Helping identify speeders(Volunteers needed to help scare them)

Baltimore Sun ^ | November 23, 2005 | Ruth L. Tisdale

[sickoflibs]

Well, this article is misleading because in Maryland only a police officer can issue a speeding ticket. So in this case we get a warning. But anyone who lives in Maryland knows that the government has let the developers turn all the main roads in HC into parking lots. Some of this is also due to immigration, some due to flight from the city. But we have to get to work to pay the ever increasing taxes Maryland takes from us and so we drive through the neighborhoods to get to where we are going. Plus, the cops hang out on the main roads so I would much rather get a warning for driving through a neighborhood than a ticket on a main road (or getting stuck in a traffic jam) on my way to and from work.

[Rhiannon]

Typical police state tactics getting neighbors to turn on their own neighbors to do the police work for them .Over such stupid thing as speeding. If speed is a factor in an accident then ok fine the guilty person. But most speed laws are just to hastle motorists and get money. If people can drive safely at 70 mph.Then they should be allowed to.

[gondramB]

" Typical police state tactics getting neighbors to turn on their own neighbors to do the police work for them ."

Perhaps next we can get children to turn their parents in... :(

[staytrue]

the government has let the developers turn all the main roads in HC into parking lots.

I have found except for 29 and 40 during rush hour, traffic moves very smartly in Howard County. No complaints here.

[sickoflibs]

Yep, those are the two!

[staytrue]

Howard County has a lot of police. Notice to anyone traveling through HC, don't think about speeding. Oh, they have plenty of red light cameras too. The police are particularly present on route 100, and route 29.

[misharu]

Typical police state tactics getting neighbors to turn on their own neighbors to do the police work for them. . .

My thoughts exactly . . .

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

It won't be long before the FR statists are singing their predictable "If you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear!" song. I swear some conservative folks simply love the taste of bootpolish.

~ Blue Jays ~

[1FASTGLOCK45]

In my opinion, it's the idiots "stuck on left" that go slow in the fast lane and let people pile up behind about 10 cars+ sometimes mile or so and are oblivious that should be ticketed. And i don't think neigbors should be snitching unless its a methlab, abuse or something really bad is going on in the neighborhood, then call 'Ghost busters' to deal with it. :)

[sickoflibs]

Yep. The cops patrol rts 100, 40 and 29 but ignore the back roads, because there are too many. So to avoid cops and traffic jams we hit the back roads as this article suggests. HC police also bought night vision goggles to get those not wearing seat belts at night and speeding cameras to give out warnings. Red light camera's are obvious on big polls, but the digital ones don't flash. HC just keeps on raising our taxes to pay for more and more stuff like this.

[staytrue]

would you like to be on the dcchapter ping list ?

dcchapter is really a Baltimore Washington chapter

also, Ehrlich and Steele races will be hot items for 2006 and we could use your help.

[El Gran Salseron]

This wreaks of the "block captain" mentality of communism and "la vigilancia," ( The Vigilance ) of Cuba.

[gungafox]

Howard County is probably the most major speed trap on the east coast. Avoid doing any sort of business there and always have your radar detector turned on when driving through the place on I95.

[sickoflibs]

Sounds good

[Time4Atlas2Shrug]

"Typical police state tactics getting neighbors to turn on their own neighbors to do the police work for them .Over such stupid thing as speeding. If speed is a factor in an accident then ok fine the guilty person. But most speed laws are just to hastle motorists and get money. If people can drive safely at 70 mph.Then they should be allowed to."

I agree, and why can't I drive left of the yellow line if I'm not hurting anyone? Jeez, if I can do it without hitting oncoming vehicles, why shouldn't I be able to? People can swerve to get out of my way. That is just the cops power-tripping, man.

And those pesky stop signs... Why can't I run one if I believe it can be done safely and I do not cause an accident. In the event my actions cause an accident and kill someone, only then should I be charged with something. ;)

[Time4Atlas2Shrug]

"And i don't think neigbors should be snitching unless its a methlab, abuse or something really bad is going on in the neighborhood, then call 'Ghost busters' to deal with it. :)"

A methlab poses far less of a threat to my personal safety and freedom of movement than a**hole drivers do.

[sarasmom]

I have noticed more than a few stupid speed demons speeding in my neighborhood, around the bus stop for elementary school children.
The short stretch of pavement is basically a shared private driveway out of two fairly large apartment complexes.
You want to face a cops radar or my gun?

There is no constitutional right to recklessly speed in a residential area.
OTOH, any idiot speeding through a residential area should be considered fair game, with no bag limits.
Oh some of us parents always honk,wave and yell slow down, but if you are the idiot who mows down one of our children,
don't expect the "cops" will be able to protect you from the consequences of your actions.
IMNSHO, this program seems bent on saving speeders from their logical consequences, as opposed to making the neighborhood a police state.
Of course, it helps to know that I am very comfortable with community based traffic enforcement techniques.
Having lived in many areas with extensive private dirt roads, where idiot speeders got their tires shot out for driving fast and recklessly on roads we just paid to get fixed, by direct contributions.
Why would you assume I would feel less personal involvement in maintaining safety standards on roads paid for by my taxes?
Remember, you have absolutely no right to speed.

[Time4Atlas2Shrug]

"any idiot speeding through a residential area should be considered fair game, with no bag limits."

LMAO

[Time4Atlas2Shrug]

"HC just keeps on raising our taxes to pay for more and more stuff like this."

Too funny. Hmmm, perhaps if you didn't speed through residential areas..........

[Turbopilot]

When you think about it, this is kinda ingenious. It takes radar guns (granted, probably only old X-band that couldn't be used for profitable enforcement anyway) out of the hands of cops. It gives the local busybodies something to do "for the chillllldrun," and gets them off the backs of local officials, who no longer need to placate their whining with actual ticket-writing police. And the wannabe-cops can't issue actual tickets, so the motorists only get easily disposable warnings and don't have to waste a day in court. Sounds like a win-win for all involved.