Gray Areas
on 11/15/2009 at 01:19 PM
And if this doesn’t duly increase the state’s coffers, look for more and more laws and regulations until NJ citizens are “paying enough”.
What, me, cynical? You betcha.
Interesting they feel the need to codify something most folks do anyway in that regard. But I guess you cant fine common sense so MAKE IT A LAW.
Remember, 66 to 75% of people on the road are morons, you can tell by the ones having hot conversations on the cell phone while eating a McBurger and coffee while reading the newspaper.
They could have written the rule clearer, say in one sentence, maybe, but it is the main responsibility of government to complicate everything.
Beware, all you Jerseyites! A lot of cities will put police vehicles on the center with no job other than pulling people over for not slowing down and failing to merge into the slow/middle lane.
I consider this entrapment, but it has been held up in court..Bills Rule: If you see an emergency vehicle, you should try, if safe, to get into the lane away from the vehicle and slow down to a speed that you can make a safe stop.
An ‘emergency vehicle’ SHOULD be common sense.. If it has blinky lights, it is usually an emergency vehicle. This also works with cars beside the road with someone trying to change a tire or even a bathroom break on the berm. (amazing how many people don’t realize that they are right on the white line.
However, and there is ALWAYS a however, It is up to the officer’s discretion what is a safe speed, and if you could have merged over. “I’m sorry officer, but the tractor trailer sort of precluded my safe merging into the other lane,” is ALSO up to the officer’s discretion. You would be amazed, when it comes time for quota, how easily they can become blind to everything that could mitigate you from blame. All it takes is an asshole cop from Sticksville to decide that the municipal coffers can use a few more bucks for that snazzy new anti-ballistic bulletproof vest with the titanium alloy anti-radiation inserts!
Wile I have great respect for our law enforcement personnel, I know from sour experience (our own police chief in this town) to fully trust human nature.I’ll stop rambling..
BillHey I would just appreciate the moron drivers out there to pull over when an ambulance is running siren & lights -when my son was hurt - 3AM in the frickin morning and people just sat their a** in the lane not even noticing nor bothering to do a damn thing - and I won’t go into when we were on the highway exits attempting to get to the airport - I thought we are were going to be killed by the idiots who live by the creed ‘my light was green, I was going’.
I remember a Highway to Heaven where Landon put into a Jewish story (boy did not want to go through Bar Mitzvah in today’s hip world) that his father prayed whenever an ambulance passed by. Son asked why - father answered - Someone in that ambulance is in medical trouble and needs prayer, it is the right thing to do.
I find myself annoyed when on call waiting or in line - but then I realize that when my turn comes I want that time - not to be rushed through without concern - it makes the waiting easier.
It is what humanism has done to the World - taken away common sense, compassion and a real moral obligation and the government wants to attempt to ‘fix’ that by stealing from the productive members of society while making stupid laws that a indiscriminately enforced.
They could have made the law really simple” If you hit an emergency worker his remaining coworkers get to shoot your sorry ass on sight.” Unfortunately what it has come to is most of those who operate emergency vehicles now drive the speed limit, stop at all intersections whether they have the light or not, and have increased their response times because of it. There are now too many cases where the operator has been successfully sued for damages if they are in a collision no matter who was at fault. Few are willing to jeopardize their families futures to get there a little quicker, even in a business where seconds count. When they get to the scene they are going to park the trucks so that they block an extra lane so that they can work in a safer environment. Inconvenient for the motorists, too damn bad, motorists not paying attention has brought things to this. If you are inconvenienced in the future ask the family of the grandma who was flagger on the road in Illinois who was killed doing her job how inconvenienced they feel.
11/15/2009 at 02:39 PM
