Police Argument (Split from How are you gentlemen? )

[John]

I dunno, I guess outside of the beltway its different but inside the beltway there is a very clear difference in traffic before and after its HOV only. So for instance if I come home before 4 o'clock there's a bunch of traffic. 4:30, easy sailing. After 6:30, bunch of traffic.

That's because everyone operates their schedules around HOV times - mad rush beforehand, and mad rush afterwards.

[G.Irish]

I dunno, I guess outside of the beltway its different but inside the beltway there is a very clear difference in traffic before and after its HOV only. So for instance if I come home before 4 o'clock there's a bunch of traffic. 4:30, easy sailing. After 6:30, bunch of traffic.

That's because everyone operates their schedules around HOV times - mad rush beforehand, and mad rush afterwards.

Exactly. Who knows maybe traffic overall would be better without HOV at all but its clear that its easier to get home during HOV hours and if there weren't HOV hours it probably wouldn't be as easy.

[Maengelito]

lets get started with the root of the problem. drivers in this country suck for the most part. lets make the driver's license test extremely comprehensive, very challenging and even expensive. we dont have the right to drive a car, its a privledge. if we weed out many of the shitty drivers, there would be less traffic, less accidents and less fatalities

[.RJ]

Exactly. Who knows maybe traffic overall would be better without HOV at all but its clear that its easier to get home during HOV hours and if there weren't HOV hours it probably wouldn't be as easy.

I'm not advocating the removal of HOV laws... just dont enforce them so heavily. Just enough that it weeds out 90% of the offenders.

[Kaan]

I'll have to find the study but ... the style of lanes for HOV like on 270 and 66 are considered "more dangerous" then lanes such as the ones on 95.

the I95 lanes are enforced on entry and exit and rarely in between on the travel lanes. the 66/270 lanes are enforced in the travel lanes... which causes people who are breaking the law to jump lanes, have police officers merging into traffic (non HOV)... even slowing down the HOV lane itself to look into the cars!

the way they do things on I95 is like "metering" the lanes... they release you onto free flowing lanes... unless someone bins in... and then all lanes of 95 turn into a botched abortion.

All of that effects the traffic in the other lanes. Enforce speeding, change the style of HOV lanes, change tactics... but HOV enforcement causes me... someone who is commuting under the speed limit to slow down even more!

I could care less about speeding and them collecting speeding ticket money. you know when you speed and you know the risk to your wallet... and you should know its causes more risk to your life and the people around you... though there are plenty of studies that will say other wise (you have to wonder why virignia is the "slowest" state in the union as far as interstate speeds).

I care that HOV effects me. when i use HOV i'm legal... i'm on the bike or i have two people in the car. i care that the way the enforce the HOV laws effect the people that are obeying the law... we arent in the HOV lanes, we aren "speeding" either! we are just trying to get home after a shitty day at work!

[John]

Since Evan almost initiated stats out there - I wanted to bring up what I consider to be the biggest hazard on the road, that being cell phone usage. While you can manipulate studies and statistics in many ways, shapes, and forms, I do find there to be a valid comparison between drunk driving and driving while on the phone.
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I'm not an advocate for more laws, but that's one that needs to be implemented everywhere. Unfortunatley it doesn't go into effect until next summer here.

[Kaan]

even myth busters had the cell phone/drunk driving comparison!

CONFIRMED! and God knows i dont even attempt to drive and text with this new phone! and i think texting can be worse than just talking.

[.RJ]

I can barely send a txt message without doing anything else!

[John]

even myth busters had the cell phone/drunk driving comparison!

CONFIRMED! and God knows i dont even attempt to drive and text with this new phone! and i think texting can be worse than just talking.

They did? That's funny...

I'm pretty sure texting is worse than talking on the phone.

[Andy]

Another item for consideration is the actual speed limits themselves. 55/65 were chosen for fuel economy purposes during the oil crisis. They're unnaturally low. Bump up the limits to 75min/85max and give huge fines over 90.

Hopefully, this will eliminate the slow ass folks and the speeding maniacs. Car makers will give all cars a proper overdrive so folks can go 75/85 at 2.5K rpms. Fuel economy is improved and traffic will move faster.

[JustinG]

i didnt really feel liek reading all of this thread, but from what i gahtered, i agree on enforcing speeding vilations. What i dont agree on are stupid illegal equipment tickets that do nothign but generate revenue. Im sick of getting an illegal exhaust ticket, being sterotyped and pulled over when some guy is flying by me as i got 72mph on the interstate.

I find it funny that my g/fs 75-65 ticket was only $10 bucks more than my illegal exhaust ticket, I see a problem here, fines dont match some of the "crimes".

[WRXtranceformed]

I agree with the side that says there are way too many cops running radar. I sure am glad that my state tax dollars are paying for them to waste time sitting on the side of the road "protecting people from themselves" and looking for a way to suck more of the money that I actually work hard for out of my pocket. I'm sorry but that's complete bullshit. Needless to say, I set the cruise control about 90% of the time now, unless I'm down in North Carolina where the cops don't give a shit.

I agree, set up sobriety checks, come down hard on street racers and ultra high speeders. Reduce the ridiculous fines and penalties that just got passed because nobody in this state bothers to question the lawmakers or step up and complain when they're getting assraped.

Do you want to know how fucked up our local cops are? We have at least 3 or 4 cops patrolling the small town I live in constantly at night pretty much harassing anyone that they can profile and running radar. My younger brother and his friends got pulled over the other night because, and I quote, "there is a noise ordinance in Purcellville and I could hear you guys laughing from inside your car while you were driving by as I was parked at the grocery store." Yeah fucking right.

My brother and his friends are responsible and had a sober driver, but the cop pulled them all out of the car anyway, breathalyzed them, and gave them all underage alcohol charges (except for the driver who was obviously fine). What a fucking useless waste of space. Hey good job buddy, you probably saved someone's life that night. :roll: These are the cocksuckers who are enforcing the laws up here.
Rant off, bitches.

[damnit458]

This add's pretty much nothing to the argument going on but on thursday as I was driving from JMU to NoVA I counted 12 cop watching cars going eastbound in the first 50 miles of 66, only two of which were together (11 different instances). I don't know, 1 cop less than every 5 miles for 50 miles just doesn't seem right.

I also got my first ticket for doing 13 over but hey what can ya do

[WRXtranceformed]

I don't know, 1 cop less than every 5 miles for 50 miles just doesn't seem right.

That sounds like an efficient use of resources (tax dollars). Good job Virginia.