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Saturday, April 26, 2008
Save the Budget! CPD should engage jaywalking vortex
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
We all know the City of Cincinnati is on the verge of a budgetary crisis. That’s why they want to put red-light cameras at downtown intersections—not because they are motivated by safety, but instead because they want to make some money to help pay the bills. Never mind research that indicates these flashing cameras cause distractions and can increase rear-end collisions where they get installed. The City needs its money. But there may be another way to profit off crime to save the budget!
Criminalize jaywalking!
By increasing the fine for jaywalking, the City can secure another revenue stream when seeking to profit off of punishing criminals. Since jaywalking is a relatively common crime, and since so many have been conditioned to believe it’s not enforced anyway, there will be a steady stream of jaywalkers almost everywhere. The additional cost for paying these new jaywalk vortex unit officers will easily be swallowed by increased revenue, and the remaining cash can help the City’s budget.
Oh, by the way, this might make the streets more safe, too.
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27 Apr 2008 at 08:54 am | #
While jaywalking can be a serious problem, it is not as serious as people running redlights or speeding up to make it through a yellow light. I realize the point of your post if facetious to bring up your feelings that the red-light camera plan is only a money-maker.
My question to you though is what if it is? It’s illegal to run red lights, so why does it matter if a cop is there to witness you do it. If they have you on camera doing it, you still have the opportunity to go to court and argue your points. I think it’s a win-win situation. People will learn to drive safer. The money generated will help the city.
As for jay-walking. While I have engaged in jaywalking many times, it wouldn’t hurt to start throwing out tickets to idiots who cannot do it properly. Just a couple weeks ago I was downtown and here comes this idiot listening to headphones, with his pants halfway around his knees, not even looking when he crosses in the middle of the street. If you’re gonna jaywalk at least look both ways first!
27 Apr 2008 at 10:03 am | #
First, it is perfectly legal to drive through a yellow light. It is even legal to turn left on red if you have pulled out one-third and oncoming traffic drives through the yellow.
Research indicates that the camera flashes can cause accidents. (I did say that in the article.)
What do you mean when you refer to those who “cannot do it properly”? Are you saying it is ever proper to break safety laws?
27 Apr 2008 at 01:57 pm | #
As a former employee of the Health Alliance- it is common to jaywalk between the business center and University Hospital. 100’s do it all day long-
I was crossing the road- no one in site- a car flew out of the Shiner’s garage and hit me. I jumped on the hood of the car- don’t know why- but did. And to the amazement of the Alliance Mobile Ambulance Staff- I wasn’t severely injured.
The woman that hit me, no insurance, had a small child (4 years old) in the front seat w/ no seat belt, and she actually did a U turn in the middle of Burnett Avenue to hit me. She said she didn’t see me because she had her head turned to yell at her 7 year old! Not the story she told the police!
As they took me to the ER- I was met by the head of the ER who took care of me. They had thought I had broken my ankle when I fell off the hood of the woman’s car.
Now- I admit I was wrong. I got a ticket after the physician asked the officer NOT to do it. But because my African American Assistant was holding me while I threw up- I know that is why I got the ticket and the woman who hit me- got NOTHING. I paid my fine- bruised and all and forgot about it. I was called Roadkill by several people for years! Got to be the big joke around the place.
About 4 weeks later I get a letter in the mail, that my liscense was being suspended. Why? I didn’t have proof of insurance. Now after calling around- what type of insurance do you need to be a walking citizen of Cincinnati? NONE. So I had to take the day off work, take the accident report w/ me and had my liscense released. Isn’t that special- the ticket wasn’t completed and when filed w/ the state- I got nailed for no insurance- not the person who hit me!
Then 4 weeks later I get a letter from her attorney- she is going to sue me for mental damages to her child who was unrestrained in the front seat. It took one letter from my lawyer to get her to go away.
I was wrong. I admit I was wrong. But this was over 7 years ago. Remember it was close to the riots. The officer didn’t have to give me a ticket. It was his choice. I still stay it was racial- always will.
Best part of the story- the same officer brought in a PES patient and had to stay with them in an inclosed room while they were seeing turkeys for 8 hours. What goes around comes around.
27 Apr 2008 at 02:06 pm | #
This is a great example of why we need the Jaywalking Vortex Unit.
27 Apr 2008 at 02:11 pm | #
Oh for fun- go thru West Fork road during rush hour. There are at least 6 district 3 cops sitting there writing tickets for people who know that the 1 lane road alternates. I counted 6 on Thursday. And that meant no one was on patrol in Westwood!
Don’t they have better things to do- like stop the drug deals going down at the UDF at Montanta and Glenmore?
28 Apr 2008 at 07:06 am | #
RoadKill! says:
27 Apr 2008 at 01:57 pm | # American Assistant was holding me while I threw up- I know that is why I got the ticket and the woman who hit me- got NOTHING. I paid my fine-
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The fact that the driver had no insurance should automatically make them the person at fault because they were driving in violation of the law. They should not have, under any circumstances, been driving that car. The driver of the car should have been cited for 1) no insurance, 2) unrstrained child, and 3) failure to control her vehicle.
My sister in law was involved in an accident where she was sitting at a red-light when a woman made a left turn and clipped my sister-in-law’s car. The other driver had NO insurance, an expired license and an expired license tag. They waited and waited for the police and after a while the other driver left the scene. Just after she left, the police arrived. The other driver had given her information to my sister in law. The investigation revealed that my sister in law was sitting at the light, but was moving slightly forward when she was clipped by the other driver. My sister in law moved slightly over the white line where you are supposed to stop. SHE was given a citation. Again, in this instance, the other driver should have been cited because she was operating a vehicle when she should not have been.
1. No insurance.
2. Expired Driver license.
3. Expired license tag.
I am not one to advocate frivolous law suits, however, in this case you should have recieved a jugement against the other driver. Wether or not you collect would be another story.
28 Apr 2008 at 10:27 pm | #
If the city really wanted to make money, just start ticketing the cars coming in from the eastside every day with no front plate. They’d make a fortune!
29 Apr 2008 at 02:25 pm | #
Roadkill needs to get his story down a little better before writing it, again. First of all, I’m amazed you haven’t been hit many times before or since that one time. That section of Burnett is a nightmare. It’s always busy, and not the easiest street in terms of visibility. You would have to be an idiot to jaywalk there. Frankly, you deserved to get hit and deserved the ticket.
Second, which is it? Did she hit you coming out of the drive way to the Shriner’s (not Shiner’s), or did she pull a U turn? Kind of makes a difference.
30 Apr 2008 at 09:09 am | #
E. McMillian and Gilbert would be a fantastic place to start. I counted 5 people illegally jaywalking on this stretch while enroute to work this morning.
I imagine it will be worse when I leave for lunch if the sun is shining.
Maybe they could give mother’s with babies in strollers who jaywalk an additional fine--the city would make a fortune!!!!