughed at me, derisively, every time I relayed my fears about the U S becoming a police state. Smile, you’re on candid camera. “When you least expect it, you’re elected. You’re the star today. Smile! You’re on candid camera!”
This is a test of the Emergency Sanity system.
This is only a test.
How we doing so far?
Don’t ask.
But, it’s kind of funny.
Happy summer.
Enjoy.
Lowriders.
Flaco Jimenez tunes.
at that point, the old fellow stood up. And, turning annoyingly,
he created for himself, an arched eyebrow.
“does this look right?”
I dunno. Who cares?
You digest my posts like a worm digest
in order to make something good for man.
(Good. That oughta irritate someone.)
My Little Sister: Why do you insist on doing that?
Because it’s junk time afternoon…
how much good happens at 5:52?
I’m willing to wage very little on this colloquy.
So, there…
One slice left…and it’s going
wet cardboard.
My Little Sister: Good!
Me: Listen to some Van.
Then you’ll know.
(Here endeth the Lesson.)
MULCH THAT!
But, back to the above graphic:
Behold. A camera welded into place.
A robot eye. An extension of a machine. A machine itself.
It does not need to eat.
What is it, really?
Some trouble?
Jerome: Some bullshit.
Me: Thank you, Jerome.
A little less Bond.
A little less Bond, please.
a coffee frappe, sir?
A coffee frappe, please. Two scoops.
a little vanilla?
You just read my mind.
“I guess they won’t
exchange the gifts
that you were meant to keep.”
-Leonard Cohen
…like one’s own impression of beautiful Providence.
Read Leonard Cohen.
Read, Leonard.
Read.
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
You don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
You can appreciate what you have.
A Thousand Kisses Deep?
From the Ten Songs album?
As the unofficial song of Providence?
to be detested by the unofficial puritan elite
until they embrace it and go crazy over it, too.
And people are all united and happy?
Yeah.
A Thousand Kisses Deep,
the unofficial song for the not quite well incorporated Town
of the new revolution in manufacture.
Boink. Junior: Yeah (eyebrows raised)…like thet.
Yeah, and what if actual progress came to be.
What, then, huh?
And you were missing out on it
all because you found the present to be unbearable?
Good-bye, Anthony, the actual man I never met.
Hello, Anthony. You left a library.
Dig that. Imagine that.
Yes, imagine the fires, hot as the sun,
that will engulf that library, too.
But, first, lox.
Where do you get the good stuff. I’ll never tell.
LEMONY: I saw the strangest thing today.
These kids were at Prospect Park,
rocking back and forth,
listening to “Lonely Avenue,”
from the One Night In San Francisco album.
So much like what my imaginings of their behavior might be.
Hmm.
The would like Neil Young in Pyongyang: I know they would.
And Neil could sell them on digital music so dense that it must again be carried in artifact form.
And (drums start to thrum) and we are again inspired.
Remembering Robin Williams.
Remembering Anthony Bourdain.
Remembering times past.
Remembering Soul Truth.
Johnny! Cailin! Beacon Shops!!
Carl’s Diggin’s!! Muffett’s Music!! Big Al’s!!