If you’ve been forced to pay the state money for not having caused any harm lately – i.e., been issued what is styled a “ticket” because you drove faster than an arbitrarily posted “speed limit” says you may, or made a right turn on red (also without causing any harm) or not worn a seatbelt, etc. – you will have noticed how much more money the state is extracting from your hide as punishment.
In order to fund the enforcement of this rigmarole, in a kind of chicken-or-the-egg feedback loop of serial predation.
The “egg” being what a single 2023 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor costs, that being just shy of $40,000.
The “chicken,” of course, being you (and me) when we get “pulled over” – as the euphemism styles being implicitly threatened with murderous violence if we do not – and are issued the “ticket,” which amounts to our helping to finance the equipment used to “pull us over.”
Isn’t it great?
Let’s say a small-town department of Armed Government Workers – for that is what “police” are, or at least, have become, if we are to use honest language – buys six of these Ford Explorers at about $40,000 each. That comes to just shy of a quarter-million dollars. Not counting all the Batman Gear – body armor, leg webbing, multiple mags for their semi-auto pistols – that most AGWs now suit up with every day (the assertion being they need to armor-up like Batman to “pull over” dangerous “civilians” – as they style us – though in fact working as a roofer or electrical line worker is far more dangerous than “pulling over” people).
That comes to a lot of money to recover.
Especially when you add in the cost of fueling these big, heavy – and thirsty – SUVs.
It is interesting to note that when AGWs still used cars to “pull over” people, the equipment they used cost much less. For example, the Ford Crown Victoria – which used to be the most commonly used car for “traffic enforcement” until it was cancelled after the 2011 model year – was priced under $30,000 new, for the “civilian” version (police – who are not in the military – love to think that they are; hence we are “civilians” to their “corporals,” “sergeants,” “lieutenants” and even five-star “generals.”)
The police version cost about $27,000 – which it could because it was very basic. Nothing new is. The rise in the cost of “civilian” vehicles reflects this – and so also the cost of enforcement vehicles used by AGWs who are also civilians.
So, about $13k less than what a new Explorer traffic-mulcter costs. Yes, inflation. But it’s still a roughly $6k uptick in real, inflation-adjusted dollars. Plus the Batman gear. And someone’s going to have to pay for that.
Guess who?
In Virginia, the state where I live, the fine for “speeding” is now at least $6 for each mile-per-hour over the arbitrarily posted maximum speed; with the baseline fine plus abut $60 in “court costs,” the total for a “little” ticket amounts to a lot. As in about $150. Enough to buy three tanks of gas for the AGW who issued the ticket!
The cost rises to $8 per mile – plus another $200 – in addition to “court costs” (as if it costs the court a cent to take your money) if the “speeding” occurs in a “residential” area.
Which is essentially everywhere nowadays.
Thus, a ticket for doing say 45 MPH in a “zone” posted 35 MPH will cost you close to $200. That equals about 40 percent of a month’s payment on a new Explorer police Interceptor. If an AGW issues just three such pieces of payin’ paper in one “shift” then he has paid for the ride he uses to take you (and many others) for one.
If you exceed whatever the posted limit is – anywhere – by 20 MPH or more it triggers what is styled a “reckless” driving charge. Thus, 56 MPH in a posted 35 zone in which probably 90 percent of the cars are doing at least 40-something. It is also considered “reckless” in Virginia to drive faster than 80 MPH anywhere – including on Virginia highways with posted speed limits of 70 MPH and almost everyone doing at least 75.
There are also “gotcha” tickets for “offenses” that have nothing to do with driving or the “safety” of other drivers, such as not wearing a seat belt, which is illegal and punishable – the punishment always taking the form of the government’s greasy paws emptying your wallet.
After all, someone’s going to have to pay for all those new SUVs – which they’ll use to make you pay for them. Plus the Batman gear.
When you hear that siren and see those wig-wags flashing, you’ll know just who that is.
. . .
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ROTFL Erik
Thank you!
These foots solider of our globalist overlords are real repulsive examples of humanity.
That is as nice as I can sugar coat it.
Mark Passio – The Cult Of Ultimate Evil – Order-Followers & The Destruction Of The Sacred Feminine (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSqBNGxLiAs&t=47s
That’s exactly what I’m hoping for John. I had briefly considered a Toyota Venza which is a hybrid, specifically because Toyota had been one of the last remaining manufacturers holding off on the stupidity. Glad I didn’t.
