Saturday Tetsu and I were driving into the next city. "Pika-pika" An oncoming driver flashed his headlights at us. Tetsu quickly checked his headlights but no, ours weren't on. Ah... There's a policeman up ahead somewhere out to catch speeders.Tetsu slowed down a bit (he's not much of a speeder anyway) but no policeman. Hmmm. What was that about? Another mile or so and ANOTHER driver flashed his headlights at us. Tetsu checked his headlights again. Nope. There IS a policeman somewhere rounding up speeders.
And finally, a THIRD driver flashed his headlights at us and sure enough, around the corner there was a speed check going on with a policeman sitting by his radar equipment in the bushes and another team of policemen a few yards further down directing cars to their van and the awaiting speeding tickets. Tetsu and I drove quietly past feeling sorry for the caught drivers, relieved that we weren't among them, grateful for the warnings, guilty for thinking of the police as the "bad guys out to catch us."
The police are only doing their job and their job is to reduce accidents. If requiring speeders to pay a stiff fine will make drivers think twice about speeding thus saving people's lives then the police are definitely the good guys! And that makes the nice drivers who warn others, and speeders who slow only because of the warnings, the bad guys.
Still, I was pleasantly amazed that three "nice" drivers would warn other strangers on the road. And though I was very relieved that we weren't caught speeding I don't think I'll be so nice about warning other drivers... What is nice and not nice, who are the good guys and who are the bad?
14 comments:
I wish they would spend more time fining people whose children are not restrained in car seats or those using mobile phones. There are more accidents each day because of these things. Speeding really isn't a big issue here like it is back home.
There doesn't need to be a bad guy in this...the "nice" drivers are giving warning, thus making drivers slow down to the speed limit...and that is a good thing.
I don't think tickets really slow anyone down in the long run. They are a money source for the government though...so technically speeders are a good thing for revenue!
Achan: Amen on enforcing mobile phone bans! I cringe when I see a driver talking away as they drive because usually they're going to be doing something stupid. I can't tell you the number of times a car has almost merged on top of me or turned in front of me because the driver was yakking on the cell phone and wasn't paying attention to his driving.
Drivers in my area flash their headlights to warn on-coming traffic about deer or other animals in the roadway. I can't tell you how many accidents I have avoided because of these warnings.
A thoughtful post, Tanya. I'm with Amy, believing that mobile phones in cars are a horrible hazard. Whether they're potentially worse than speeding, I don't know.
Here in PA, it is illegal to warn oncoming cars of speed traps. Just thought you'd like to know.
Usually when there's a speed trap up ahead, I'll see brake lights, lol. I don't speed anymore - I'm ashamed to say I had quite the lead-foot before children came along. They called me Allie Andretti. But, I never got a ticket - although it might have slowed me down. Nowadays when I see people speeding, I think, they must have good jobs to be able to afford a ticket!
I too hate to see people on the phone. They drive like they're drunk, all over the road, and don't even know it. And people who don't buckle their children in - my gosh, what are they thinking??? Oh wait, ask a stupid question....
I haven't noticed people flashing headlights in the Midwest USA lately. Perhaps that is because it has become illegal to do so in some areas. I agree that those who break the law should be caught.
Lois
I think law enforcement should happen all the time, instead of designated times, like the speed traps. So many times they do drug raids or arrests of child support enforcement or whatever, and I wonder, what do they do the rest of the year?
Speeding.... come to Hong Kong! The drivers are amazing... so fast and they don't believe in pedestrian right of way either. Walk at your own risk. Buses don't like to waste an inch of space between them and the vehicle in front of them either! Driving habits vary so between countries. But mobiles or cells are a disaster waiting to happen in any country.
Some drivers flash to let you know if there's a speed trap, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. I obey the speed limits myself, and can't see any reason for other people not to do so. Mind you, now we have so many speed cameras there are very few manned speed traps these days.
My daughter was stopped at a light last week and a fellow using a cell phone ran into her. She needs physical therapy and the car needs a lot of repair. The front end of his car was smashed.
The bad guys are the people who speed, don't obey traffic laws and use cell phones. There were over 30,000 traffic deaths in 2009. I'm glad I don't drive anymore.
I don't flash my lights to warn people of speed trap, it's against the law to do so here.
And I agree about people being on cell phones should be ticketed. It only makes sense that if they are talking on a cell phone, they are not paying attention to their driving.
When I lived in Kobe,Japan 20years ago, one could purchase a device that warned drivers about those radar traps. It was sometimes useful. I am grateful when another driver flashes me a signal because I do not always keep my eyes on my speedometer and a wandering mind and a heavy foot could be costly.
I agree that stiff penalties should be applied to cellphone user-drivers as well. I live in a country where only small stretches of the highways have speedlimit restrictions and watching someone driving at 180 or 200km/h while talking on their cell is very scary!!!
When I work an early shift, I sometimes see speed traps being set up before 6am in the mornings. I think that is so unkind and discriminating as this is targeting people going to work. There is never heavy traffic nor are there pedestrians or children around at that hour. By 9 or 10am they are done and gone after reaping/ripping off workers.
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