skidmark
06-29-2005, 07:57 PM
To Write, or Not to Write...
"Don't you guys ever do anything else than write tickets?" asked the visibly upset gentleman who had just been stopped for travelling at 86 km/h in the posted 60 km/h zone. "Can't you give a guy a warning? This is my second ticket this year and I will owe ICBC a lot of money!"
What is a good answer to this man? He is obviously frustrated by the situation and probably upset with himself for driving like this in the first place. The trouble is, he can't get to where he was without passing 60 signs. Who shoulders the blame? I'm an easy target.
Ask the people who live along this road and they will likely not by overly sympathetic to his predicament. After all, they have to get into and out of their driveways safely and they have family and friends that use the road regularly.
Traffic enforcement tools are quite limited when you think about it. I have a warning and a ticket to use, or a document compelling the driver to attend court for really serious violations. Beyond that, about all I can do is write to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles and suggest sanctions. They are generally not interested as unless the driver has a medical or physical problem, they use the ticket total to decide on punitive action.
In my view, a warning was not appropriate for this speed and location, so I am left with the ticket. Am I a good guy or a bad guy? Regardless of my choice I will fall into one or both of these categories from the point of view of the driver, myself and other road users. I wrote the ticket. I see what happens when things go wrong on the highway.
It's also interesting that he has only seen members of my unit writing tickets. Perhaps he has not seen this column in the newspaper, been to a presentation on safe driving or visited our web site when it was operational. There are efforts being made to have drivers follow the rules before the pen and the ticket book come out.
"Don't you guys ever do anything else than write tickets?" asked the visibly upset gentleman who had just been stopped for travelling at 86 km/h in the posted 60 km/h zone. "Can't you give a guy a warning? This is my second ticket this year and I will owe ICBC a lot of money!"
What is a good answer to this man? He is obviously frustrated by the situation and probably upset with himself for driving like this in the first place. The trouble is, he can't get to where he was without passing 60 signs. Who shoulders the blame? I'm an easy target.
Ask the people who live along this road and they will likely not by overly sympathetic to his predicament. After all, they have to get into and out of their driveways safely and they have family and friends that use the road regularly.
Traffic enforcement tools are quite limited when you think about it. I have a warning and a ticket to use, or a document compelling the driver to attend court for really serious violations. Beyond that, about all I can do is write to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles and suggest sanctions. They are generally not interested as unless the driver has a medical or physical problem, they use the ticket total to decide on punitive action.
In my view, a warning was not appropriate for this speed and location, so I am left with the ticket. Am I a good guy or a bad guy? Regardless of my choice I will fall into one or both of these categories from the point of view of the driver, myself and other road users. I wrote the ticket. I see what happens when things go wrong on the highway.
It's also interesting that he has only seen members of my unit writing tickets. Perhaps he has not seen this column in the newspaper, been to a presentation on safe driving or visited our web site when it was operational. There are efforts being made to have drivers follow the rules before the pen and the ticket book come out.