dpex
20th August 2009, 19:34
This goes on a bit, but bare with me. I think that within a kernel of sense prevails.
Firstly. There's like 1.4 cops to every ten thousand drivers. Thus the chances of any driver being caught being an idiot or an arsehole is like on the improbability scale.
But who sees idiot or arsehole drivers, daily? Answer. Other drivers. What do they do when they see idiots and arseholes? They either get a dose of road-rage, call *555 for no good reason cos there's no enforcers out there, or just boil with rage.
But arsehole and idiot drivers don't become so occasionally. They are what they are. An so they daily wander around the highways and byways, being arseholes and/or idiots. You see them. I see them. We are powerless to do anything about them.
But what would be the case if the Gov agreed licencing say, 10,000 regular road-users to formally report bad or stupid behaviour?
What would be the case if the same group in fact reported good behaviour?
Over a period the bad-behavourists would clock up a tally, yet no cop has clocked them till, one day, a cop does. The issue goes to court. The judge looks at the report from the 'informal' group of watchers. who, individually, have observed this cretin doing all manner of stupid thing.
And so, the judge asserts, 'Mr Dickhead. Although you're here today to answer a charge of exceeding the speed-limit by 15Kph, I note there are five sightings of you acting like a dickhead. You sir, are to get the max fine.'
The next prole goes up, also accused of exceeding the limit by 15Ks. The judge asserts, 'I see here, Mr ordinary, that you have had no sightings from the road watchers. Well done. good driving. Keep it up. Discharged.'
So who are the road watchers? I have named them Road Knights. They are regular drivers who have to pass some level of test to ensure they're not too anti-Asian, anti, women, anti anything....although through the effluction of time, it wouldn't matter with the computer programme I have in mind to drive this process.
The idea is, the Road Knights, ordinary citizens on th road, would simply report behaviour, both good and bad, to a central agency, by email, using some simple quantifying code. But they're not cops and their reports cannot be used, substantively in a court of law, but they could sure as hell give a judge a much better appreciation of the dude/dudess before him/her.
Sure, it will take some time before an arsehole or idiot's profile became clear, but we have to start somewhere.
But then there's the reward process. The carrot. Imagine a boy racer getting a letter from the ministry, along these lines.
Dear sir,
On January 15th a Road Knight observed you giving way to another driver at a time when he/she should have given way to you. We wish to thank you for your valuable input into road safety.
Imagine the look on the boy-racer's face when he got such a letter. 'Fuck! Someone actually noticed me being good!'
Do you think such a thing would incentivise the boy-racer to get another such letter? Given that probably he has ever only got negative feedback from the day he was born?
Then add to that. 'Dear Boy Racer, due to you being observed acting in a very civilised manner we hereby credit you with two parking tickets and one speeding ticket. We appreciate your efforts.
Now go to the next leg. Annuallly, most folk don't have accidents, but their time might be coming due to lack of concentration. How do you remind them to concentrate? Beta them up with misery ads? or write to them and ram it home.
Dear Mr O'Hagey.
We note you have completed yet another year, accident free. You are now entitled to a 20% reduction in regsitrastion fees, you will be allowed three free parking tickets, one speeding ticket and the included ten dollar voucher from the Warehouse.
Next.
Dear Mr/Mrs Driver,
If you complete the driving course offered at.....you will be entitled to a 50% reduction in registration fees for your vehicle for the next two years. However, if, within those two years, you become engaged in any form of accident, this offer will be withdrawn and you will be required to pay twice the fee.
Next. Licence grades.
As of tomorrow everyone starts with a black licence. Go one year accident free and you go up to a bronze. Go two years and your up to silver. Go fiver years and you're on gold.
Now go backwards.
Gold licence holders can speed with impunity. Now then, before you scream, think about what it takes to become a gold-class licence holder.
Silver. We catch you doing more than???? and you get fined.
Bronze. Slow learner, huh. We caught you being an idiot. You now have a black licence and we're taking your car/bike/truck/bus off you for 28 days.
Black. 'You really can't see the plan, eh? We're taking your car/bike, bus to the crusher.'
And the whole plan is based upon being accident-free. It's not based upon being no-fault, accident free, but accident free. It takes two to create a crash. Don't get in one. Do all you can to avoid and all of a sudden the rewards come your way.
You see? Reward works way better than punishment.
And all the above is just a small fraction of the scheme I have devised. But can I get any Gummint Minster to listen.
