Calgary Police ORDERED To Write More Tickets.

[metallicat]

I just like to laugh at all those people out there that get mad about police enforcing the rules of the road. If you don't want to donate your money, you don't have to. It's simple. Don't break the law. That concept is just always so difficult for people to understand.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by browna

Well, I've seen them 3 or 4 times in the 6 months I've been here. They find the skinniest cop to hide sideways behind the light post at the corner of 63rd and Crowchild, with his laser gun on a tripod, and steps out to catch those coming down the hill going an easy 60 when the limit is 50.

They should have Constable Fatso stand on the sidewalk and nail the u-turners, which, IMO on a to basically stop on a 50kmh street and turn around, is a lot more dangerous then someone coasting at 60kmh. They build the median about 10 feet longer to try and discourage it, but its not happening. Never mind the people trying to turn around on 63rd or at the Shell and gumming up traffic that wants to get through 63rd.....all to line up at a yeild sign on Glenmore and not get any further ahead if they waited in line up the ramp on Crow.

Yeah I know which one you mean. It is funny that people keep using it because it really doesn't get you any further into traffic.

If you want to make progress on Glenmore, go through and use the exit off of Earl Grey, that actually gets you somewhere during gridlock.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Okay Cube.
I know roads are designed to a higher speed than posted (it's called a safety factor by the way, it's the same reason an elevator designed for 10 people will actually hold 5.7-110 people, that's right one of the only things i remember from my machine component design course is that elevators must legally have a minimum safety factor of 5.7-11). Anyway, that is exactly why the speed limit is lower, because people will speed. If the road is safe to be driven at 130 and on average people drive 10 km/h over the limit, than the limit should be set at 110 so that people speeding will generally be safe.

Why don't the cops prosecute everyone who speeds? CAUSE THEY CAN'T CATCH THEM ALL. Which by the way is the same reason they don't prosecute every murderer.

As for the floating speed limit sign, I'll partially concede on that one, as I have been caught in that exact spot, but think about this.

1) That area is horrible for people ripping through very fast.
2) There are are a lot of pedestrians in the area with the running paths on one side and things like the girlguide office on the other.
3) I've gotten a ticket there, and know that the area is very often patrolled by photo radar
4) I don't speed through there anymore.

Places like that are places where people will rip throuh at 90k no matter where the speed limit sign is. Randomly move the sign, give a lot of people tickets, and eventually peoples behavior will change in that area and they'll stop speeding. I'm proof of that one.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

I just like to laugh at all those people out there that get mad about police enforcing the rules of the road. If you don't want to donate your money, you don't have to. It's simple. Don't break the law. That concept is just always so difficult for people to understand.

Ever got nailed doing 53 km/hr in a playground zone? People miss the signs...it happens.

There is one down a hill with good cover by my house, now why does the officer choose the downside of the hill to hide on all the time? Did I also mention that the sign is difficult to see and the park/playground equipment is tucked away from the road and fenced in. It's brutal...they get 3 squad cars in a condo parking lot writing tickets on mass.

[Rutuu]

I think we should have a poll of people that have almost been run over by cars speeding...is it honestly that high?

When I was a kid I was taught to look both ways...give kids some credit.

Personally I bet more pedestrians are hit by inattentive drivers turning left or right through cross walks.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

When I was a kid I was taught to look both ways...give kids some credit.

I would say on a daily basis I have somebody step in front of my car; not even bothering to look. I'm not sure if they've been taught they have right of way so it doesn't matter (yes, you will be in a wheelchair but you will be able to say you were in the right) or if it's just a matter of people refusing to understand that there's an entire world outside of what's going on it their life.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Personally I bet more pedestrians are hit by inattentive drivers turning left or right through cross walks.

For sure. That is definitely the most dangerous spot for pedestrians. And a lot of people choose to ignore those flashing lights at pedestrian crossings so that doesn't help.

Personally, I think the guy going 60 and paying attention is a much better driver than the guy going 48 and talking on his phone, picking his nose or just being his everyday moron self.

The people that are reading or putting on make-up should be put in the stockade. If not that then a little more than just a ticket should be issued. Take their license away. They are obviously too dumb to be driving.

The funny thing about this whole issue is that it's over a million bucks. What's a million bucks in the grand scheme of things? The police budget for 2006 is nearly 200 million dollars. Why are they making such a big deal and putting themselves up for such ridicule when it accounts for about .5%?

[Tron_fdc]

I agreee. Why are people allowed to type out emails on blackberries while driving with their knees, while listening to an ipod with a cup of coffee and a cigarette going on Glenmore, but when I drive 80 down a country road I'm a menace to society?

I guess technically people aren't "allowed" to do all the above, but it seems to me cops are a little to pre-occupied cashing in on tickets to actually "police" the idiots.

[Antithesis]

Whether you agree with police being more vilgilant on ticketing for speeding or not, the fact remains that asking the police to hand out more tickets will only result in more people fighting the tickets (both out of ideas that they shouldn't pay the ticket because they are philosophically opposed to it and out of genuine concern when the number of borderline tickets goes up).

More people fighting tickets will only tie up the court system more than it is now. At best, this would temporarily bog down the system until more judges can be hired or what-not (which would cost money and eat into the revenue gains) or it could permanently bog down the system as judges hear complaints on traffic tickets.

Simply put, this was a poorly thought out idea. Perhaps City Hall could have looked into ways of trimming the fat from their budget. A well-done audit would surely turn in more revenue, and make our civic politicians look good when they actually do streamline operations.

That being said, I thought it was so funny when Usselman mentioned on The Fan this morning that after all this public pressure, City Hall had come up with ways to trim the increases from 5.4% to 5.0% ... saving the average tax payer $4 a year.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

I think we should have a poll of people that have almost been run over by cars speeding...is it honestly that high?

When I was a kid I was taught to look both ways...give kids some credit.

Personally I bet more pedestrians are hit by inattentive drivers turning left or right through cross walks.

How about inattentive pedestrians who seem to believe that the lights are merely suggestions for them? Ever try to turn left onto 1A street from 61st Ave? Red light, green light, walk sign, dont walk sign, everyone just ignores the rules, and jaywalks any time they want.

I dont know how many times I've nearly hit stupid kids who likely wont live to see 18 running across a red light at Elbow/67th Avenue because they are late for school or their bus, and whom seem to think cars can stop on a dime.

Personally, I think you should be allowed to hit such idiot pedestrians so long as you dont speed up, slow down or swerve. An idiot who puts himself in position to get hit deserves to get hit.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

I think we should have a poll of people that have almost been run over by cars speeding...is it honestly that high?

When I was a kid I was taught to look both ways...give kids some credit.

Personally I bet more pedestrians are hit by inattentive drivers turning left or right through cross walks.

Yes, that seems like a reasonable response. Why bother putting the responsibility on adult drivers when we can just realy on kids to make safe decisions for us.