April 25, 2007
Snitching-- Not Just For Witnesses to Shootings Anymore
In an effort to crack down on people riding in the carpool lane without being in an actual carpool, State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) is asking you, the commuter, to pitch in and help. Mainly by snitching on people who are breaking the law, breaking the law.
The bill calls for the DMV to set up a special toll-free number and/or e-mail address for people to report carpool crooks. And hey, that way people who see them will have to either:
1)Pick up their cell phone and call the number
2)Pick up their blackberry/what-have-you and send an e-mail.
Good thinking on that. Especially in that it's possible carpool lanes already cause more traffic accidents.
If someone is reported to have used the carpool lane illegally, they will receive a brochure in the mail telling them that what they did was a no-no. The brochure is said to have some clip art of a disapproving mother on it to make the driver feel guilty. It will also warn the driver that if they were caught again, they'd face a fine of $381 bucks. Maldonado admits he doesn't think it'll stop most people, but that by making it so everyone has to be fearful that somebody is going to rat them out, it might actually stop people from doing it. A similar program has been implemented in Washington State and it's said that it decreased the amount of lawbreakers by 5%.
Actually, if you don't think this is that big of a deal, consider the fact that people are going around stealing carpool lane stickers. Somebody out there wants do pretend they are carpooling.
|
hmmm, good idea in theory, of course, asking somebody speeding down the highway to pick up their phone/crackberry to make a call and list the registration/lisense plate, could in itself cause some problems itself.... Just a thought.
It will also warn the driver that if they were caught again, they'd face a fine of $381 bucks.
You mean, they'd face a fine if they were caught in the first place, by an actual law enforcement officer. Those no-no letters will have all the legal force and effect of a square of Sheryl Crow's Charmin (though maybe not as soft and absorbent). Which is exactly as it should be, after all: otherwise, could you imagine the potential for abusive false reports?
Wait - so if someone reports you using the car pool lane "illegally" - the first time, you get a brochure, and the second time, you get a big fine?
This sounds like it would appeal to those who are fond of sending 6 pizzas to their ex. People could now just call in and give their ex's license plate number a few days in a row for violating the car pool lane, and whammy! Big tickets.
Poorly thought out plan. Why not just install cameras?
People could now just call in and give their ex's license plate number a few days in a row for violating the car pool lane, and whammy!
That, and others who would be calling in false reports every time they were offended by somebody's political bumper sticker.
Why not just install cameras?
Yeah, that's the ticket. Let's go further down the path of being monitored by law enforcement cameras everywhere we go. And not to deal with tailgaters, unsafe lane changers, distracted cell-phone talkers, or even drunk drivers -- but for frickin' car pool lane cheats. Sheesh.
Cheryl Crow is shilling for toilet paper now? what happened? Just goes to show how out of it i have become since being TV-free for 5 years now.
How about this: tickets can be issued if the snitch sends in a camera-phone shot of the offender?
I don't have a problem with cameras on the freeway, Alex. Get a grip-- what privacy are people really expecting there? Now cameras outside of Eros-- that i would be *firmly* against.
Sadly, I'm sure that the snitch line will get way more calls than the homicide reporting line. Because, you know, improperly driving in the carpool lane is a serious offense!
RTFA. The only thing that a "cheater" can receive from this snitch line is the brochure. The only way for a person to get fined (so far) is by getting pulled over by the PoPo. This bill is to satiate the one-person-car schmucks who have a chip on their shoulder about having to go merely 45 mph, rather than 70, while talking on their phone and sipping their Peets.
Funny how this encourages cell-phone use while driving, though, seeing how it'll be mostly illegal (SB 1613) as of next July.
Am I the only one who finds it humorous that State Sen. Abel Maldonado is the one to think of this? Are there even any carpool lanes in Santa Maria, let alone anywhere else on the central coast?