While it might be somewhat effective. esp on traffic-dense city streets, this seems like a generally bad idea. I’m a frequent bicyclist (mostly suburban streets) and don’t find blocked bicycle lanes the biggest problem, at least in this area. Pedestrians & cyclists failing to observe the “keep to the right” rule on shared trails is by far a bigger problem.
Last year, I was walking through the parking lot at my local park, when a woman in a CRV came into the lot, failed to slow down, and by the time that she finally saw me and hit the brake, her bumper was less than 2 feet from my leg. I walked over to the driver’s side of the car, signaled that she should lower her window, and demanded that she explain herself.
She said something along the lines of… I don’t know why I did that.
I pointed out that it would be very hard to miss a 200 lb man wearing a yellow shirt and correctly using a marked pedestrian crosswalk. I then pointed my finger toward her face and told her–three times–YOU are a dangerous driver.
She didn’t even attempt to park, and immediately drove away… hopefully with something to think about.
3 Likes
Public shaming should be used a lot more often.
2 Likes
You mean like stockcaids in the public square, or burning a few, or kicking them out of restaurants and gas stations? Naw we are too civilized for that. lol. How about just taking a nice pill like my 9th grade German teacher used to tell us. I guess she saw the result of the other way. Yeah and we all giggled when someone was assigned to conjugate Fahren.
Sorry, I didn’t read it. Just going by the title. Too busy digging in the dirt like a mad dog or Englishman in the hot sun.
Edit: after looking at the article just a couple comments. First I don’t believe that I was specially selected for a globe subscription. Second, the infraction are by the folks that pay for the roads against the bike riders that pay nothing for the privekedge. Maybe a $100 annual bike license or something. As a kid we even paid 50 cents for a license. Third, isn’t this the mayor that developed a long list of offenses that they would not charge people for? Thing like breaking into your home? Make up your mind if you want law enforcement or not or just want to whine because a truck parks in the bike lane and you have to go around.
1 Like
I do hate things like these, particularly in parking lots. And what gets me every time is how the bad driver makes it look like I’m the bad driver.
Not just too long ago, a woman inconvenienced me while I tried to back out of a parking lot space and she cursed me out. My mother was with me and she was confused as to why the bad driver was putting the blame on me.
I’m not someone to yell or correct someone’s error on the road as I understand mistakes and bad judgment happen, but it does bother me when someone clearly is in the wrong and tries to put the blame on me.
Public shaming is already happening. These street cameras, car dash cams, are currently public shaming drivers, some of which are so sad.
I agreed with you that there should be no public shaming. We are too civilized for that, and pointing fingers at each other when no one out there is perfect is just calling for a bitter world.
On the other hand, not pointing out bad or inappropriate behavior just leads to it’s propagation.
4 Likes
There is a website that keeps popping up on Facebook, parking pricks of the Midwest I think, not like any of the bad parkers probably ever see it.
People that do the bad stuff probably don’t care either way and most probably don’t even see it on Social Media anyway…
And for that matter, the ones that are videoing and posting it on line are mostly after likes or whatever and are the same ones that just stand around and video a crazy person hurting an innocent victim instead of helping the victim out…
People need to be held accountable for their actions.
I have gotten a lot of speeding tickets back in the day, and I paid everyone and took full responsibility for what I did, and never once blamed someone else… and I always pleaded guilty…
If I say anymore it will become political, so I’m off my little box… lol
Should "Public Shaming"be used to embarrass Bad Drivers?
In the past and perhaps even today, the names and photos of “Johns” picked up in Prostitution Stings have been used and it did little to slow the trend…
I think, posting the names and photos of these folks convicted of bad driving would have little effect… It is pretty much considered a “victimless” crime for speeding, reckless endangerment, passing a stopped school bus, etc… until it causes an accident, injury, or worse…
I do not know what is the answer. Drivers who cannot afford their fines are granted a payment system, drivers who lose their license for cause often are issued a Restricted License, also sometimes known as a Work License, Hardship License, or Cinderella License; which is a limited use license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Which allows the driver to drive under certain limited conditions and restrictions as permitted by the court.
Many courts are reluctant to imprison a driver for violations or failure to pay the fines due to the hardship on families…
As I wrote, I do not know the answer…
It would never work in Boston. Being accused of extremely bad driving is what many drivers thrive for.
3 Likes
sounds like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders 
2 Likes
And a heavy foot on the gas pedal… L 
L . . .
2 Likes
How is it working out in Florida? Public disclosure laws in the state make it easy for journalists to find out about unusual and criminal activities and report on them. That’s how the meme Florida Man came about. While I don’t live there, I doubt that there are a shortage of Florida Men out there. Still, public shaming of this type can keep saner people from doing weird things. Oh, and if you want nonstop public shaming, check out your local Nextdoor app.
2 Likes
There is a Facebook page pertaining to idiot drivers in the county I live in. Though attempting to shame other drivers, using video or still pictures, many posters come across as whiners.
Though, some drivers are definitely stupid, stopping on RR tracks, going around RR gates.
1 Like
Take a look sometime at the Nextdoor pages for your neighborhood. That site is the ultimate gathering place for whiners!
The only pleasure that I derive from visiting that site is my status as an Administrator, thus giving me the ability to evaporate the most ridiculous/bizarre/whiny posts.
1 Like
Shaming doesn’t work if the person has no shame…
The drunk naked woman that fell off a shop roof in Fort Myers, FL nor the drunk woman who killed a policeman with her car had much shame. Each smiled in their mugshots. The latter of the two is in prison for a loong time.
We are an equal opportunity state… Florida Woman is also a meme!
4 Likes
It’s not just idiot drivers who leave or stop cars on Rail Road Tracks. The Police do it too and do not even remember a person was handcuffed and locked in the police vehicle that was hit by the train…
Woman Handcuffed Inside Police Car Struck by Train Gets $8.5M Settlement.
I don’t know what’s with me and RR crossing. But I believe I’m going to die because of a train.
Today, as I was driving over a RR track, a car in front of me suddenly stopped after crossing the track to give way to another car when it shouldn’t . This forced me to stop exactly on the darn train track. I tooted the horn and started yelling at the car in front of me. The driver did not understand that he forced me to stop on the track and decided to curse me off.
The car he politely yielded to had a stop sign and had no business interfering with traffic in the direction we were traveling in. What pissed me off the most was a police SUV standing across the street and didn’t do anything about the dangerous situation.
It’s you that would have been ticketed for stopping on the tracks.
Then you must have been following to close or not paying enough attention to your surroundings.
3 Likes