Posted on 10/27/2005 12:03:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LACO Sheriffs are a most officious surly lot.
Lots easier picking on suburbanites than on gangbangers
in the hood. Like to see a white deputy on foot period
would be a miracle..
"If I were cited in this sting, I'd be taking this photo in with me to court. It suggests this guy just jumps off the curb, where no crosswalk exists. After all, this operation was called: "crosswalk enforcement".
"
In California, crosswalks need not be marked. Every intersection has crosswalks, whether they are marked or not marked. That's the law in California.
However, this was dubbed "crosswalk enforcement" If they were enforcing violators failing to yield to peds in crosswalks, why is the officer not in a crosswalk?
Since no one was hit, I'd say the cars that needed to stop, stopped! Those that didn't stop, didn't hit a pedestrian. Where's the crime?
The deal up here in Rhode Island during morning commute is:
Momma stops her SUV in the middle of the main road in front of the school; the Mergatroids undo their seat belts.
Momma stays stopped in the lane of traffic so the kids can cross the street in front of the school, with the help of the paid school cop. All traffic is stopped until the kids get across; Momma then starts up with her left turn signal on so she can get thirty feet to wait to turn onto the side street along side the school, to get back to her morning paper at home.
Meanwhile, the next Momma in her van............................
Why don't these a-holes just make the turn, then drop off the darlings??
Commute is forever!
I agree with writing citations for drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. But I disagree with using a plain-clothes officer as the "bait" pedestrian. The whole event is too staged.
At a dangerous intersection, there will be plenty of real pedestrians and vehicles, and plenty of violations. Plus, the pedestrian violaters could also get citations for walking against the red light / red hand, or for stepping into the path of a vehicle that has the right-of-way.
He was at a corner, I believe. If so, he was in a crosswalk, whether it was marked or not.
That's just over 10 tickets per cop per day. If they can hit an average fine of $200 per ticket, that's $2000 per cop per day. On an 8 hour shift, you would have to pay your cops less than $250.00 per hour (or $500,000.00 per year) to break even.
If they are paying cops in your area over $500,000 a year, I'll go sign up. Most cops I know of aren't getting 1/10 of that. So yes, it does sound cost-effective.
Crosswalk or no, the design of safety elements of traffic control (length of yellow lights, etc.) are all dependent on rigid mathematical relationships. These are documented and well known to every traffic engineer, and presumably to every law enforcement type.
Curiously, the minimum "time" required, for instance, for safe stopping distance includes "reaction time" , and for 50kph (31mph) is 65m (213 ft); for 60kph (37 mph) it is 85 m! (279 ft!).
Unless our fine officers allowed at least that distance for the drivers to stop, they were baiting the drivers unreasonably (wish I could remember the technical term for that) and is usually deemed illegal.
It looks like he is wearing a "NY" emblemed hat!??? In Southern CA.
If so I would think that falls under the "incite to riot" category of provocation.
In Texas, any intersection is considered a crosswalk whether it's marked or unmarked. I believe most states similarly treat intersections.
Your comment is a bit out of line, since the article clearly presented an obvious need. People, real people, are being injured when you have the " highest pedestrian accident rate in the state ". If these actions will bring that statistic down, then it's better for the public.
The reply was probably a little overboard in this case but there are thousands of other instances, some right where I live and drive, where needed police resources are dedicated to revenue generation in set-ups instead of needed enforcement and protective services. Just my frustration with this all too common practice.
I walk a lot in LA & have been almost hit many times and actually hit once. Luckily, that time the girl was going about 3 miles per hour & apologized immediatley & profusely.
The offenders are usually one of 3 types:
Someone turning who wants to right who doesn't think they have to allow me to cross first
Someone on the phone not paying attention.
Someone looking the other direction as they are pulling out.
Sometimes I pretend they hit me by using my hand to pound the side of the car & "bounce backwards" if they have gotten too close. The look on their face is hilarious.
Lots. As others opined, its far easier to shake down the surburbanites than go after the gang bangers, and Lancaster sure has their problems with the gangs. If the cops really cared about safety (and they don't, lets be honest), they'd go after the drivers who wait until you get real close and then pull out in front of you, slowly. Palmdale and Lancaster are famous with those types of assclowns, go after them for $500 apiece.
May even have been intentional.
Sorry, but no crosswalk, is not a crosswalk. LOL!
I've never heard of an unmarked crosswalk. But hey, I guess anything is possible.
Ditto. He should get 5 days, because he ought to know better and 5yrs for being an arrogant twit.
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