‘Speeding motorist questions use of speed van’
‘Rio Rancho speed van goes up in flames, police say’
If it is arson, I hope they catch the perp.
The way catching speeders is enforced is nothing new.
The commute in the Boston area…before you get into real heavy traffic - average vehicle speed is 75. And some doing 90+. The police are checking for speeders on the OPPOSITE side of the highway where there is little to no traffic. In the 30+ years I’ve lived in the Boston area I’ve never seen any traffic enforcement for commuter traffic.
Every small town has their own traffic areas, and they are NOT there to make it safe. They are doing it for revenue. Towns even have in their budget how much they need from speeding tickets each year. The few towns that actually try to decrease speeding instead of collecting revenue start seeing drastic revenue if they give out too many tickets…people stop speeding through those areas. Gee…you’d think that would be the goal.
1 Like
LOL, I remember living in a small town back when every line item of the budget was voted on at town meetings. We got a new police chief one year, a young fella trying to make a name for himself. Based on his data, we approved a few more cops and another squad car. Well, that next year everyone was getting caught in speed traps. He came before the next meeting wanting more cars and more cops. Man, did he get verbally beat up. Numerous residents lined up to speak. Comments were “you’re asking me for more cars and cops so you can set up more speed traps? You have got to be kidding.” Needless to say, he did not get what he asked for. He got his head handed to him.
Yeah, the fake car has been used in many places to catch speeders. IMHO it stinks. But what is one to do? Arson certainly isn’t the answer.
2 Likes
Not 100% on topic but I have wanted to share this and the thread title fits like a driving glove.
“Lone Wolf” Protester? Portland, Oregon
There was a bat scat crazy vehicle pedestrian incident in Portland, OR Wednesday 20 December. Surveillance video shows a small darkly clad female jaywalking (which is not illegal but clearly stated to be at the pedestrian’s own risk) across a multi lane boulevard. She suddenly stops in the middle of a lane and turns 90 degrees facing traffic with her arms extended to the side. A mini van barely stops without hitting her! She continues standing there until the van pulls forward and hits her! A witness reported some sort of verbal confrontation was involved. (Daring the driver to hit her?) The van left the scene and she went to the hospital. She has serious but not life threatening injuries. My best guess is that she is one of the wacko protesters who blocked streets, bridges, and even interstates in November/December 2016. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world!!! Was this a I’m crazier than you contest that she lost? I would never hit a pedestrian, cyclist, or vehicle on purpose. Of course this was only in the “news” for a day.
It’s a good warning never to try to confront a nut… some of them are looser than they appear.
Did they catch the driver? It I were a DA I’d go for Assault with a deadly Weapon.
Run over by a friend.
A woman found lying in a parking lot with a leg broken so badly “the bone was sticking out of her leg at the ankle” told authorities a friend had run her over with her own car and then fled.
Imagine if it would have been an enemy!
Mine is that she is a Trump supporter.
‘Safety officials scold supporters of speed van fire’
'A Rio Rancho police speed enforcement van was found in flames late Wednesday night, prompting an arson investigation, then a scolding from public safety officials and the mayor who say the incident is "not to be applauded."‘“It is irresponsible for anyone to speculate, via the media
or any other platform, that a lot of people in the community would be
rooting for and applauding the actions of someone committing arson as
an appropriate solution to disagreeing with a Police Department
program,” Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull was quoted saying in a joint
news release issued by the Rio Rancho police and fire departments
Friday.’
He has to tell us.
Zero news about the van or driver. The original report stated the van had no license plates or temporary window sticker. I agree 100% with the appropriate charges.
Yet . . . when confronted, they ALWAYS say they have no quotas 
Kind of reminds me, when I was working at the dealership. On a certain day of the month, the PD decided it was time to meet their quotas. In this case, jaywalking. It was so blatant. The same guy would stake out his hiding spot, and spend his entire shift just handing out tickets.
And then you wouldn’t see him again, for another month
No quotas, huh?