Hell no.
I wonder why.
Firstly. There's like 1.4 cops to every ten thousand drivers. Thus the chances of any driver being caught being an idiot or an arsehole is like on the improbability scale.
But who sees idiot or arsehole drivers, daily? Answer. Other drivers. What do they do when they see idiots and arseholes? They either get a dose of road-rage, call *555 for no good reason cos there's no enforcers out there, or just boil with rage.
But arsehole and idiot drivers don't become so occasionally. They are what they are. An so they daily wander around the highways and byways, being arseholes and/or idiots. You see them. I see them. We are powerless to do anything about them.
But what would be the case if the Gov agreed licencing say, 10,000 regular road-users to formally report bad or stupid behaviour?
What would be the case if the same group in fact reported good behaviour?
Over a period the bad-behavourists would clock up a tally, yet no cop has clocked them till, one day, a cop does. The issue goes to court. The judge looks at the report from the 'informal' group of watchers. who, individually, have observed this cretin doing all manner of stupid thing.
And so, the judge asserts, 'Mr Dickhead. Although you're here today to answer a charge of exceeding the speed-limit by 15Kph, I note there are five sightings of you acting like a dickhead. You sir, are to get the max fine.'
The next prole goes up, also accused of exceeding the limit by 15Ks. The judge asserts, 'I see here, Mr ordinary, that you have had no sightings from the road watchers. Well done. good driving. Keep it up. Discharged.'
So who are the road watchers? I have named them Road Knights. They are regular drivers who have to pass some level of test to ensure they're not too anti-Asian, anti, women, anti anything....although through the effluction of time, it wouldn't matter with the computer programme I have in mind to drive this process.
The idea is, the Road Knights, ordinary citizens on th road, would simply report behaviour, both good and bad, to a central agency, by email, using some simple quantifying code. But they're not cops and their reports cannot be used, substantively in a court of law, but they could sure as hell give a judge a much better appreciation of the dude/dudess before him/her.
Sure, it will take some time before an arsehole or idiot's profile became clear, but we have to start somewhere.
But then there's the reward process. The carrot. Imagine a boy racer getting a letter from the ministry, along these lines.
Dear sir,
On January 15th a Road Knight observed you giving way to another driver at a time when he/she should have given way to you. We wish to thank you for your valuable input into road safety.
Imagine the look on the boy-racer's face when he got such a letter. 'Fuck! Someone actually noticed me being good!'
Do you think such a thing would incentivise the boy-racer to get another such letter? Given that probably he has ever only got negative feedback from the day he was born?
Then add to that. 'Dear Boy Racer, due to you being observed acting in a very civilised manner we hereby credit you with two parking tickets and one speeding ticket. We appreciate your efforts.
Now go to the next leg. Annuallly, most folk don't have accidents, but their time might be coming due to lack of concentration. How do you remind them to concentrate? Beta them up with misery ads? or write to them and ram it home.
Dear Mr O'Hagey.
We note you have completed yet another year, accident free. You are now entitled to a 20% reduction in regsitrastion fees, you will be allowed three free parking tickets, one speeding ticket and the included ten dollar voucher from the Warehouse.
Next.
Dear Mr/Mrs Driver,
If you complete the driving course offered at.....you will be entitled to a 50% reduction in registration fees for your vehicle for the next two years. However, if, within those two years, you become engaged in any form of accident, this offer will be withdrawn and you will be required to pay twice the fee.
Next. Licence grades.
As of tomorrow everyone starts with a black licence. Go one year accident free and you go up to a bronze. Go two years and your up to silver. Go fiver years and you're on gold.
Now go backwards.
Gold licence holders can speed with impunity. Now then, before you scream, think about what it takes to become a gold-class licence holder.
Silver. We catch you doing more than???? and you get fined.
Bronze. Slow learner, huh. We caught you being an idiot. You now have a black licence and we're taking your car/bike/truck/bus off you for 28 days.
Black. 'You really can't see the plan, eh? We're taking your car/bike, bus to the crusher.'
And the whole plan is based upon being accident-free. It's not based upon being no-fault, accident free, but accident free. It takes two to create a crash. Don't get in one. Do all you can to avoid and all of a sudden the rewards come your way.
You see? Reward works way better than punishment.
And all the above is just a small fraction of the scheme I have devised. But can I get any Gummint Minster to listen.
Hell no.
I wonder why.