The Genesis (aka Hyundai) that I have on order had a big fat 3.5L V6. And, getting it brand new with a 100K drive train warranty, will keep me in an ICE for (hopefully) 10 more years at least. Notwithstanding the possibility of gazzuline being banned for peons like me.
On the bright side, it seems like more and more people (regardless of political affiliation) are starting to come to terms with the EV scam.
Police states have a police force. In this country there should be
contracted security services to keep the peace and protect
lives and property. I wouldn’t mind a bicycle or foot patrol
security service in my neighborhood that could be fired for
poor protection. Sheriffs have been the least bothersome,
but most of them don’t understand their historical function.
Hi liberty,
One problem with “policing” is they go out in search of “crimes.” Most of the latter are, of course, no such thing – in terms of anyone having been harmed, their property violated, etc. They are offenses against statutes, things that are “illegal” but not wrong in any moral sense.
I’m in favor of a Harm Caused standard. I favor it because it’s objective and so, just. A person either did – or did not – cause harm. If he did, hold him accountable for it. If he did not, leave him be. Certainly, there would be instances of a few people acting in ways that would be very likely to cause harm. Some say that is enough to intervene. I understand the sentiment but still maintain that it is preferable to accept the risk – even the certainty – that a few reckless/criminal people will cause harm if not prevented than to accept the certainty of punishing everyone for ever-diminishing (to the point of absurdity, which we have reached) “might cause harms.”
libertyx,
Sheriffs “suffer” the inconvenience of being re-elected in nearly all States. In my county, the sheriff has a “call us if you need us” attitude. Deputies don’t go out on patrol looking for trouble, and revenue. In my few interactions with the sheriff’s department I have been met with polite, congenial folks who are apparently well aware of their function. Unlike the county tax assessor/collector’s offices. Of course when I walk in and tell them “I’m here to pay my extortion fee” probably does not improve their attitude. Especially when I also recommend they “find an honest job” on the way out.
Toyota has fallen to the globalists:
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/toyotas-ceo-step-down-new-chief-will-remodel-automaker
They’re not going to be a “car manufacturer” anymore. They’re going to be a “mobility provider” or some bullshit.
TBH, I thought it was odd that Japanese — of all people on the planet — were holding the line. So for the “broad stroke” but those people are fucken nuts.
Looks like the planet savers finally got rid of the guy that kept the lights on…sad.
XM,
Can’t have anyone smart enough to read the tea leaves in charge of anything. How dare he realize that the EV is a suicide pact. I wonder what kind of dirt, real or made up, they had on him, or what other threats were used to cause this.
Hopefully, the already small EV market will crash into the wall before Toyota manages to engage in the game.
That’s exactly what I’m hoping for John. I had briefly considered a Toyota Venza which is a hybrid, specifically because Toyota had been one of the last remaining manufacturers holding off on the stupidity. Glad I didn’t.
The Genesis (aka Hyundai) that I have on order had a big fat 3.5L V6. And, getting it brand new with a 100K drive train warranty, will keep me in an ICE for (hopefully) 10 more years at least. Notwithstanding the possibility of gazzuline being banned for peons like me.
On the bright side, it seems like more and more people (regardless of political affiliation) are starting to come to terms with the EV scam.
“in a kind of chicken-or-the-egg feedback loop of serial predation”
In case anyone was wondering, the egg came long before the chicken existed.
—–
In my state, good weather + near the end of the month = Revenue generation. We are also constantly reassured that there are “no quotas”.
“Boys, do you know what a quota is?” – Recruiter
“You mean like 25 cents?” – Butthead
“though in fact working as a roofer or electrical line worker is far more dangerous than “pulling over” people” -EP
1000x yes. Your standard issue AGW is brainwashed into thinking he is patrolling the streets of Mogadishu. They willfully cause the interactions of which they are so afraid, when no rights have been violated.
Anyhow, how do they justify court costs when courts are funded by tax money?
If courts are funded via these costs, that is a perverse incentive and destroys any notion of lack of bias. Not that it matters. Traffic judges are in bed with the cops anyway.
Dan,
LE rarely makes it into the top ten of most dangerous jobs. I worked in construction for 25 years, and saw two men die, and several sent to the hospital, some crippled for life. In my life, I know of one LE that died on the job. Twenty plus years ago. And STILL celebrated as a “hero”.