Back in the '70s, one of my mother’s best friends was the wife of THE motorcycle cop in her town.
Although the cop–“Tom”–readily admitted that he ticketed EVERYONE who was driving even 2 mph over the limit in his town, when pressed for details–and especially if some alcohol was offered–he reluctantly admitted that he drove with the pedal to the metal when he was off-duty.
The bottom line is that it was almost impossible for a cop or one of his relatives to be ticketed in that town, while others (without “connections”) were snagged dailyl
1 Like
Did “Tom” ever cite anybody who was genuinely driving the speed limit or under?
I’m thinking in some areas, the local judge automatically would side with the cop every single time, especially in the 1970s, when it was presumably . . . due to lack of technology . . . much harder to cast doubt on the cop’s methods of establishing the motorist’s speed
Another thing . . . I’m thinking in those days, it wouldn’t have been wise to contest a ticket. Small community and all, your neighbors could make life difficult for you
Speed cameras, and radar traps are more about revenue enhancement than anything else. With that said, resorting to arson is not the best way to get your point across. Fortunately the police in my area really don’t bother you unless you’re doing more that 15 over the posted limit during the daytime, at night they’ll pull you over for doing anything more than 10 over the posted limit, there are no speed cameras and there are no “speed vans”. I’ve asked a few local police officers about (I’m friends/acquaintances with a number of them, and it’s proved beneficial over the years), and they all say that while they do get revenue from traffic tickets, that the sheriff’s department is so well funded vs. the actual needs of the county, that they really don’t have to rely on traffic tickets to make ends meet, and that they like to concentrate on of more serious matters. To me that’s both good and bad. Good in the sense that they don’t need 1/2 the force to spend their shift writing tickets for arbitrary reasons, but bad in the sense that I’m probably paying more than I need to in taxes to fund a larger than needed police department. I will add that crime in the county is low compared to the surrounding areas, the biggest reported crime in my neighborhood over the past decade was that someone had a Garmin GPS stolen from their car around 4 or 5 years ago. Really can’t complain about their effectiveness.
The cameras around here (MD) are either red light cameras or speeding cameras. The speeding cameras are in work zones, and they make sure that drivers do not exceed the normal speed limit. I can’t think of a work area with cameras where the speed limit is lowered due to construction. In many cases, the work area is separated by Jersey walls, but trucks occasionally move in or out of traffic there, so the extra effort makes sense. The red light cameras I’m aware of seem to be at dangerous intersections. Other than that, the police seem to go fast and ignore everyone else going fast. I guess they could have more important business.
D.C. Is different. They have speed cameras to welcome you to town and say good bye on the few highways inside the city. Those do seem to be revenue generators.
They said they had 8 vans. Does that mean they “had” 8 vans and now have 7, or had 9 and now have 8? Just curious at $130,000 a piece, that’s quite an expensive program they’ve got there. Being somewhat of a lifetime revolutionary, I have some sympathy when the populace rises up against a tyrannical government. Nothing against reasonable enforcement of speed laws, but I’ll bet there’ll be a new mayor next election, and I’d have to recuse myself from serving on the jury. Around here they just use those electronic signs with “your speed is” and flashing lights if you are over the posted. I don’t know what they cost but nowhere near $130,000.
Like Ohio though, it just about got above freezing today after a long sub-zero spell so I suspect that has some affect on my responses. Hoping Orlando warms up by the end of the month.
From the article;
Annemarie L. García, communications and information manager for the city of Rio Rancho, says, “Speed violations via mobile speed monitoring units begin 11 mph above the posted speed limit. Based on the information provided by this person, they were traveling 43 mph in a likely 25 mph posted area.
The subject of this story feels the he or she is a victim for being cited for speeding though perhaps a residential area where it is believed that no accidents have occurred. Collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists occur in various parts of town, not always in the same area.
The driving habits of a violator might change after a number of citations, if not they should lose their drivers license.