"I suspect those officers aren't as sympathetic when defiant gestures are aimed at them. This sense of entitlement and exceptionalism among law enforcement is a good reason to cut taxes and buy a gun . . . ."
-- Glenn Reynolds, author of Instapundit blog, commenting on "acts of defiance" being practiced by police officers in Montgomery County, Va. Apparently, when police officers there speed through red-lights, they flip their middle finger to the red-light camera. When they receive the automated ticket for their speed transgression, they refuse to pay. Why? On advice of the local police union, officers are telling the county that the ticket is not isued to the person driving, but to the vehicle's owner. Which is the county.
19 May 2008
Quote Of The Day
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3 comments:
Honestly, while I don't approve of the blatant disregard for the law that these officers are showing, I do sympathize with their gesture towards the cameras. Most if not all intersection cameras are not state/county run. Instead, a 3rd party company will come in, install cameras, charge the county/state/city a couple million and then rake in profits since they usually take 30-75% of the ticket. A canadian city did a cost analysis of their traffic cameras and found that they were losing money on the whole deal and that the intersections with cameras had actually increased in number of accident.
C, thanks for the note. I understand the gestures also. Here in Columbus, the selling point was that the city wouldn't have to put out a dime. The private company covered the cost of cameras and installation...and then took -- TAKE -- a hefty percentage. Results are mixed so far as to whether the accident rate has changed. But the city officials here beat there chests and crow about making the city safer, without any additional outlay of capital. Its all quite turned upside down.
C, thanks for the note. I understand the gestures also. Here in Columbus, the selling point was that the city wouldn't have to put out a dime. The private company covered the cost of cameras and installation...and then took -- TAKE -- a hefty percentage. Results are mixed so far as to whether the accident rate has changed. But the city officials here beat there chests and crow about making the city safer, without any additional outlay of capital. Its all quite turned upside down.
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