Speeding cops

[Mikkel]

http://xkcd.com/605/

Thank you, that was indeed the point

[swbarnett]

I'm sure that's what drunk-drivers think too.

While I'm not advocating drunk driving, to some degree they are right. Do we, as a society, really have a drink drving problem?

However, when we speed, we put others at risk too - just like the drunk.

That depnds on where and when. It's not an absolute. Besides, we put others at risk just by hitting the road. I hope you're not suggesting we stop driving?

Playing around with statistics doesn't mitigate the risks.

No, it doesn't. That's not the point. Statistics is a tool that can allow one to approximate the real risk based on the past experience of others. It allows us to evaluate risk and only worry about what is actually likely to happen. Once we have decided what is the most important risk and eliminated it we move on to the next most likely event and so on. The trouble is that the human brain does not know when to stop. We find ourselves at the point where we have eliminated all the real risks so we are down to worrying about the unlikely.

Social responsibility must be weighed against individual choice

I agree whole heartedly. However, I think that today the balance is too far towords social responsibility.

[Ixion]

I'm sure that's what drunk-drivers think too. However, when we speed, we put others at risk too - just like the drunk.

That's far from a universal statement. We choose when and where we speed , and it is quite possible to do it only when circumstances are such that no one else can possible be affected. Whereas the drunk is drunk from journey's beginning to journey's end - he can't say, "oh other traffic, built up area I'll sober up here"

Playing around with statistics doesn't mitigate the risks. Social responsibility must be weighed against individual choice.

"Social responsibility" is almost always a weasel phrase used the the politically correct, to mean "I'm not interested in doing that, so you shouldn't be allowed to"

[red mermaid]

No its not, it is recognising that you are not alone in life and you have many responsibilties and your actions have a reaction.

But then from a person who is into Bikers "Rights" I wouldn't expect you to acknowledge you have a responsibility to society and to stop spreading your selfish message.

"Social responsibility" is almost always a weasel phrase used the the politically correct, to mean "I'm not interested in doing that, so you shouldn't be allowed to"

[Muppet]

The relentless message is, 'Speed Kills'. And that's the justification for cops to hand out tickets, right?

Tonight I was wandering down Edmonton Rd (here in West Auckland) in my cage, heading home after a long day. I hear a siren, then around a completely blind bend, peppered with driveways, comes a cop car. It was doing well into 80Ks. Lights flashing, sirens going.

Now then. I'm supposed to negotiate such bends at 50Ks max, on the basis there might be kids on bikes, folk turning in or out of driveways, or some other poor fluke on the road ahead.

Yet this cop car whistles around this bend at 80Ks plus.

Obviously, the officers are attending upon an emergency. But then I asked, what nature of emergency has it to be to enable a cop car driver to drive as such an insane speed?

Is it a traffic accident? Is it a murder? A rape, perhaps? Maybe some scumbag approaching a child. Maybe there's some guy with a gun, holding up a McDonalds....although he'd probably be there to exact utu for getting food poisoning.

So let's have a look at the possible scanarios which could possibly allow a cop car to drive at such insane speeds.

Surely, the event would have to be 'happening' right then, and that the only solution for the cops would have to be 'there' ASAP.

But what sort of event would it have to be?

A traffic accident? Give me a break. The accident has already happened so what's the hurry?

Some guy with a gun doing strange things? So what's the hurry? The some guy is going to be there doing strange things for ages.

A child molster who has fled in his car? Which way has he fled?

The possibilities regarding the 'apparent' urgency of this cop car getting to another point are endless.

Now consider justification.

There is one thing you can be assured of. In tomorrow's papers there will be no reports of men with guns, child-molesters fleeing, or any other such intensely urgent requirement for the cops to be there and, therefore justify the madness of this cop driver.

No. These pricks, like so many cops with sirens and lights, showed a complete disregard for the safety of others because they could. They're cops, in a cop car, going at insane speeds through blind corners simply because their pathetic egos said they could.

It was a traffic car. And I'll lay odds the driver would not hesitate to pull you up for doing 1K over the allowable fudge limit, and then tell you you're a danger to society.

As these shits went by I wondered what would have happened had I been turning right into a driveway on this blind corner. They would have trashed me and blamed it on an 'emergency' call.

I ask again. What possible emergency could allow a cop car to ravel at such an insane speed in a dangerous, built-up area?

I can't think of one.

Having considered all this, I'd like to ask you all a question:

Please provide me with a reason so compelling which requires cops to speed.

I can think of doctors having a justifiable reason to speed, and ambulances, and fire engines, but they're not allowed to speed. But cops are?

I can't think of one good reason why cops are entitled to speed. Yet the bastards do, then have the effrontery to tell me I'm a bad person when I copy what they do.

So all other emergency services can exceed the speed limit, just not police. I see. I'm guessing you've either been locked up or had a few tickets,which one is it please? Jesus Christ, if you have to be told the resaon police speed, then I think you're rantings are a departure from reality. If you ever have a burglar breaking into your house be sure to tell the police not to hurry in case they do themselves a mischief . Now go and have a nice cup of tea and a lie down, there's a good chap.