I went to the FSA office today and took a wrong turn. I was texting which is illegal in Oregon. That is why I like to do it. Sometimes I don't wear my seatbelt and I text at the same time. I am an outlaw...
I turned one street too soon or too late or something and went by an elementary school. There is a six-foot tall chain link fence keeping the little kiddies off the street or perhaps the dangerous folks in the residential area away from the kids. There is a 20 mph speed zone around all schools in Oregon. 20 mph is stupid. As I parent I tell my child to 1. stay out of the street, 2. use the crosswalk, 3. IF you run in front of a car you are going to get hit, it will hurt, you may die...
Why can't people understand the basic problem of staying out of the street?
We can used depleted uranium bullets which most likely have resulted in the deaths, or sickness of a lot of children but yet I have to drive 20 mph in a school zone. I could handle 25, I drive that speed all the time anyway...
I know those two statements have nothing to do with each other but if idiots can wander out in front of cars and the cars have to stop (another idiotic Oregon rule) than I can make irrational statements.
Oops, just did another one.
I guess I'll go to work.
Posts
let's get back to the days of "pedestrian beware" if you go out into the streets.
ReplyDeleteIn more civilized states like Indiana the school zone speed is 25 MPh, or Kentucky 35 mph and the speed on the freeway is 70 and truck drive the same speed as cars so they're not always blocking the passing lane.
ReplyDeleteWhen my wife lived in Illinois, the speed was 10mph in school zones. That IS rediculous. They should have just told everyboby that driving within 500 feet of a scholl was illegal!
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a big problem with 20 MPH around grade schools, but it is no slight irritation to me that we can't expect teenagers 9th grade and up to stay the hell out of the road.
ReplyDeleteThe speed limits in California are a source of puzzlement, too. Cars go 70. Trucks go 70 also, but only if they have less than 3 axles. Anything towing a trailer goes 55. Now that part I get, but is a 2 axle truck weighing 32,000 with four brake drums safer @ 70 MPH than a 3 axle truck weighing 46,000 with six brake drums? I don't think so. I'm guessing the folks that sit in the committee that makes such rules have never had a ride in a loaded truck, much less driven one!
Rant over.
15 mph here in Ms. Cops make money and drive nice new cars. Between this and the war on drugs we are being led more and more into a corrupt world led by whoever has the money to buy the politicians.
ReplyDeletejmo
Bobby
Few people strictly obey the posted limit. They know the cops will give at least another 5mph over before turning the flashing lights on. If they posted 25mph people would do 30-35 etc. I don't really have a problem with a low posted limit in school zones. Kids & dogs sometimes have a lot in common when chasing a ball. However, I am a firm believer in survival of the fittest, and our pedestrian law makes no sense. One should cross a road at ones own risk! I think it's the "free range" laws we have here where if your cow gets out & gets hit, it's the drivers fault. This is fair because cows ain't too smart usually. I do have a problem with cameras at intersections. My nephew just got a ticket for running a "red" light. The time stamped on the photo was - red for.4sec. By whose clock? $285.00?
ReplyDeleteWe have got a bad one in front of Blanchester Schools. Two kids have been hit and nearly killed crossing to the soccer fields this year.
ReplyDeleteThis is on SR 28 which our farm lies on, the old Cincinnati Chillicothe Pike. Poor traffic design, you shouldn't have to risk crossing this highway when people like you are lost or texting.
Many are doing 60 in the 55 MPH zone then you hit the new village line to 50, then there is the new Kroger store in a bean field, then wham, 20 MPH WHEN the sign is flashing.
It flashes when there isn't school and it doesn't flash when kids are trying to cross the road to the field.
One big conglomerated mess!
Ed, so the whole state should be regulated because of one screwed up traffic pattern? Put in a crosswalk with a push to walk traffic light, put in a rail road crossing type barricade that comes down. Just don't give me a mile of 20 mph in the middle of a straight stretch of highway and lull kids into thinking they can wander out in front of cars and not get killed.
ReplyDeleteMuddy, I don't think you should plan on every driver going five mph over the speed limit. I think a 25 mph school zone should be enforced but I don't think you should be changing speeds all the time. Going from 55 to 20 for a school zone doesn't really work. Or going 25, then 20, then 35 doesn't work except to generate revenue for the city.
The same with traffic light cameras and zero tolerance booze limits.
Advertising Oregon as a wine state and advertising wine tastings and then having an impossibly low blood alcohol level and mandatory sentencing is wrong.