Icollected two speeding violations in the last two weeks. Before you rush to judgment, let me tell you that the last time I had a moving violation of any kind was 15 years ago.
These recent incidents were a fluke, an aberration.
However, because the two incidents differ so vastly from each other their stories need to be shared.
Incident 1.
Main Street, Bel Air, Maryland. Having just leftBuopntempo Brospizza parlor local.yahoo.com/resultsfor home with three pies, and hoping I could deliver the pizza and make it to a friend's memorial service in time, I was waved to the curb by the Bel Air Police. They were stationed in front of the Harford Historical Society www.harfordhistory.netwith radar. The officer walked up and said, "Hello, I'm Officer McComas. May I see your license and registration?" I retrieved them and he said, "This is just going to be a warning. You were doing 36 in a 25." I apologized, and he returned to his car. A few minutes later he handed me the warning and I left, feeling fortunate and driving more attentively.
Incident 2
The same day a letter came in the mail from Montgomery County, Maryland en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_County,_Maryland. Inside was a picture of my car driving on Democracy Blvdin Bethesdaten days earlier. The notation said that I was doing 46 in a 35, and that I owed a $40 fine payable by Visa, Mastercard, or check. I remember the circumstances. It was my first time ever on that stretch of Democracy Blvd. I was driving between business meetings, enjoying the lovely houses and green spaces of Bethesda. I was not in any hurry - I was plenty early for my next meeting. Upon getting the notice I felt infuriated, and it certainly did not change the way I drove in Bethesda ten days earlier.
It is easy to dispassionately observe the debate over speed cameras and speed camera legislation from afar, but nothing beats personal experience to galvanize one's feelings.
I do not dispute the fact that I was speeding in both cases.
However, as a member of a free society when I violate the law I expect to be confronted by a human officer of my government. Based upon the circumstances of my offense, that officer can exercise first judgment on whether and with what I should be charged.
A ten-days-after-the-fact speeding ticket deprives me the benefit of that first human judgment. Of course I could certainly argue my case in court, but nobody in that courtroom except me was present at the scene. The only fact taken into consideration will be that I was speeding.
Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?
Possibly, but how far should we let automated technology go in enforcing our behavior? GPS is becoming so sophisticated that soon it will be able to compare our vehicle's speed with the posted speed continuously, and send a signal to generate a violation on the spot. It is not a stretch to imagine a time in the near future when GPS could be implanted in each of us. We could be located in an emergency, found if lost, and the criminals among us could be apprehended forthwith. The government will assure us that even with this technology they would never abuse our guaranteed personal freedoms.
Do these sound like good ideas to you?
Here are some previous Examiner stories on speed enforcement cameras: www.examiner.com/a-1979166Md__effort_for_speed_camera_referendum_delayed.html www.examiner.com/x-7567-Anne-Arundel-Headlines-Examinery2009m4d11-Why-are-speed-cameras-important www.examiner.com/x-1095-DC-Transportation-Examinery2009m4d22-Will-speed-cameras-encourage-drivers-to-drive-recklessly
Drive safe!
For more info: Link to a database of traffic camera locations www.photoenforced.com/Link to a paid service providing a file with traffic camera locations to be downloaded into your GPS www.poi-factory.com/poifiles/us/red-light-cameras
Fandango Movie Blog
www.fandango.com/movieblogRead the Fandango Movie blog for movie news, insider gossip, and early reviews from people in the know.
Movie Showtimes and Tickets - Yahoo! Movies
sg.movies.yahoo.com/Showtimes/moviesFind movie showtimes and tickets for the latest movie releases on Yahoo! Movies. Search for showtimes and tickets in a movie theater near you
Win Fast & Furious 6 merchandise - Entertainment Focus ...
www.entertainment-focus.com/competitions/win-fast-furious-6...Take home some cool F&F6 merchandise. ... Fast & Furious 6 is released in UK cinemas on May 17th, starring; Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana
Fast & Furious 6 - Final Trailer - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_puVuHoR6ohttp://thefastandthefurious.com Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of all-stars as the global blockbuster franchise built ...
Movies Released June 8th, 2012 - MovieWeb.com
www.movieweb.com/movies/2012/week23 Movies coming to theaters the week of June 8th, 2012
Watch Full The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) Movie ...
www.solarmovie.so/watch-the-fast-and-the-furious-tokyo-drift-2006.htmlWatch full The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie produced in 2006. Genres are Drama, Thriller, Crime, Action.
Download Movies Online.Watch Online For High Quality Free
80millionmoviesfree.comDownload movies. Free Movies downloads you can burn to DVDs and watch on your TV. Watch DVD Movies. Online Movies,Everything you need to know about movie downloads.
Fast & Furious 6 Movie Official Site for the Fast & Furious 6 ...
www.thefastandthefurious.comFast & Furious 6 starring of Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto where all stars reunite for their most dangerous adventure yet. Watch the Fast & Furious 6 movie in ...
Movies Released July 12th, 2013 - MovieWeb.com
www.movieweb.com/movies10 Movies coming to theaters the week of July 12th, 2013
0 comments:
Post a Comment