Dear Group, This afternoon's posts on lights points to the complexity of the issue. As Ross mentioned, often drivers find the situation of lights difficult also.
Again, mixed motives might lead to the problems. Ross mentioned a frustrated motorist driving at the speed limit and then becoming "controlled" by signs and lights. Well, we have all experienced what seemed like ill-placed and "jack-rabbit" yellow lights. Let's face it, many times and in many communities there are uses for lights other than traffic control. Regardless of other motorists giving me "the bird," I always drive at a speed whereby I can stop for lights. --I mean when roads near cities have high speeds from forty to fifty-five mph and at the same time have lights. I simply travel at twenty-five during sections with lights regardless of whether I am blocking higher speed traffic. Some years ago I was driving south on highway 13 entering "speed-trap city"----Marshfield. At that time they maintained one of their traps at a bend in the city street which was a North side intersection. Their police manning the trap simply waited on the cross street. I was driving my 2.5 ton bookmobile at twenty-five mph when this light "flashed" through yellow as I was going down hill and through the intersection. That was the only traffic ticket I have ever gotten in my driving life. I happened to have a pocket stop watch and was certainly steamed by the quick yellow and I timed it to the fraction. I then contacted the State about the quick yellow time. They said they had a range for setting and that the actual setting within the broad range was done locally. Needless to say Marshfield had set the absolute minimum in this State mandated range for this State road within their city. It was no accident that the prowl car was waiting. In fact my own town used to have a speed trap until the officer started ticketing locals as well as those passing through. Back then I sat on our Village Board and we paid our "officer" largely out of speed trap revenues. Their trick was to ticket people as they accelerated "out of town." They kept the low speed limit as far out as possible and hid the sign. This is all to say that maybe when you find a corner with many sailing through on red, the yellow gap should be "lengthened to the limit" rather than as Marshfield--speed trap city--did--"shortened it to the limit." Eric Westhagen _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
