Red lights cured!

[tkl]

[ QUOTE ]
PhotonBoy said:
Washington Post article

"In Michigan, a story about the devices in the Detroit News last week prompted state Sen. Tony Stamas (R) to promise that he would introduce legislation to make it illegal to possess such equipment.

"These devices are extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening,"

[/ QUOTE ] What a crock! If they're so dangerous then why do all fire/ems have them?

 

[Greta]

[ QUOTE ]
tkl said:
[ QUOTE ]
PhotonBoy said:
Washington Post article

"In Michigan, a story about the devices in the Detroit News last week prompted state Sen. Tony Stamas (R) to promise that he would introduce legislation to make it illegal to possess such equipment.

"These devices are extremely dangerous and potentially life-threatening,"

[/ QUOTE ] What a crock! If they're so dangerous then why do all fire/ems have them?

[/ QUOTE ]

Um... just a guess here... but maybe because that's what they were designed for? And maybe because they have been trained to use them properly without causing accidents? Just a guess mind you... what do I know?

 

[McGizmo]

TKL,

My guess is that the changing traffic lights are a support system to reinforce the emergency vehicles sirens and flashing lights. If the stereo is too loud to hear the siren and one doesn't bother to look in the rearview mirror to see the oncoming flashing lights, perhaps the red light at the signal ahead might at least get you to stop.

I think these devices would be safer for civilians to use if the civilian's vehicle was also equiped with a siren and flashing lights. Not that this would be disruptive or anything. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Sirens and flashing light bars can also be bought by civilians so why not?

- Don

 

[tkl]

Don, you can buy the equipment and even install it, but you can't use it. Ofcourse, law will vary by state. I don't endorse doing this but the usual hot air from politicians about the world coming to an end unless they make yet another law is rediculous. But they have to make themselves important to keep a job, right?

The light will cycle just like it does any other day, the only difference with the light changer is it changes and stays green to your favor. No apocalypse. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Darell]

It seems to me that we'd need far fewer laws if we had more citizens equipped with a reliable sense of right and wrong.

The only reason we need laws is when regular folks can't figure out appropriate behaviour without assistance. I can't see pinning this one on the politicians.

 

[Quickbeam]

Yahoo! Article: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031106/ap_on_re_us/beating_traffic_lights

 

[tkl]

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
The only reason we need laws is when regular folks can't figure out appropriate behaviour without assistance. I can't see pinning this one on the politicians.

[/ QUOTE ] You totally missed my point about the blathering politician.

If somebody doens't have the ability to behave themselves they certainly won't care about let alone know the law.

 

[Darell]

[ QUOTE ]
tkl said: You totally missed my point about the blathering politician.

[/ QUOTE ]
Quite possible that I missed your point. Likely in fact.
[ QUOTE ]

If somebody doens't have the ability to behave themselves they certainly won't care about let alone know the law.

[/ QUOTE ]
OK.... But the good news is that with a law in place, we have the tools to toss stupid people in jail. Yea for the non-idiots!

 

[tkl]

Yes, we should also look into pointy pencils in schools, possible projectiles.

Knowing Ca they might restrict your solar panels shiny-ness. Too shiny could blind a pilot.

 

[tsg68]

[ QUOTE ]
tkl said:
Yes, we should also look into pointy pencils in schools, possible projectiles.

Knowing Ca they might restrict your solar panels shiny-ness. Too shiny could blind a pilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, what about sticks, I mean, sticks can be lethal, especially the pointy kind, and they pass right through metal detectors cause they're made of freakin' wood and non-magnetic!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Yeah I'm tired of the "Safety Patrol" politicos too! I think it's just a ruse to hide their lack of effectiveness at real diplomacy, "No, I can't balance the budget, create jobs or improve education, but look at this cool parlor trick that provides you with a false sense of security and it's guarranteed to be un-enforceable too!"

I have to agree with you that there is a point to not letting idiots change traffic lights, but I think society will reach a point of restrictiveness that will be counterproductive as well as fuel a backlash with ironic circumstances. What happened to taking your chances in life? I almost got killed by a trained construction worker negligently using a nail gun about three years ago ( missed the artery and optic nerve bundle by 1/4") but I don't want to ban nailguns or regulate construction workers for that matter!

Living in a large urban setting and coming from a relatively rural upbringing I can tell you that the first thing I noticed when I moved into the urban sprawls of the eastern seaboard is that the over-regulation in most urban settings seems to actually diminish any proliferation of common sense or the developement of any "native" intelligence or genuine civic skill. In a rather general sense people are fairly dull when it comes to personal awareness, personal and civic safety, adaptation to sudden situations. They are just used to being told that everything is peachy and taken care of for them and it seems to have displaced or caused the dormancy of some rather helpful natural traits. Out in the woods though, you are your own meter and some of your decisions better be spot on or you suffer the consequences.

Sorry to go of topic, just some observations! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[James S]

[ QUOTE ]
Knowing Ca they might restrict your solar panels shiny-ness. Too shiny could blind a pilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know about solar panels, but they actually have to wash the glass on the international terminal with something to make it less reflective at Ohare in Chicago because otherwise it does blind the pilots!

It may have been the newer united terminal, I can't remember which had more glass now...

Oh, and laws are also there to protect us from things that would be just fine if only you could do it (like this particular thing) but would be a disaster if everyone could do it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I wonder what would happen if I drove up on one side of the light with one, and you drove up going the other way. How would it choose? Or would it just go into an infinite computer logic error and blow up like in star trek /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tkl]

[ QUOTE ]
James S said:
[ QUOTE ]
I wonder what would happen if I drove up on one side of the light with one, and you drove up going the other way. How would it choose? Or would it just go into an infinite computer logic error and blow up like in star trek /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ] Sir, that sounds like a challenge to me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tkl]

[ QUOTE ]
tsg68 said:
[quoteYeah I'm tired of the "Safety Patrol" politicos too! I think it's just a ruse to hide their lack of effectiveness at real diplomacy, "No, I can't balance the budget, create jobs or improve education, but look at this cool parlor trick that provides you with a false sense of security and it's guarranteed to be un-enforceable too!"



[/ QUOTE ]Excellent post. That's what I was trying to say. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif