For your safety

[AustinBR]

Or going to the bank to cash my paycheck, the two names on the check are the same two names on my uniform shirt. She has to identify me anyway. She told me if I had an account there, this wouldn't be a problem. Why would I want an account there if they won't honor my checks???

At breakfast one morning I looked old enough that I got a senior discount that I didn't qualify for. At the grocery store on the way home I looked young enough I got carded for buying beer.

Banks are very regulated and are going to require an ID every single time for any interaction with a non-customer. If you are a customer and the employee knows you, they're going to pull your information (with or without you knowing) and associate it with the transaction that you're doing, whatever it may be.

As for grocery stores, many of them are moving towards a "must" ID for all 21+ transactions vs the old rule of "may" ID for people appearing under X age.

 

[AustinBR]

I will agree that some small tows set their speed zone unnecessarily low, either for safety or for revenue. But I personally can't remember seeing a drop in speed of more that 10mph at a time with adequate distance to safely slow down. And was the time of the tickets mentioned in the article? Or was that audit posted elsewhere?

Krotz Springs comes to mind - when going east through there the speed limit goes from 65 to 45 right around a bend and there is basically always a cop at the gas station right around the corner. Going west, it drops from 55 to 45 right over the bridge. It's really easy to come over the bridge at 60-63 mph, and then show up on the cops radar before you've crossed the line for 45mph near the base.

 

[thperez1972]

Krotz Springs comes to mind - when going east through there the speed limit goes from 65 to 45 right around a bend and there is basically always a cop at the gas station right around the corner. Going west, it drops from 55 to 45 right over the bridge. It's really easy to come over the bridge at 60-63 mph, and then show up on the cops radar before you've crossed the line for 45mph near the base.

Sure enough, it does drop 20mph on the east side. The speed zone sign is a 1/4 before the speed limit sign. As far as coming over the bridge, the speed zone sign is at the base of the bridge. Between it and the speed limit sign is 0.2 miles of relatively flat, straight road.

 

[AustinBR]

Sure enough, it does drop 20mph on the east side. The speed zone sign is a 1/4 before the speed limit sign. As far as coming over the bridge, the speed zone sign is at the base of the bridge. Between it and the speed limit sign is 0.2 miles of relatively flat, straight road.

It would be a good place for a bright, flashing sign notifying drivers that the speed limit is changing. It's really easy to not see it coming around the bend (at 65mph).

As for coming over the bridge, traveling west, there is basically always a cop sitting at the base of the bridge pulling people over. If it isn't a money grab and is really about safety, I would also propose throwing in a flashing sign that indicates the drop in speed. I have two friends who don't travel through there who just didn't notice the random drop in speed coming down the bridge and got hefty tickets for doing 60 in a 45.

 

[Bigchillin83]

In crotch Springs, it’s one thing to slow down 60 to 45. It’s another thing to slow down a jacked up four-wheel-drive truck, truck pulling boat or trailer going down a bridge from 60 to 45… yeah the majority of people do slow down when they see the sign but they don’t realize that it’s a speed trap and need to be at 45 instead of just slowing down to 45

 

[thperez1972]

In crotch Springs, it’s one thing to slow down 60 to 45. It’s another thing to slow down a jacked up four-wheel-drive truck, truck pulling boat or trailer going down a bridge from 60 to 45… yeah the majority of people do slow down when they see the sign but they don’t realize that it’s a speed trap and need to be at 45 instead of just slowing down to 45

When I took driver's ed, I was told the the speed limit listed on the speed limit sign starts at the speed limit sign. From all the sources I could find, it takes a 70k to 80k semi around 550 feet to stop from 65, and that includes reaction time. As far as a jacked up four-wheel-drive truck pulling boat or trailer going down a bridge at 5 miles over the speed limit, they have 1000 feet to slow down to 45.

With warning signs and more than enough distance for a fully loaded semi to slow down, it's not a very good trap.

I think the issue is people don't pay attention to, or don't care about, the speed zone signs and don't start slowing down until they see the finish line.

 

[Bigchillin83]

Ok dude.. you win… lol yall can have it boys!!! Tag out!!

 

[thperez1972]

It would be a good place for a bright, flashing sign notifying drivers that the speed limit is changing. It's really easy to not see it coming around the bend (at 65mph).

As for coming over the bridge, traveling west, there is basically always a cop sitting at the base of the bridge pulling people over. If it isn't a money grab and is really about safety, I would also propose throwing in a flashing sign that indicates the drop in speed. I have two friends who don't travel through there who just didn't notice the random drop in speed coming down the bridge and got hefty tickets for doing 60 in a 45.

I've seen them at the gas station right inside the city limits where the limit is 45. I've never seen them at the base of the bridge where the limit is 55.

I'd be for adding blinking lights around the speed zone sign.

 

[thperez1972]

Ok dude.. you win… lol yall can have it boys!!! Tag out!!

With all due respect, you presented easily refuted exaggerations.

 

[MOTOR51]

Is that why you got in trouble and instead of being fired transferred to a different department? I noticed you said used to so I’m just curious.

Sorry for the late response. I have been with the same department for 25yrs unfortunately . I wrote that many tickets to keep from getting in trouble as that was my work performance standard as i was assigned to do only that job for the department. I was one of the guys you would see on I-12 when you crossed over Oneal lane but that was many years ago and my job description has changed.

 

[Bigchillin83]

With all due respect, you presented easily refuted exaggerations.

Back at you bro!! Ok now I swear I’m done lol

It’s just not the same without my backup trouble makers

 

[GunRelated]

Krotz Springs comes to mind - when going east through there the speed limit goes from 65 to 45 right around a bend and there is basically always a cop at the gas station right around the corner. Going west, it drops from 55 to 45 right over the bridge. It's really easy to come over the bridge at 60-63 mph, and then show up on the cops radar before you've crossed the line for 45mph near the base.

This has been going on in krotz springs for at least 25-30 years. Fortunately, I rarely pass through there anymore.

 

[Abby Normal]

A co-worker that was a Kenna Cop would hear “You’re just trying to make a Quota for the month” His reply was “I don’t have any Quotas, I can write as many tickets as I want. Would you like another?”

 

[AustinBR]

I've seen them at the gas station right inside the city limits where the limit is 45. I've never seen them at the base of the bridge where the limit is 55.

I'd be for adding blinking lights around the speed zone sign.

I probably have made that drive 40 times in the past couple of years and I'd say that 80% of the time there is a cop right at the base of the bridge.

If it were about safety, more notice could be put in place to make it obvious to out of state drivers that there is a drop in the speed limit. But I'd venture to guess that it's about money, not safety.

I just read Krotz Springs 2019 financial statements and they made about $1.2M in revenue, of which about 500k came from fines.

Interestingly enough, their biggest expense is their police department, which also comes out to around 500k / year.

 

[thperez1972]

I probably have made that drive 40 times in the past couple of years and I'd say that 80% of the time there is a cop right at the base of the bridge.

If it were about safety, more notice could be put in place to make it obvious to out of state drivers that there is a drop in the speed limit. But I'd venture to guess that it's about money, not safety.

I just read Krotz Springs 2019 financial statements and they made about $1.2M in revenue, of which about 500k came from fines.

Interestingly enough, their biggest expense is their police department, which also comes out to around 500k / year.

If they are at the base of the bridge clocking people on the bridge, they likely aren't citing them based on the 45mph speed limit and the speed zone is not relevant here. The bridge is not 45mph, it's 55mph. I say likely because, as bad as people view their technique and motives, they have to dot their i's and cross their t's to make the practice sustainable.

 

[AustinBR]

If they are at the base of the bridge clocking people on the bridge, they likely aren't citing them based on the 45mph speed limit and the speed zone is not relevant here. The bridge is not 45mph, it's 55mph. I say likely because, as bad as people view their technique and motives, they have to dot their i's and cross their t's to make the practice sustainable.

Likely not, but their radar is absolutely detecting folks almost the second they cross the top of that bridge. The SUV is using a rear-mounted antenna and the cop is looking in his rearview mirror to identify speeding vehicles and then confirm with his radar. Or that's how the practice should work.

