Path: csiph.com!aioe.org!newsfeed.CARNet.hr!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: "Rod Speed" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: 1973--TI 8 digit electric calculator--$99.95 Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2015 14:17:44 +1000 Lines: 82 Message-ID: References: <0dba63b3-dd80-4e78-8e58-ef748a50e1ef@googlegroups.com> <648781111459201046.253810peter_flass-yahoo.com@news.eternal-september.org> <220720151828486602%timstreater@greenbee.net> <270720151626325791%timstreater@greenbee.net> <280720151722453625%timstreater@greenbee.net> <280720152235569618%timstreater@greenbee.net> <9f84b115-0a35-4ead-8732-c9eb975ba6a7@googlegroups.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: individual.net Q6s8OE0mvipv30Tc04RbQgIkGK8qiXeGiF+k4dDPKj1vUhaT4= Cancel-Lock: sha1:WJFp3Tt1TGWfRgIQDEbznqeOmuk= In-Reply-To: X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 14.0.8117.416 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V14.0.8117.416 Xref: aioe.org alt.folklore.computers:149152 "Andrew Swallow" wrote in message news:at6dnQaY-YhNVyfInZ2dnUU78bWdnZ2d@giganews.com... > On 30/07/2015 19:45, Stephen Sprunk wrote: >> On 29-Jul-15 13:20, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: >>> Stephen Sprunk wrote: >>>> Many cities across the country have been caught deliberately >>>> screwing up their traffic light timings to increase the number of >>>> violations caught by cameras--which causes more accidents, opposite >>>> of the alleged goal of installing said cameras in the first place. >>>> (Note: even if you don't mess with the timings, cameras still don't >>>> _reduce_ accidents.) >>> >>> You don't need cameras to do that. I was outraged that one town had >>> the yellow light set very short, and a cop in hiding to ticket >>> motorists. (FWIW, I called the town to complain). Later it was set >>> back to a proper time. >> >> It's gotten serious attention lately due to the cameras, though, in >> particular because one camera can generate hundreds of tickets per hour, >> around the clock, whereas a cop can only write a few per hour for a few >> hours per day. >> >> The dirty secret is that the cameras are leased to cities at no cost in >> return for a share of the fine revenue--and the cities have to commit to >> a minimum amount of revenue per camera, giving them a strong incentive >> to fiddle with the yellow timing where cameras are installed; in fact, >> the vendor will even do it for them when they're wiring the cameras into >> the light control box. >> >> That entire scam got blown to smithereens here once lawyers realized >> that state law requires yellow lights to be one second per 10 mph, and >> all it takes is a quick video with a phone to prove it is _anything_ >> other than that--and the ticket is automatically dismissed. Cities >> fixed the light timings, and accident rates, which spiked after the >> cameras were installed, returned to normal. The vendor sued cities for >> insufficient fine revenue and pulled then most of the cameras, moving >> them to other states without such a law. >> >>> There is also the other side the argument that motorists can be very >>> impatient and drive too damn fast and too carelessly. For example, >>> there's a stretch of narrow road in a residential neighborhood that >>> is zoned for 25 mph, but some people go over 40. The cops set speed >>> trap at 40. Motorists say the road is zoned too slow. but people >>> who actually live along the road say fast drivers make it dangerous >>> to get out of their driveways, kids to walk along, etc. Cars >>> sometimes do go flying off the road out of control. So, it does >>> appear the motorists are wrong--they want to zoom along, regardless >>> of the impact of people they pass along the way. >> >> If cars go "flying off the road", then it sounds like they are indeed >> driving too fast. >> >> OTOH, courts here (amusingly) ruled that permanent speed limits below >> 30mph constitute "cruel and unusual punishment"; most have been raised, >> and tickets for doing 30 in a (rare) remaining 20 are automatically >> tossed, so cops don't bother. If a road isn't safe at a mere 30mph, >> then fix the road, not the drivers. >> >> Also, Texas cops' infamous tolerance for speeding varies depending on >> weather, traffic, surroundings, etc. State law only prohibits _unsafe_ >> speeds, and posted speed limits are merely a _presumed_ safe speed. One >> can beat a speeding ticket by showing that your driving was safe given >> the totality of the circumstances, regardless of the sign. So, cops >> usually focus enforcement on obviously unsafe driving--but since that is >> subjective, it varies from cop to cop and from city to city, plus it >> inevitably leads to discriminatory enforcement. >> >> S >> > In Britain they are installing 20 mph speed limits outside schools. We have a 40KMPH limit outside schools, and it only applys to school days in most of the states and only in two segments of the day, 8-9:30 and 2:30-4. > They are enforced by speed bumps in the road. That's a lousy idea given that the kids aren't walking around outside the schools for much of the day.