Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Face book

Well, I just started an account on facebook. Cathy has been on there for a spell and I figured it was about time I dragged myself online. It's turned out to be interesting. I've gotten in touch with some people I haven't been in touch with in a long time (since high school even). I'm not sure what I expected when I joined facebook, but I was pretty sure I'd wind up with 2 friends at most. Well I'm up to 3 now!! Okay actually I'm at lucky 13 right now. My philosophy about yahoo and such has been that if you don't contact me, I don't contact you just because I don't want to bother you. Now that's probably a silly philosophy and I'm sure I've missed out on some things because of it, but how many times have you been online and you didn't want to talk to anybody, or a specific person, and here they come messaging you? I don't want to be that person.

Any how, you all can find me on facebook now. I know you're excited about it, I can see you shaking just waiting until you're done reading this to jump onto facebook and add me as your friend.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Photo enforcement

The Phoenix metro area has had speed cameras and red light cameras installed for quite some time now. The company that maintains them is not making the money expected. Apparently, people are taking care not to get caught speeding or running red lights as much. Well, I kind of think that's great. I have noticed however that it doesn't stop the driver who drives faster than the flow of traffic and swerves in and out of lanes. These people are more dangerous than your common every day speeder. The cameras also don't get those especially wicked law breakers, those who drive with cracked windshields or broken tail lights. What is wrong with technology?? Why can't we get these law breakers off the streets?

Well there is good news about it. The company maintaining the cameras are planning on catching those criminals.

Personally, I think the cameras are nothing more than a revenue generator for the county, state and city. They do have an affect on traffic. People do slow down when they come to those enforcement zones. Those zones have to be plainly marked ahead so you're given about 300 feet notice of speed cameras on the highways, ample time to take your foot off the gas and slow down long enough to get by the cameras. Of course once past the enforcement zone, those drivers speed back up. Plus these cameras don't get everybody. I wonder how they handle it if, on one of our 5 lane highway through the city has 5 people speeding through the zone at the same time? I realize the cameras can get 2 at once (there are 2 sets of cameras, one set on the right shoulder and one set in the area medium) but can they get all 5? I already mentioned those who swerve in and out of traffic recklessly. About 1/3 of those people captured by the speed cameras actually get the tickets because the driver is not recognizable or for some other reason.

The solution for the city, county and state is to let the cameras also capture those who have cracked windshields or broken tail lights, probably those not wearing their seat belts as well and send them a ticket in the mail.

Does anybody else feel like somebody is going just a bit far?