Red-light runners? Good on the Plod.

**Swoop** · 9th April 2008, 11:48

We have seen many opinions on the threat that red light runners pose to all of us, bikers, cagers and pedestrians, etc. Mostly they contain comments about "the cops do nothing" or similar.

On my ride to work, I noticed a uniformed ecilop standing on the corner of a major intersection that I pass through. "Interesting" I thought.
This was not a once-off situation, as this morning I saw the same thing again.

I'm not going to mention the location of this event, since we all obey the red light. (don't we!).

Suffice to say "Good on ya!" to the officer/s involved. May you reap a bountiful havest of red-light runners.

**Highlander** · 9th April 2008, 11:55

Have seen that quite often recently in Tauranga. The Police officer, in uniforn in open view, is on the radio to his mates down the road pulling up (and assumably ticketing) those who are dumb enough to go through the lights while they are red with a police man standing there watching.

Well done

**Cajun** · 9th April 2008, 12:01

Originally Posted by Highlander

Have seen that quite often recently in Tauranga. The Police officer, in uniforn in open view, is on the radio to his mates down the road pulling up (and assumably ticketing) those who are dumb enough to go through the lights while they are red with a police man standing there watching.

Well done

chapel st lights are shocking, i have been taken out about twice in past two weeks at those lights, people clear running the red, and i know people run that light so never gun it from the green.

**jrandom** · 9th April 2008, 12:01

I ran a red light at about 12:30am today.

Several puppies immediately died.

Also, the rate of global warming increased fractionally but measurably, and as he lay dreaming in his bed in the Katcave, deep in the forests of azure, Katman was disturbed by a shiver of generic rage...

**Katman** · 9th April 2008, 12:04

Originally Posted by jrandom

I ran a red light at about 12:30am today.

Several puppies immediately died.

Also, the rate of global warming increased fractionally but measurably, and as he lay dreaming in his bed in the Katcave, deep in the forests of azure, Katman was disturbed by a shiver of generic rage...

Sorry, must have missed it.

**jrandom** · 9th April 2008, 12:09

Originally Posted by Katman

Sorry, must have missed it.

Well, I did say that it was generic. You may perhaps have attributed it, at the time, to an excess of pudding.

I wouldn't, however, like to think that your Katsense was so insensate as to fail to alert you in some way to such behaviour.

**sunhuntin** · 9th April 2008, 12:12

maybe its geriatric instead?

good on the plod... heres hoping those they catch learn something without having to kill someone.

**scumdog** · 9th April 2008, 12:14

Originally Posted by jrandom

Well, I did say that it was generic. You may perhaps have attributed it, at the time, to an excess of pudding.

I wouldn't, however, like to think that your Katsense was so insensate as to fail to alert you in some way to such behaviour.

Sounds like promotion to PD is indicated here....

**jrandom** · 9th April 2008, 12:18

Originally Posted by scumdog

Sounds like promotion to PD is indicated here....

You miss the subtleties of the point I'm making, sir.

Red light running is not so much a function of drivers ignoring The Rules (tm) as it is a function of them being blind as bats and completely self-absorbed.

While enforcement of this particular rule in busy intersections during daylight hours absolutely a Good Thing (tm), addressing the underlying faulty attitudes via education will be the key to a broader solution.

**Ixion** · 9th April 2008, 12:44

Originally Posted by jrandom

Red light running is not so much a function of drivers ignoring The Rules (tm) as it is a function of them being blind as bats and completely self-absorbed.

I disagree. I see a *lot* of red light running around Manukau. Almost invariably it is *very* plain that the driver realises perfectly well that the light is red, or about to turn red. If nothing else, the pickup in speed and engine note as he floors the pedal gives it away. That and the fact that often as not, I've already stopped as he hurtles through, whcih would be a rather a broad hint I'd think.

**scumdog** · 9th April 2008, 12:49

Originally Posted by jrandom

You miss the subtleties of the point I'm making, sir.

Red light running is not so much a function of drivers ignoring The Rules (tm) as it is a function of them being blind as bats and completely self-absorbed.

While enforcement of this particular rule in busy intersections during daylight hours absolutely a Good Thing (tm), addressing the underlying faulty attitudes via education will be the key to a broader solution.

It's not the blind as bats factor, more the "My Time is More Important than Yours" attitude, get a lot of that, (education won't fix such an attitude) -whatever life crisis they are having at that point in time rationalises them taking risks/breaking laws and look out anybody that gets in the way.

An attitude like that deserves a thorough licence check at the side of the road imho...

**gijoe1313** · 9th April 2008, 12:53

And in the dystopian future, there shall be a Satellite tasked to lance a beam of pure power down through the heavens and despatch the rogue red runner with aplomb.

Neatly it will sever the offending vehicle in twain and also burn an infraction bar code into the miscreant's largest organ (their skin).

The chortles and amusement as other road users zootle on by will be akin to "Har har".

And somewhere, a little girl waits, for her father who in his haste has had his horizontal mode of commencement terminated with extreme prejudice, exacting in the eyes of the law...

**BiK3RChiK** · 9th April 2008, 15:20

Originally Posted by scumdog

It's not the blind as bats factor, more the "My Time is More Important than Yours" attitude, get a lot of that, (education won't fix such an attitude) -whatever life crisis they are having at that point in time rationalises them taking risks/breaking laws and look out anybody that gets in the way.

An attitude like that deserves a thorough licence check at the side of the road imho...

I agree! In Rotorua the other day and the traffic just kept on driving through even when we had the green for quite a few seconds... Everyone just seems to be in such a hurry these days!

Good on ya, Scummy!!

**KiwiRat** · 9th April 2008, 16:19

Sometimes even being cautious at intersections is not enough to save you from the unseen enemy.

One particular evening in New Lynn I am at the front of the queue (in a full lane, not splitting) and the light goes green. My spidey sense says "It's Thursday night. Just hang a couple of secs m'kay?" Sure enough a car whistles through from the right.

What I couldn't protect myself against was the mongoloid behind me who only sees a green light and not the bike stopped a metre in front of him. Luckily he didn't fang it off the line and was only just rolling, but geez what a knob jockey.

Would you like a lift to the Blind Institute ya tool?

Kinda makes a case for being in between lanes at the front of a queue at an intersection doesn't it?

But I do agree that red light runners are a scourge and the law should be out there as resources allow, pinging theses menaces.