Commercial fishing is the most dangerous job, logging is number 2, Working on tugboats is very dangerous….these AGW are wimps driving around in an air conditioned SUV….lol
The last ticket I got was going through a red light, but I had not, I didn’t slam on the brakes for the yellow light, and half way through the intersection the light turned red. The robot cop would not talk to me about it, he just issued me the $260 ticket. I was going to fight it, so I read up on Oregon law, it says you can not go through a yellow light in Oregon. That’s right, Commie Oregon is the only state that has that policy:
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.260
“Steady circular yellow signal. A driver facing a steady circular yellow signal light is thereby warned that the related right of way is being terminated and that a red or flashing red light will be shown immediately. A driver facing the light shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, shall stop before entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no marked crosswalk, then before entering the intersection. If a driver cannot stop in safety, the driver may drive cautiously through the intersection.”
————–
I went to city hall to pay the ticket, the friendly clerk said I could make $20 a month payments, she was so happy to inform me that I did not have to come up with the full amount right then. The whole thing really pissed me off and still does, as my car is only worth $500, and $260 is a whopping price for me at least. Who in the hell sets these rates, oh yeah, the fat cats wearing robes who have high incomes and even more expensive homes – on top of the hill sneering down at the peon slaves.
The bottom line is this, we are ruled by arrogant pigs who ALL deserve 123 grains of justice administered behind the left ear. Eric is right, look at the vehicles the uniformed pigs drive. Gas guzzling monstrosities. In the town I currently occupy they drive Suburbans.
And these mother f-cking pigs also do something outrageous – they waste huge amounts of money, and pile their reckless spending on the debt they already owe, now over $31 Trillion That’s $31,000,000,000,000 and they just flushed another $130 billion down the Ukraine shit hole toilet. Every state could of gotten $2.5 billion, so the pigs could drive even bigger urban assault cruisers like this one:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/161988917820683498/
Another thing I learned was police department routinely hire Iraq war veterans, having been military trained, they save money. So that war criminal psycho who kicked in the doors of hapless Iraqis, gunned down some Muslim grandad, and then raped the daughter is now on your police force.
But there may be justice coming soon, as these morons have now decided to wage WW3 proxy war with Russia. Russia was invaded by both Napoleon and Hitler, and now they want Zelensky to go on the offensive and take Donbass and Crimea. LOL
I was going to jump in and say that another way these toys are being financed is through the massive increase I’ve seen in my property taxes the last few years.
There’s no way if property values ever go down that the state will live on less.
Much of that equipment comes from the federal Uncle sugar daddy in the form of matching grants and outright gifts.
https://www.justice.gov/grants
Yes it does and getting those federal grants is a big part of the administrators jobs in those police departments. The staff wants all their swat team goodies.
Texas isn’t some great state of freedom. It isn’t. The people of Texas lost their will to fight years before I even got there the first time in 1986. In a state with wide and at that time, open roads, you would see legions of assholes hogging the left lane at yes, 55 mph. The average speed on an urban interstate was 60 mph. On a rural, it was only slightly higher at maybe 63 or so. If you were doing 70, you were a “speeeeeeeeeeder.” The compliant sheep usually didn’t ride you too hard about it, but the cops did. Today, a lot of the bad driving habits that characterized Texans still remain despite speed limits being 10-20 mph higher than they were back then. Today, a typical interstate is posted at 75 rural. In the city, its 70 in Dallas and 60-65 in Houston. I assume San Antonio and Austin, being blue like Houston are at 60-65. The left lane creeps still creep and the impatient (as am I) go around them at whatever the line of sight will permit. All this said, I don’t know anyone who has ever gotten a seatbelt ticket. Cops like speeding tickets better because most judges will encourage you to plead no contest and then get a probation offering if the ticket is less than say 80 mph in a 65. It’s safer revenue and easier prosecution.
Other things about Texass. Property taxes are high. The place is pretty boring. Outside the big cities, there are no reasonable places to visit. The small towns are run down and empty.
The cities are motonous with very heavy traffic and long ribbons of repetitive road side scenery. Mile after mile of the same thing. Over and over. Chain restaurants, Mexican Restuarants (probably more than in Mexico). On the surface streets – lOOOOONG traffic lights. and back to rural interstes, Buc’ees. Yes, the stupid yellow otter gas station with 110 gas pumps and swarths of the mind numbed morons out for a road trip and a clean shit. Bucees is emblematic of corporate dominance of a Texans life. On one hand they love the amenities, but Bucees is known to sue smaller compeititors. Once they sued an alligator.
