Brickbat: Speed Trap

Photographerlondon / Dreamstime.com

Vermont law enforcement issued more than 24,000 traffic tickets last year, totaling more than $4 million. And three towns with a combined population of less than 1,900—Bridgewater, Plymouth and Mount Tabor—accounted for a full quarter of those fines. In Bridgewater, most of the tickets were written in a 24-hour 25-mph school zone near a school that closed three years ago.

Comments

[Rat on a train]

This was initially a "school zone," meaning the 25-mph limit was only enforceable when kids were present or lights were flashing. But in 1983, Agency of Transportation records show, the statewide traffic committee decided to convert all existing school zones in villages and cities into full-time speed limits.

Midnight basketball must be popular in Vermont.

[TangoDelta]

Only from about autumn on through through third winter, it's too hard to play during mud season and they don't make enough deet to play during black fly season

[Mickey Rat]

The Phoenix government goes all in against the 1st Amendment:

"A city ordinance requires Koski and Duka to create their custom artwork for all wedding ceremonies, whether traditional or same-sex. As committed Christians ? the pair met at a Bible study ? this conflicts with their deeply held religious beliefs.

Even worse than the city's compelled artistic expression, the Phoenix law also forbids them from publicly expressing their beliefs on the matter of marriage. So much for free speech.

What would have happened if she said any banned words? She and her business partner could receive up to six months in jail, $2,500 in fines and three years of probation for each day the city decided there was a violation."

Story here.

[Eidde]

"Actually, Arizona's laws already give businesses the right to discriminate against gays."

/Reason

[Leo Kovalensky II]

Literally forced at gunpoint to create works of art. I thought slavery was illegal?

[sarcasmic]

No one is standing there with a gun. The gun only comes out if they refuse to comply, refuse to go to court resulting in a warrant for their arrest, and then defend themselves when armed agents attempt to kidnap them. Which is totally different than being forced to create works of art at gunpoint.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

So... literally forced at gunpoint then?

[sarcasmic]

No! The guns only come out if they force the brave police officers to defend themselves! Which is totally different!

[Mickey Rat]

Most egregious is the denial of the right to publicly express their disagreement with the Phoenix government's law and the ideology it enforces.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

This thing is pretty much egregious all the way down.

[AustinRoth]

This is just virtue signaling by elected officials. It is very common, by both side, to pander to their base by writing a law they know will be overturned. But then they get to say, "We tried our best, but activist judges stopped us!"

[sarcasmic]

They're keeping the roads safe! It's not about revenue! It's about safety! Really!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Doyle worries Bridgewater's reputation as a speed trap dissuades visitors from spending money in town. "It's anti-advertising," he said. "I really think it has hurt our economics."

Fire that constable!

[Tom Bombadil]

Are the citizens of these Vermont towns not allowed to vote? Do they not have the government, regulations, fines, and abuse they chose?

[Don't look at me.]

And now it's against the law to complain about it.

[JunkScienceIsJunk]

Those voters, like the rest of us, are inundated with the propaganda that "speed kills", even though this notion has been thoroughly discredited by scientists and engineers who have studied the phenomenon.

Also, many of these things are NOT determined by elected officials (or are so far removed from the elected officials). For example, the state legislature often defers setting speed limits to the local sheriffs departments. The regulation the departments are supposed to adopt is to perform a speed study and then use a formula to determine the proper speed limit. They don't do that. And in some cases (like the street I used to live on...), they conduct the speed study, don't like the results, and set the speed limit to whatever they want anyway. There's no consequence for doing this, by the way.

If you ask me, when the legislature defers something to the executive branch it's a major violation of the separation of powers. There's a reason why the people who enforce the laws shouldn't be the same ones making the laws.

[Robert]

Those kids are sure late to class.

[Deconstructed Potato]

When I was little I thought that Vermont was part of Canada. Now I'm all grown up I guess it may as well be.