Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 14:53:16 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:
I can see your point, but on the other hand (and there's always another
hand), the police *do* sometimes slow down traffic to peek in cars for
seat
belt compliance. There are occasional complaints about this, but mostly
it
goes by without much whining.

=================================================

I always wear my seat belt, as do my passengers. I think it's just
common sense, and don't really understand people who have a problem
with fastening their belts.

On the other hand (as you would say), I think the seat belt law is bad
legislation, and I think that police roadblocks to enforce it is
equally bad law enforcement. Surely their are more important things
for our dedicated and highly trained officers to be doing other than
creating traffic jams and trampling on our constitutional rights in
the process. All of these roadblocks and checkpoints for seat belts,
inspection stickers, DWI screening, etc,, smack of border line police
state tactics and should be seriously discouraged no matter how worthy
the goal. The constitutional prohibitions (actually the Bill of
Rights) against unreasonable search and seizure were put there for a
reason; good reasons. Let's not decide 200 years later that none of
this is important. We walk around as free men today (more or less),
because of the wisdom of our ancestors who learned the hard way.

"Keith" wrote in message
...
Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at
intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

I'd agree. Each year, before the high-traffic holidays, a NY State Police
spokesperson issues a little recording for radio stations who'd like to use
it. It mentions the most dangerous things drivers can do. Frequently, they
mention tailgating at highway speeds as something which causes more pileups
than anything else, and I'm sure that's true.

In 35 years of driving, I've never spoken to ANYONE who's gotten a ticket
for tailgating on a highway. Give me an unmarked car, and I could easily
write tickets all day long for that offense. But, it can't be measured with
a radar or laser gun, so the cops never do it.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Keith" wrote in message
...
Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation
techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many
cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at
intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

I'd agree. Each year, before the high-traffic holidays, a NY State Police
spokesperson issues a little recording for radio stations who'd like to
use
it. It mentions the most dangerous things drivers can do. Frequently, they
mention tailgating at highway speeds as something which causes more
pileups
than anything else, and I'm sure that's true.

In 35 years of driving, I've never spoken to ANYONE who's gotten a ticket
for tailgating on a highway. Give me an unmarked car, and I could easily
write tickets all day long for that offense. But, it can't be measured
with
a radar or laser gun, so the cops never do it.

Never say never - I drive an unmarked Crown Vic, and I generally don't have
a radar unit in my car. Most of my citations are for "Failure to observe a
traffic control device," meaning that the person ran a stop sign, red light,
or whatever. I write speeding tickets as well, but usually only on special
traffic details that I get somehow assigned to.

I'd rather be pulling over the people who drive around town blatantly
violating a plethora of traffic laws than a speeder. You know the ones - dog
in their lap while talking on the cell phone and eating a Big Mac driving a
1970 station wagon that smells like a burnt oil refinery and could easily
replace the mosquito control vehicle. No turn signals, one working brake
light (if any), cracked windshield, broken antenna, with all of his hospital
paperwork strewn from one side of the dashboard to the other. Then you pull
them over and their license is suspended (which of course they had no idea
it was suspended). They root through the pile of empty Natural Ice cans to
get their expired registration out of the glove compartment. Of course when
he opens the glove compartment a bag of weed falls out onto the pile of beer
cans, but it isn't his - nope. His FRIEND must have left it in there. You
know, those type of people - THOSE are the ones that I like.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."

Good for you. You're the exception, that's for sure!

"swatcop" wrote in message
om...



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Keith" wrote in message
...
Most traffic laws and enforcement are only revenue generation
techniques,
having little to do with safety. For instance, why do you see so many
cops
out with radar guns on highways, when most accidents occur at
intersections?
Easier to bring in the $$ that way.

I'd agree. Each year, before the high-traffic holidays, a NY State
Police
spokesperson issues a little recording for radio stations who'd like to
use
it. It mentions the most dangerous things drivers can do. Frequently,
they
mention tailgating at highway speeds as something which causes more
pileups
than anything else, and I'm sure that's true.

In 35 years of driving, I've never spoken to ANYONE who's gotten a
ticket
for tailgating on a highway. Give me an unmarked car, and I could easily
write tickets all day long for that offense. But, it can't be measured
with
a radar or laser gun, so the cops never do it.

Never say never - I drive an unmarked Crown Vic, and I generally don't
have
a radar unit in my car. Most of my citations are for "Failure to observe a
traffic control device," meaning that the person ran a stop sign, red
light,
or whatever. I write speeding tickets as well, but usually only on special
traffic details that I get somehow assigned to.

I'd rather be pulling over the people who drive around town blatantly
violating a plethora of traffic laws than a speeder. You know the ones -
dog
in their lap while talking on the cell phone and eating a Big Mac driving
a
1970 station wagon that smells like a burnt oil refinery and could easily
replace the mosquito control vehicle. No turn signals, one working brake
light (if any), cracked windshield, broken antenna, with all of his
hospital
paperwork strewn from one side of the dashboard to the other. Then you
pull
them over and their license is suspended (which of course they had no idea
it was suspended). They root through the pile of empty Natural Ice cans to
get their expired registration out of the glove compartment. Of course
when
he opens the glove compartment a bag of weed falls out onto the pile of
beer
cans, but it isn't his - nope. His FRIEND must have left it in there. You
know, those type of people - THOSE are the ones that I like.
--
-= swatcop =-

"If it wasn't for stupid people I'd be unemployed."