I’m back there for a spell. The only positive thing I have to say about it is the weather is warmer there than other states and the job market for the moment is doing okay. You can also see some nice ass here and there, so I guess if they start fighting for their independence, I might change my tune, but I’m not holding my breath.
Buc-ee’s. The Beaver is all about the tax breaks when they build their stores. The expansion into Florida has ben particularly costly for the state and local governments.
So much for free enterprise.
Ain’t that so. Try starting a business in this so called land of small government. They will bury up to your neck in red tape, delays, traffic, scheduling, inspections and everything else. Texas simply sucks. It may not be as bad as New Yoik, but it’s uglier through and through. The regulation in this state is stifling. The only entities that can manage it are large companies who can cookie cut through anything. I am just hoping that a collapse doesn’t happen here while I’m there. I think it could get ugly.
Gas is going up, so who knows.
Agree with you Swamprat, Texas got some problems. Crossing the state recently on the I40 we saw dozens of speed traps. Then a few miles after the speed trap, another speed trap. Its like these AGW clowns just sit around all day in there SUVs, eating and talking to each other, waiting for some poor unsuspecting souls to free the shit out of their assets. You know its bad when every few miles you see giant “Better Call Saul,” type billboards, with a special hotline for weed possession…
As for the nice Ass, it can be found anywhere. Even here in Kansas, in the freezing cold it shows itself from time to time. Of course its nowhere near as prevalent as in Az and Ca.
‘Other things about Texass. Property taxes are high. The place is pretty boring. Outside the big cities, there are no reasonable places to visit. The small towns are run down and empty.’ — swamprat
Spent the first 20 years of muh life there. High property taxes compensate for no income tax. Good if you’re earning a healthy six figures; otherwise bad, along with high homeowners insurance premiums.
Was thinking last night that if you exclude Houston, Austin, Dallas and maybe San Antonio, population growth in the remainder of rural Texas probably is about flat. Parts of East Texas are like the land that time forgot. A yellow brick house that my grandfather built in 1925 is still there, with his name chiseled in the sidewalk out front. The junior college my mom attended went bankrupt and closed a decade ago.
Passed through Van Horn (east of El Paso on I-10) at Thanksgiving. Town hasn’t changed since I was there as a kid on a family vacation. Left high and dry, in the middle of nowhere, watching the big rigs blow by in the bright haze.
Jim – the funny thing is that Florida doesn’t have an income tax either. It has lower property taxes too.
The worst thing about Texass is the governor. He is a statist as he renewed the COVID state of emergency orders, quietly. I viscerally hate that son of a bitch. People voted for him because he took DeSantises lead and repealed his own COVID mask mandate and school crap.
The typical gullible Repukikan primary voter thought he was displaying “leadership.” Leading from behind. I encouraged people to vote for Huffines, but that’s where we are.
I find it amazing that Repukikan voters characterize puppets like DeSantis, Abbot, and even Trump as leaders. They’re not. Name one mandate or one thing that has been relaxed and deregulated since the repeal of the National Speed Limit in 1995. That was about it.
Don’t forget the cost of the water pump replacement on the last generation Explorer, not a job for amateurs.
And the carbon monoxide mystery.
How about places like Long Island(NY) where I used to ‘live'(if you could call it that), where starting salary for a pig is over $100K/yr! After a few years and some overtime, many of these low-IQ* swine are making close to $200K, and retiring with pensions OVER that!
[*= A NY court case couple of years ago established that the ‘civil service tests’ they take are designed to weed-out anyone with an IQ over a measly 103 !! -When your daughter, wife or sister is pulled over, they are dealing with an armed-to-the-teeth order-follower who has the intellect of a 12 year-old ]
Right with overtime they can make huge money…with no skills or education…..
One got caught selling the confiscated drugs from the evidence room…..more cashflow opportunities….
then there is asset forfeiture……seizing piles of cash or property off citizens…..
Some of these AGW make $100,000 per year or more…plus a gold plated defined benefit pension paid by the taxpayer….the reason most of them took the job…
In coffee shops all they talk about is their gold plated pensions….
The cool thing is a lot of them will never collect the pension…the pension plans are unfunded….lol….
Detroit proved that the pensioners come first on the priority list in Bankruptcy, before any bond holders or other creditors.