It wouldn't be difficult or a stretch to just be watching the radar and see someone at 59 MPH halfway down the bridge who hasn't yet slowed down to 45 that starts near the base of the bridge. If you're not completely paying attention, it'd be an honest mistake to see the speed and estimate that it was as they were crossing the sign and not on the descent of the bridge.

 

[Gator 45/70]

If I saw one of these Ghost vehicles operators on the side of the road bent over his hood with 5 young democrats having their way with his man vagina I wouldn't slow down and throw out a tube of axel grease to help him out.
To protect and serve my eye. These are revenue generating vehicle's only,
Change my mind?

 

[Mitch Dufour]

This thread escalated quickly.

 

[thperez1972]

If I saw one of these Ghost vehicles operators on the side of the road bent over his hood with 5 young democrats having their way with his man vagina I wouldn't slow down and throw out a tube of axel grease to help him out.
To protect and serve my eye. These are revenue generating vehicle's only,
Change my mind?

So I was driving today on the interstate. There was a pickup truck in the left lane driving slow with a line of cars behind him. Car after car would move over to the right lane to pass him up. There were plenty of opportunities for the pickup to move into the right lane as the law states he should. At some point, all the vehicles between me and the pickup had already passed the pickup on the right except another pickup. That other pickup didn't seem eager to pass on the right so I moved over. Instead of passing the slow pickup, I pulled in behind him. I have a spotlight on my a-pillar and a visible light in front of my visor. Within 5 seconds of me pulling in behind the pickup, his right blinkers started to blink.

Now I was behind him for several miles as the 7-8 cars passed him on the right. He just didn't know I was there until I pulled behind him. He exhibited a different behavior depending on if he knew the police could see him. He did the right thing only when he realized the police were seeing what he was doing.

The ghost cars are great for watching people's normal behavior when they don't know they are supposed to be doing the right thing. Most people generally do the right thing anyway. But not everyone.

I've got plenty of stories of people whose behavior drastically changes depending on who they see around them. Driving home tonight, I had some guy driving very close behind me as if he wanted me to drive faster or move out of the way. The car has heavy tint so the lights are not easily seen from behind, especially at night. So when I was able, I moved over into the right lane. That other car started to speed up to pass me up but quickly slowed down and stayed in my blind spot. No doubt another the driver saw the spotlight and decided their behavior might need to change a bit.

 

[GunRelated]

So I was driving today on the interstate. There was a pickup truck in the left lane driving slow with a line of cars behind him. Car after car would move over to the right lane to pass him up. There were plenty of opportunities for the pickup to move into the right lane as the law states he should. At some point, all the vehicles between me and the pickup had already passed the pickup on the right except another pickup. That other pickup didn't seem eager to pass on the right so I moved over. Instead of passing the slow pickup, I pulled in behind him. I have a spotlight on my a-pillar and a visible light in front of my visor. Within 5 seconds of me pulling in behind the pickup, his right blinkers started to blink.

Now I was behind him for several miles as the 7-8 cars passed him on the right. He just didn't know I was there until I pulled behind him. He exhibited a different behavior depending on if he knew the police could see him. He did the right thing only when he realized the police were seeing what he was doing.

The ghost cars are great for watching people's normal behavior when they don't know they are supposed to be doing the right thing. Most people generally do the right thing anyway. But not everyone.

I've got plenty of stories of people whose behavior drastically changes depending on who they see around them. Driving home tonight, I had some guy driving very close behind me as if he wanted me to drive faster or move out of the way. The car has heavy tint so the lights are not easily seen from behind, especially at night. So when I was able, I moved over into the right lane. That other car started to speed up to pass me up but quickly slowed down and stayed in my blind spot. No doubt another the driver saw the spotlight and decided their behavior might need to change a bit.

Well then, maybe having all marked vehicles might save more lives. If the true intention is to make sure everyone is safe and obeying traffic laws, and not to generate revenue from fines, then it should be an obvious no brainier to use all marked police vehicles so that everyone would see them and then obey the laws. More vehicles seen = more lives saved. Fining people does not make anyone safer, likewise, observing someone breaking the law from a ghost car does not make anyone safer. People are going to break the law, regardless if you fine them or not, or whether you observe them or not. As soon as you are no longer in eyesight, they will do as they wish.