Posted on 04/27/2017 2:34:41 PM PDT by artichokegrower
An Oregon man has been fined $500 by the state government for suggesting that yellow traffic lights should last slightly longer.
The Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying hit Mats Järlström with a fine for unlawfully engaging in the “practice of engineering” by studying the state’s traffic flow systems.
If I presented an opinion on a legal matter and I identified myself as a lawyer in my correspondence with the governing body I was dealing with, you can be damn sure that the state bar association would have a problem with it (and rightfully so) if I wasn't really a lawyer.
Maybe he drives a train.
He would have had a much stronger case if he had just submitted his document as a lay person and never identified himself as an engineer. State licensing boards deal with this all the time, and I think they’re on pretty solid legal ground.
I don't think he's doing himself any good by pursuing this as a "free speech" case. I saw a video clip of his lawyer commenting on this yesterday, and I'm not sure this is the strongest legal approach for them to take.
FAKEENGINEERLIVESMATTER
Any licensed engineer who authorized such a thing would face disciplinary action from their state licensing board. I would file the complaint myself.
I have yet to have anyone take me up on the offer.
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You might have some takers if you advertise.
And this country thinks it has the right to pick on the North Korean loons. Bad comrade, do erregal math! 500 dorror fine!!
Practicing law without a license! $5000 fine!
Oregon is the same state that punished the Christian baker or innkeeper, wasn’t it?
pathetic.
Or a climate scientist. :)
Did he prove it?
The yellow lights in many of the areas around Portland are way too short for certain speeds. I think they use a “one time fits all approach” and only address it if a certain number of drivers are injured or killed.
Oregon also has not mastered predictive signals, will not allow entry into bike lanes to turn, have most road signs buried behind foliage, print street names on only one side of signs, do not provide adequate signage to direct drivers to major highway entry points, and never overbuild the infrastructure to handle future increase in traffic flows.
Drivers here in Oregon are timid, dangerously polite, will fill only one lane when two are available, are unpredictable, and ignorant to their own driving behavior that will likely get them killed. They take forever to go when a light turns green and seem to be unable to perform even the slightest predictive reading of traffic patterns and flow. There is an unhealthy expectation when getting onto the freeways that everyone else will move out of their way and that the semi occupying the lane they are trying to enter will magically self divide just for them.
Is this any different than any other state? Probably not.
</rant>
Many, many years ago I was sitting in my Corvette, waiting for a left turn light. When it came, I realized I wasn’t in gear so I slammed it into first (maybe 1/2 second to 1 second). As i pulled through the not-so-wide intersection, it turned red as I crossed. Got a very dirty look from a cop on a motorcycle but he went on. Had someone with me who remarked how short the green and the yellow were. Never saw one like it before or since.
The article never mentions how short the yellow light lasted. I know there are several lights where I live it seems the yellow lasts too short. Also several busy intersection right around 5pm the green light only lasts for 8 seconds!!!! Then you wait over a minute for cross traffic. 8 seconds!!!!
They would have said the same of Edison.
I have a B.A. in Philosophy. Does that make me a “philosopher,” or do I need to be a member of some professional society of philosophers or philosophy professors? Or can anyone, with or without a degree, claim to be a “philosopher” if they think deeply about the nature of reality, ethics, the definition of beauty, and so forth?
There is NO DOUBT that HOV lanes are bad for the citizens, and bad for the environment.
They essentially take a lane out of service, pushing everyone into gridlock on those that remain. Cars idling and stopped on the freeway is bad for the environment.
It also causes obstruction for public safety vehicles to get on/off.
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