While on the subjects of heroes, pensions, and the reality on the ground in Texas, the corporate entity known as the City of Houston is technically insolvent due to pension obligations owed to first responders, with Dallas and other cities around the state not far behind.
Before you vote for anyone, ask them how they will fix this issue….
it was reported years ago that general revenues were being used to help pay government pensions ………
Politicians give/promise government workers’ (and themselves), huge, gold plated, defined benefit, pensions, (this insures loyalty to their mandate/narrative), they are unfunded, …so money goes to their pensions and bike lanes, no money to fix the roads or housing for the homeless…nice people….lol
(this insures loyalty to their mandate/narrative), this is why it is hard to make changes, it is hard to get rid of a politician that has power with a central bank that can print money.
government pension plans get the first lien on any tax revenues. Pensions get paid 100% before a single dollar goes to schools, police or any other gov service.
this sounds like the old soviet system…..
there is two classes of citizens, the non government retired people that receive from their government pension, it barely covers rent and food…… and retired government workers who get $60,000 to $400,000 per year or more with their defined benefit pension.
In Norway when you turn 60 everyone gets $60,000 U.S. pension,
How Public Pensions Turn Cities Into Unlivable Hellholes
public pension funds are grossly underfunded. Consequently, more and more pension funds are borrowing money to play the markets. The goal is to boost returns to cover their massive funding gaps.
With the markets crashing now, Sept. 2022, this is a huge problem, that is getting way worse now, no politician will talk about, or has an answer for it.
pension funds can attempt to fill their funding gaps by requesting increases in yearly contributions from governments and workers. But the public-employee unions go full ape when such measures are proposed. So the remaining option is to take on greater risk. What could go wrong?
According to a Municipal Market Analytics analysis of Bloomberg data, more than 100 city, county, state, and other governments borrowed for their pension funds last year. This is twice the highest number that did so in any prior year.
Standing behind these pension funds are state and local taxpayers – that’s you, acting as the ATM. Moreover, when the investment returns of public pension funds fall short, governments are primarily responsible for filling the void. This means cutting other spending and services or increasing taxes.
Covering pension fund obligations is a massive drag on state and local government finances. The fact is, there’s a legion of public workers out there who’ve been promised a retirement that’s no longer affordable.
These grand promises must be broken.
You can witness the effects when traversing through just about every city in America that has been in existence for more than 60 years. By repeatedly reallocating spending from much needed services, the present and future conditions of cities and municipalities are being transformed to unlivable hellholes.
Your neighbor, who retired from the city over 25 years ago, may frequently lament the shoddy conditions of the streets and sidewalks. He may bemoan the lack of resources to address burgeoning homeless encampments and the mobs of mentally ill zombies flailing about on the tired asphalt. All the taxes went to pay his pension…lol..
An audit showing where all the taxpayer’s money went would be nice….lol
in 1998 they knew the math didn’t work to fund pension plans, wouldn’t be able to pay the pensions.
https://economicprism.com/how-public-pensions-turn-cities-into-unlivable-hellholes/
100k? That’s chump change. Go take a look at the salary database for Massachusetts, you’ll see cops making 300 – 350k a year. If course, MA is somewhat unique in that they don’t allow flagmen or other “civilians” too direct traffic. Every road job, be it telephone company, electric, water, road construction etc, must be accompanied by a cop, on overtime, at 60,
80, 100 dollars an hour. Most of the pigs don’t even bother to direct traffic, they sit in the car and play with the cell phone while they get rich.
On cruise ships it is mostly retired government employees…parasites….with their gold plated defined benefit pensions….living high on taxpayers dollars….
they should go after the morons texting….
Texting and driving
Another test conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory in London took it a step further. It found that drivers who texted had slower response times, were more likely to drift in and out of lanes and even drove worse than those who were driving while high on marijuana [source: Nugent].
The study found that reaction times for those who texted while driving were 35 percent worse than when they drove without any distractions at all.
When driving while intoxicated, the reaction time was only 12 percent worse than when the driver was sober and driving without any texting distractions [source: Nugent].
The researchers also found that there was a significant decrease in ability to maintain a safe driving distance between vehicles while texting and steering control dropped by 91 percent compared to driving without distraction [source: Nugent].
One of the study’s commissioners eventually concluded that texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things a driver could do while behind the wheel of a car.
