traffic tickets

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-not-to-say-when-pulled-over-by-a-cop-2010-09-10

Kprime 1 day ago
+5 Votes (5 Up / 0 Dn)

Traffic tickets are a multi-billion industry. They have virtually nothing to do with highway safety, but they have everything to do with money.

When you begin to grasp the full magnitude of the public and private interests that depend on ripping off motorists through traffic tickets, you begin to understand why this unethical system continues to expand every year.

No one knows how many traffic tickets are actually issued. Many local units of government deliberately hide this information so they don’t have to split their traffic ticket revenue with the state. Not including parking tickets, we can estimate that somewhere between 25 and 50 million traffic tickets are issued each year. Assuming an average ticket cost of $150.00, the total up front profit from tickets ranges from 3.75 to 7.5 billion dollars.

http://blog.motorists.org/traffic-tickets-are-big-business/

So what's new?

Originally posted by zeeblebot
When you begin to grasp the full magnitude of the public and private interests that depend on ripping off motorists through traffic tickets, you begin to understand why this unethical system continues to expand every year.

I do not see how the words "unethical" and "rip off" apply as long as no tickets are issued in situations where there has been no infraction. It's a source of revenue, and the fines do not have to be paid by people who comply with highway regualtions. Can't really see a problem with it.

Originally posted by zeeblebot
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-not-to-say-when-pulled-over-by-a-cop-2010-09-10

Kprime 1 day ago
+5 Votes (5 Up / 0 Dn)

Traffic tickets are a multi-billion industry. They have virtually nothing to do with highway safety, but they have everything to do with money.

When you begin to grasp the full magnitude of the public and private interest ...[text shortened]... from 3.75 to 7.5 billion dollars.

http://blog.motorists.org/traffic-tickets-are-big-business/

A tax is a fine for doing good.
A fine is a tax for doing bad.

Originally posted by Wajoma
A tax is a fine for doing good.
A fine is a tax for doing bad.

Not really, although your trite and unoriginal little pronouncements reflect well the sterile pie-in-the-sky angst of your ideology. They are both just sources of revenue that's all. Properly funded government is good. It enables people to go about their business fairly, safely and securely. Arguing about spending priorites is necessary, of course. But taxes are good. Lawbreakers pay fines. They are both legitimate sources of revenue.

Originally posted by FMF
Not really, although your trite and unoriginal little pronouncements reflect well the sterile pie-in-the-sky angst of your ideology. They are both just sources of revenue that's all. Properly funded government is good. It enables people to go about their business fairly, safely and securely. Arguing about spending priorites is necessary, of course. But taxes are good. Lawbreakers pay fines. They are both legitimate sources of revenue.

If I fly by plane, that will cost me, I know that, I make my choice and I pay my bill.
If I exceed the velocity when I drive my car, that will cost me, I know that, I make my choice and I pay my bill.
If I don't want to fly, if I don't exceed the velocity when I drive my car, I get no bill to pay, I know that, I make my choice.

Call it a tax, call it a fine, call it a bill, doesn't matter, the result is the same, it cost me, and it's my choice.

if you are a cop, cop's family member, fireman, city govt employee, etc., you're likely to get a wink instead of a ticket, according to the article.

also, it's a comment that's C&Pd in the OP, i believe the original article said fines were fairly applied, when they're not, as indicated by numerous comments.

Originally posted by zeeblebot
if you are a cop, cop's family member, fireman, city govt employee, etc., you're likely to get a wink instead of a ticket, according to the article.

That may be true, but I still have no sympathy for people who get caught doing 85 in a 55 and then whine that if he were a cop he'd have gotten off.

i got caught for going a foot or two over the line at an isolated 4-way stop sign making a right turn after the cop followed me after observing fix-it ticket violations (which until recently involved no fine in Calif.), probably hoping to pick up a much-more-lucrative moving violation.

my friend in San Jose says the cops there are told to pick up more violations when the city's finances are tight, and that if you're a relative of a cop they'll let you off, no problem (his cousin the cop told him this).

maybe the cops (and city govt) need to be given ethics training re these topics, and audited on performance.

Originally posted by zeeblebot
my friend in San Jose says the cops there are told to pick up more violations when the city's finances are tight, and that if you're a relative of a cop they'll let you off, no problem (his cousin the cop told him this).

Is "Kprime" angry about this too? Could you ask him/her for us?

Originally posted by FMF
Is "Kprime" angry about this too? Could you ask him/her for us?

i'd think that if you were that interested, you could either look for Kprime's email or boxmail address at the comments section linked to in the OP, or established an identity on that site and ask him/her yourself.

why do i have to explain this to you? surely you're no spring chicken!

Originally posted by zeeblebot
i'd think that if you were that interested, you could either look for Kprime's email or boxmail address at the comments section linked to in the OP, or established an identity on that site and ask him/her yourself.

Why do you need to post other people's comments from other blogs and sites? Seems odd. "Kprime" is not active on this site to debate the points he/she made.

Originally posted by FMF
Why do you need to post other people's comments from other blogs and sites? Seems odd. "Kprime" is not active on this site to debate the points he/she made.

why shouldn't i? should i ask myself with every post, "well, FMF wouldn't like it, maybe i shouldn't post that"?