The hypocrisy of the speeding ticket (video)
My wife was taking our new born daughter to the grocery store the other day and got pulled over. The posted limit is 35mph, she was apparently doing 51. There were many other cars on the 2 lane (each way) road going over the posted limit. Why he picked her out of the crowd I don't know. Regardless of the reasons behind it, the fact that she was speeding isn't what made me so upset. I was not mad at her for 'breaking the law', I had no issue with it at all actually. I was mad at the legality of the actual practice from law enforcement. The sheer fact that a guy in a costume can demand you off of the road, at gun point, for harming no one, is what makes me mad. On top of that, the sheer fact that after you are stopped from your travels, you must submit to identifying yourself, giving up your address, your history is looked up, and in this situation, forced to pay around $180. The hypocrisy comes into full effect when you realize that this is no safety matter. Not one iota of keeping the general public 'safe' comes from pulling over 'speeders'. If someone does injure someone while speeding, they will be held accountable.
I personally drive all over for work and I see marked and unmarked cop cars passing me all the time (speeding), no emergency lights on. I routinely see them not use their blinker when turning. Not wearing their seat belts (in MN this is a big fine if YOU don't wear your seat belt, it's for your safety/sarc). And if you think texting and driving is bad, imagine having a lap top, well, basically in your lap, while driving.
How many times has an officers friend or family member been pulled over, only to be let go with a 'warning' because they had an in with the officer? When police can pick and choose who they harass and fine, it's not about safety. It's about revenue generation for the state.
Live and let live. No victim, no crime. Press on for the day that we can achieve this.
Below is a video of a cop in Austin, Texas get off scott free for doing 92 in a 65. Just because he was a cop.
Video from youtube.com
Image from pixabay.com
I don't disagree that catching speeders is a revenue machine for the state fellow MN here. I do abide by the posted limit based on physiscs. I have a 60 mile commute every day. If I travel at 60mph it takes 1 hour if I travel at 70 MPH it takes 51 min a savings of 9 minutes or 15% for 16% increase in velocity. in this example if your wife was traveling 10 miles at the speed limit it would take 17 min at 51 MPH it would take 12 min saving 5 minutes is that 5 mins worth $180? 45% increase in velocity saves 30% in time for $180. I agree it is about revenue and I chose to obey based on cost benefit analysis.
Hey, thanks for the comment and props on all that math, it would have taken me a year to do what you just did in probably 2 minutes. I definitely do not think that the 5 minutes of saved time is worth $180. My point is that is shouldn't matter, but it appears you agree with me that it's not about safety anyway. I look at it like this....we don't have a law against drinking bleach, because it's a pretty dumb thing to do. If speeding in general was so terrible there would be 10x more accidents/deaths on roads than we already have. I don't need to see a sign that says 35mph to know that if I do 100mph in that area I will probably have some problems, similar to the known consequences of drinking bleach. If I injure someone while driving recklessly I will be held accountable. Never was big on obeying the 'rules' myself. Thanks again for your input. Where abouts in MN are ya?
Minneapolis, how about you?
Robbinsdale, so not too far from you. You live in the city and drive an hour away? That seems kinda backwards, no?
Yeah reverse commuter. Well we we all have driverless cars just think of how the state is going to make back that revenue probably littering tickets, jay walking, or what about property forfiture. #thieveswillbethieves
LOL, I have said the exact same thing to all my state loving buddies. What will the police do when they can't make money off highway extortion? #thieveswillbethieves is right!
Case in point. A co-worker of mine was tagged for a DUI about a year ago. She was at the bar and was drunk, but she was not driving she had called a cab and started the car to stay warm, winter time you know the cops came up and bam no licence classes whisky plates the works. #thieveswillbethieves
Just another example of it not being about safety, but about revenue generation. The sad part is, the rich can pay their way out and the poor just fall into a cycle of illegalities on a daily basis.
I just look at it this way if you live in a bad neighborhood lock your doors or keep them unlocked and own nothing of value. #icanthaveanythingnice :)
I couldn't agree with this post more! The police are supposed to be there for you to call if you need help. What they've turned into is the biggest gang in the world that treats everyone as a criminal. Guys in uniforms with guns, charging us money because we didn't do what they wrote down on a piece of paper. Sounds legit
Glad you agree with my pov. I like to write a lot about moral and ethical principles regarding the state. I'm sure this won't be my last post about it.
Absolutely! Followed