I could be wrong but, “speeding” is anything over the number posted on the sign. Right?
Well, in your neck of the woods, Eric, on I-77 there are signs prominently posted in the median that state, “No trucks or combination vehicles under 65 MPH in the left lane.”
OK.
But the SPEED LIMIT in that section is 65!!!
They don’t expect people to “obey” the speed limit. I guess that would be bad for business.
Our local PD, county sheriff, and state police can’t be bothered to control traffic during the twice daily charlie foxtrot in/around the schools. They can sit door-to-door with engines running & ac blastin while shootin’ the shit on taxpayer dime. And, they can “ticket” for the most minute of infractions. This, among many reasons, is why I told the person from the Alabama law enforcement association to go to hell when answering their unsolicited call begging for money.
OT: Alabama is now a Constitutional Carry state. County sheriff’s were vehemently opposed to the legislation citing saaaaafety. Now they’re all bitching about the lost revenue bc citizens are no longer getting CCPs. It’s almost their concern about saaaaaafety was bullshit. Hmmmm….
I get those calls all the time, I just hang up.
Shame I’m in Jerzy, just a few more years and I’m out. Speed Limits 65, but only time anyone honestly does it is when they’re old, young or there’s a AGW waiting. Then again, you’re supposed to have your front plate on and not tint your front windows and I’m tinted without a plate, can’t even find mine.
Wonder how Florida is though? Gotta sinking feeling we’re all heading there
Update: came back from friend’s house ~10:00pm. Local Barney fifes set up speed trap on interstate and on the main road through town. Bunch of fucking thugs.
I’m curious, as they make driving more and more difficult, dangerous, and expensive, as the inevitable attrition takes place, what’s going to happen to these corrupt revenue streams and the bodies which have come to rely on them? The municipalities which fund their entire corrupt food chain by legally robbing folks passing through?
We’re a long way from that of course, driving is still a right and a necessity, but there is such a thing as working yourself out of a job. Of course, there’s no end to doin’ right…
John,
I hear you. But driving around my mountain burg, usually unbelted and at a leisurely, legal pace, it’s comforting to know that the occasional sheriff’s deputy or state trooper in the vicinity CANNOT pull me over just for being unbelted. It’s not a probable cause for a traffic stop in my secondary enforcement state, or yours.
Gotta pay for the AR-15s, too. You know — those “assault weapons” that NOBODY “needs” — ‘cept for the cops, of course.
Those “weapons of war that don’t belong on our streets” — yet every cop needs to have one.
If AR-15s are “weapons of war designed only to slaughter people” and therefore must be banned (at least according to Comrade Biden, anyway) shouldn’t we confiscate them from the cops, too? Cops aren’t soldiers, are they?
Comrade Biden told us a couple of weeks ago anyone who wants an AR-15 is “sick.” Are the cops sick, too?
Well if that makes you “sick” the cure is obvious.
Buy one (save your money if you have to), and then you won’t have to sit around wanting one any more.
I understand in Washington state they are lowering the blood alcohol level from .08 to .05. The state already runs a buzzed driving program where they ticket you with reckless driving even if you can prove you are under the legal limit. I don’t advocate driving under the influence. I do want to fight tyranny. Why don’t they just make any alcohol in your system illegal? They tried that during prohibition, and it didn’t work well. So, if you go have dinner and have (2) adult beverages with your wife or girlfriend depending on when you leave, you are illegal. There is a rule which is a universal constant; good intentions always lead to bad laws.
I heard in Idaho there was a bar being targeted by the AGW’s for people leaving getting pulled over immediately then taken down for DWI. One night, the AGW’s spotted a guy leaving who was staggering to his car. The pulled him over immediately and he was as sober as a judge. He told the AGW’s he was the designated decoy for the evening.
‘I understand in Washington state they are lowering the blood alcohol level from .08 to .05.’ — Hans Gruber
Until now, only predominantly-Mormon Utah had a .05 limit. Surprising to see this neo-prohibitionist policy under consideration in liberal Washington. Shrooms good; craft beer baaaaaaad.
FWIW, my first cousin was killed on Whidbey Island by an absolutely hammered chronic drunk, who drew a 7-year prison term and subsequently got arrested again for DUI. A limit of .08 vs .05 wouldn’t have made any difference in preventing this tragedy.
