[*BCM*] Laws (fixed subject just for Lee Peters)

[list at moz.geek.nz]

Jiml
> Why is this too idealistic?  Why should the police not be writing
> citations for cyclists running red lights or riding the wrong way down a
> one way street?  Or for pedestrians crossing against the cross walk
> signals?  Or for that matter automobiles running red lights and
> flagrantly ignoring other signage or people crossing legally in sidewalks?

It's one of those "in the real world" things. Put nicely, the voters
regard speeding, jumping lights and bullying as "rights" and vote
accordingly. The most blatant example is when motorists complain
that speed cameras are a tax. Which says very clearly that they regard
speeding as the default behaviour that "everyone" does. Asking them
directly often leads to weasel words that amount to "everyone does it"
(occasionally they just say that directly).

So to enforce the laws as written would suck up a lot of Police time
and the money for that has to come from somewhere. It would also have
other bad effects - mostly increased surveillance and Police power...
oh, duh, well, ok, one possible benefit of the increased surveillance
and Police power that we're getting could be increased enforcement of
useful laws.

More useful would be spending that money on making it less easy to
break the laws - via both engineering and education. Ideally including
the same sort of limits that are applied to some motorbikes, power
assisted bikes, electronic equipment, firearms and aircraft. By which
I mean limits on permitted power and speed enforced by the devices
themselves and required by law.

Because really, no-one expects to be allowed a huge radio transmitter
on their roof, a howitzer in their back yard or to fly their private
aircraft supersonically between cities. Those technical restrictions
are accepted, why not similar ones on motor vehicles? If your car
can only just get to 70mph and is speed limited to that anyway,
you'll be less inclined to try to do 50mph in a 30 zone, and drag
racing at the lights will be limited to bikes :)

Moz