>However, I would point out that these days, it
>would appear that the TRUTH of what happened is no longer important. The
>only thing that's important is whether or not you can "Beat The System" and
>get away with it... like for instance, oh... lessee... PERJURY and
>OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE!!
These days, don't get me started. These days the officers giving tickets
have quotas to meet, and common sense and judgement are left out of the
equation. They need the numbers. I drive 50,000 miles a year, on lots of
country roads (no tickets in 5 years). These roads have straight sections
worthy of 70mph (I'm in Texas) but the posted speed is 40 mph because there
are also ninety degree turns in places (based on old property lines), and
they can't afford, nor should they spend our money to post sign after sign
in rural areas. I can slow down for those sections and I'm not endangering
anyone, in other words, I'm driving safely. But, driving safely has nothing
to do with it. If they see me, I'm going to get a ticket. In Austin, roads
are often posted with artificially low or arbitrary speed limits, set with
the $ generation potential in mind. The city has about a hundred motorcycle
cops whose only job is to harass it's citizens. Unfortunately, tagging den
mothers and harried commuters rarely catches the unsafe driver, and these
cops don't fight crime. As a matter of fact, when I was a retail store
owner, I had one watch me chase down a shoplifter leaving the mall. He just
sat on his bike and waited for a patrol car. The 55 mph national speed limit
was a joke. Each and every one of us who speeds regularly have been forced
to pick the good and bad laws! Although I despise drinking and driving,
legislating that you can't drink until you are 21 is another example of
over-legislating. We need to teach 18 year olds to drink responsible like
they do in Europe, not to decide it's a bad law and not worthy of obeying. I
believe that unreasonable laws for society, just as unreasonable rules
around the house, breeds contempt for the institution and a breakdown. No
matter what happens to Sticky Willie, we've already suffered a degredation
of our respect for the laws. If it's OK for the president.....
Bob Kramer, Austin TX
Hill Country Triumph Club
TR6's, TR250's, TR3A vintage race
rgk@flash.net
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