.05 will do nothing but drive up ticket revenue, harass the otherwise lawful citizens. Several times a week the local Central WA TV news has a drunk driving fatality accident story nearly always it’s a “visitor” from south of the border. These types don’t give a rip about drinking and driving, .05 or .08 means nothing. Since none of them wear seatbelts the drunk crash usually results in a “thrown from the vehicle” fatality. If they get popped for a DUI who cares? They won’t pay it, no assets to go after.
Neighbors niece was killed by a drunk driver several years ago. Hit and run, they actually caught this degenerate and convicted, this was a third DUI incident. Got 4 years for a fatal hit and run, disgusting.
They’ll pass laws to make a splash on the news, “see we did something!” Yet refuse to really fix this by locking up the dangerous repeat offenders.
I knew a guy who had a problem, had been popped for DUI a few times. Notorious as a barfly.
Well one night he decided he’d had enough, got the bartender to call him a cab. The cab drove up to the back door (opened on the alley). The guy got up to leave & as soon as he walked outside to get to the waiting cab he got arrested for public intox.
The one time he tried being (somewhat) responsible.
Prosecutor’s office threw it out later, but the damage was done.
One piece of advice I gave my kids: Dont drink and drive, of course. But, if you ever get pulled over by the cops and they ask, “Have you been drinking?”, the answer ALWAYS is no. I tell them even no matter how shit-faced drunk you are, you always say no. Corollary: You NEVER consent to having your car searched. EVER! Even though you got nothing in there, NEVER.
Tom,
I believe Washington now has on the books a law that lying to the cops is a crime. The cops can lie their ass off to you, but make an inaccurate statement, they pile on a secondary charge just like the FBI does. (Ask Marth Stuart).
Best response is 1. Polite; I know you are just doing your job officer, but I don’t answer questions. 2. Or simply: “I don’t answer questions” Cops ask why: I don’t answer questions.
Legally they can ask you to get out of your car. Do not take the field Sobo test…it is only to gather evidence against you, not to determine sobriety.
This is why I smile and sometimes laugh when one of these morons take a dirt nap. Imagine not minding your own business and getting your family a nice new flag for the living room. Dumb fucking dildos. Somebody is stealing a pack of gum at 7-11, go do something worthwhile. Maybe they’ll level you up when you get back to,the cop shop.
I think this paraphrase is from Thomas Jefferson,
“When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny”.
In my day to day life, nothing induces fear more than those red lights in my rearview. Because I KNOW that what follows includes a threat to my life. For profit.
My local LEOs are not constantly cruising for marks, if at all, but I occasionally venture into the neighboring county where they do. Vigorously. To quote a line from a movie, “It’s a sin, and I’ll not forgive it”. Government has always been a for profit venture, and as we all know, profit is becoming harder to come by, because the government is confiscating most of it. Hell, they’re even confiscating the profits of my progeny, for several generations. Which is a real sin, and I won’t forgive it. Because these are not sane moral people, in any way shape of fashion.
‘not wearing a seat belt, which is illegal and punishable’ — eric
… with an important caveat: primary vs secondary seatbelt enforcement.
Here’s an example of primary enforcement: a priest I know in New York stopped at a traffic light. A local cop stopped in the next lane glanced over, saw he had no seatbelt on, and nailed him with a $100 ticket on the spot. The priest was not bloody amused with the mercenary ‘gotcha’ nab.
In secondary enforcement states — of which there are 16, including Virginia — seatbelt infractions on their own do not justify a traffic stop (with exceptions for unbelted kids), though they can be ticketed after a stop for some other reason such as speeding.
All of the formerly sovereign ‘states’ (save New Hampshire) fell into line in response to brutal extortion from the mafia fedgov. But some still show a little residual respect for their own citizens with secondary enforcement:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/seat-belts/seat-belt-law-table
Geographically, secondary enforcement is more common in the intermountain West — but NOT, of course, in the repressive communist regimes along the Left[ist] Coast.
Jim,
Regardless whether primary or secondary, both include a more severe threat to your life than not wearing a seat belt. You might suffer death from not wearing a seat belt, you will suffer death if you refuse to obey.
Hi, Jim H,
Thanks for the seat belt law table. Very interesting.
Note that the penalty in several primary enforcement states is quite low.
$10 in WI
$15 in AK & GA
$20 in CA, OK & NJ
(IOW, not worth hanging a U turn to “enforce”)
versus
$200 in TX <= !!!
$124 in WA
$115 in OR