Another speed warning & rant.
Posted: 22 Aug 2013 07:45
http://www.theprovince.com/opinion/lett ... story.html
This ended up getting printed in the Province, which has been edited quite heavily, but, the overall theme is there.
Just this past week, another family was left on the side of the road, after the Dad passed some slow moving traffic on this section.
I also had camped up at Manning for another few days last week, and on the trip back I notice a new section of pavement, with a weird PAVED pullout in one of the blind, twisty sections of road, a few kilometers further up from the R.C.M.P's turkey shoot spot on the Rhododendron section. I can guarantee you that this will be a new spot they will be hiding in, as they have figured out that the twisty's will be a great spot to catch people.
This is just another heads up that the police are being very aggressive in their impoundment of vehicles, using no discretion as to the situation. This is where the law fails in my opinion and is costing people HUGE dollars. Families on holidays are not street racers. They might as well pull the passing areas out, as it serves no purpose now to get by slow traffic, when it just takes a heart beat and blip to go over a stupid 80KM limit!
My original post to the Province:
As one who has witnessed the impound of a family car on the Hope/Princeton highway, on the Rhododendron Flats, this has nothing to do with safety in my opinion. The tow truck was already there, knowing this spot is a turkey shoot for the police and a cash cow for them. After miles of single lane road, this is the ONLY safe place to pass motor homes, trucks and other vehicles that have been going below the posted limit. It is a four lane, long passing area, with good visibility, but, the speed limit is artificially low at this point. It does not take much to slightly exceed the speed limit, to effect a legal pass. So what if someone slightly goes over the limit, then back to the posted speed, it is not like they are racing a breakneck speeds. Why should someone have their vehicle taken away from them on the spot...JUDGE, JURY & EXECUTIONER... right there, then the financial hit. This is draconian at best.
Think about the fact that we have a lone police officer SITTING in the middle of nowhere, plus a tow truck, so we have two assets worth a significant amount of money, KNOWING they are going to make a ton of money that day. I wonder if the police officer thinks he has served justice well at the end of his shift, rendering people to tears on the side of the road, which is what I witnessed!
This past week as I came back through that section, I see another new piece of pavement, with a small paved area done, which looks like it would fit a vehicle. I suggest this is a new place for the police to hide, around a blind corner, where they will target motorists. Then will THEY blast out into traffic, which will be very unsafe around a blind corner? In my 47 years of driving, I have seen the RCMP make some of the most dangerous moves on the road ( NO lights or sirens ) as they too are subject to human vagaries', and as of the not too distant past, have lost their lives over their poor driving decisions.
We need in this Province to make the driving test and education tougher, with some demonstrated skills both in the act of driving and, the mental skills required. Right now we just teach to pass a test.
I also am going south for my driving holidays, as I will take a speeding ticket should I lack judgment in my driving, but, at least I will NOT be left on the side of the road. This past month a group of us spent well over 200.00 for a lunch in Winthrop, WA.,, plus fuel for 10 cars, money that should have been spent in Canada. We will continue to do so, as long as this draconian law stays in place.
the original story in the Province:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/canad ... story.html
This ended up getting printed in the Province, which has been edited quite heavily, but, the overall theme is there.
Just this past week, another family was left on the side of the road, after the Dad passed some slow moving traffic on this section.
I also had camped up at Manning for another few days last week, and on the trip back I notice a new section of pavement, with a weird PAVED pullout in one of the blind, twisty sections of road, a few kilometers further up from the R.C.M.P's turkey shoot spot on the Rhododendron section. I can guarantee you that this will be a new spot they will be hiding in, as they have figured out that the twisty's will be a great spot to catch people.
This is just another heads up that the police are being very aggressive in their impoundment of vehicles, using no discretion as to the situation. This is where the law fails in my opinion and is costing people HUGE dollars. Families on holidays are not street racers. They might as well pull the passing areas out, as it serves no purpose now to get by slow traffic, when it just takes a heart beat and blip to go over a stupid 80KM limit!
My original post to the Province:
As one who has witnessed the impound of a family car on the Hope/Princeton highway, on the Rhododendron Flats, this has nothing to do with safety in my opinion. The tow truck was already there, knowing this spot is a turkey shoot for the police and a cash cow for them. After miles of single lane road, this is the ONLY safe place to pass motor homes, trucks and other vehicles that have been going below the posted limit. It is a four lane, long passing area, with good visibility, but, the speed limit is artificially low at this point. It does not take much to slightly exceed the speed limit, to effect a legal pass. So what if someone slightly goes over the limit, then back to the posted speed, it is not like they are racing a breakneck speeds. Why should someone have their vehicle taken away from them on the spot...JUDGE, JURY & EXECUTIONER... right there, then the financial hit. This is draconian at best.
Think about the fact that we have a lone police officer SITTING in the middle of nowhere, plus a tow truck, so we have two assets worth a significant amount of money, KNOWING they are going to make a ton of money that day. I wonder if the police officer thinks he has served justice well at the end of his shift, rendering people to tears on the side of the road, which is what I witnessed!
This past week as I came back through that section, I see another new piece of pavement, with a small paved area done, which looks like it would fit a vehicle. I suggest this is a new place for the police to hide, around a blind corner, where they will target motorists. Then will THEY blast out into traffic, which will be very unsafe around a blind corner? In my 47 years of driving, I have seen the RCMP make some of the most dangerous moves on the road ( NO lights or sirens ) as they too are subject to human vagaries', and as of the not too distant past, have lost their lives over their poor driving decisions.
We need in this Province to make the driving test and education tougher, with some demonstrated skills both in the act of driving and, the mental skills required. Right now we just teach to pass a test.
I also am going south for my driving holidays, as I will take a speeding ticket should I lack judgment in my driving, but, at least I will NOT be left on the side of the road. This past month a group of us spent well over 200.00 for a lunch in Winthrop, WA.,, plus fuel for 10 cars, money that should have been spent in Canada. We will continue to do so, as long as this draconian law stays in place.
the original story in the Province:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/canad ... story.html