**POLL** What do you think about this new seatbelt law (US)??

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Sealy
It is actually valid, as here in B.C. ever since they put the "Law" into effect, the police have had a right to check to see if you are wearing your seat belts.

An example of a check was a police officer dressing up as a squeegie kid (someone with no job washing windshields for change at lights) and radioing ahead to another officer that a certain person in a certain car was not wearing a seatbelt. That said person would then receive a ticket.

They also have random road blocks throughout the city and check for all sorts of things. They don't necessarily pull you out of the car...after all this is Canada but they ask if you've been drinking and if everyone has all their seat belts on.

I don't have a problem with it at all. The officers are doing there jobs, upholding a LAW. What's wrong with that, especially if you're not doing anything wrong.

Because random roadblocks and pulling people over without probable cause violates my state and federal constitutions (as determined by the courts, not by me).
And please don't use the "if you're not doing anything wrong" argument... a key aspect of freedom and democracy is that one is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. I'm sorry you live in a police state where an officer can detain you for any reason he feels like, and where cops waste their time and resources checking on seatbelts instead of criminals, and I'm even sorrier for you that you can't see anything wrong with that.
BTW, don't bring up the drug laws please if you want to counter my "police state" comment. Canada's new marijuana de-criminalization were modeled directly after the de-criminalization that my state has had in effect since '79.

 

[Sealy]

Okay Vic...This is'nt a personal attack on you, I'm sorry you seem to be taking it that way

I'm not sure what you mean by Police State...I actually live in a province but if you did'nt mean that then n/m!

BTW, don't bring up the drug laws please if you want to counter my "police state" comment. Canada's new marijuana de-criminalization were modeled directly after the de-criminalization that my state has had in effect since '79.

Again, I'm not sure what you mean by that statement

I think they should decriminalize pot as it's no worse for you than smoking, not that I do either, but either criminalize smoking or decrimilize pot.

Anyway Please don't feel sorry for me! I'm doing just fine living in a place where police actually uphold the law! They do actually go after criminals as well here, not just make road blocks all day. Perhaps you've had a bad experience with the police...but every encounter I've had with them as only been positive.

I'm not trying to change your opinion of the law, I just wanted to show a different way of looking at it...you don't want to look at it that way, that's fine with me...I don't have to hang around you!

Anyway, I'm done on this topic now, so have a great weekend Vic! And don't drink and drive, where your seatbelt and smoke as much pot as you like!

 

[Vic]

Sealy, I'm not taking anything personal, and I have absolutely no problems with police upholding the law. But then that brings us back to the question of the law itself, now doesn't it?

 

[Howard]

Good: Less traffic injuries, insurance payouts for medical bills.
Bad: Another way for police officers to control drivers. Another step in tyranny in the name of public good.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Well, since I force all my riders to wear their seatbelts anyway, I think it's a good thing. The US Department of Transportation says that just over 9600 lives can be saved each year if dumbasses would just buckle up.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
There should be no laws restricting personal freedom of choice.

If there were no laws restricting it, my personal freedom of choice would be to KILL YOU RIGHT NOW.

So you'd be happy with that situation because my freedom of choice wasn't restricted by law, right?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: Quixfire
There should be no laws restricting personal freedom of choice.

If there were no laws restricting it, my personal freedom of choice would be to KILL YOU RIGHT NOW.

So you'd be happy with that situation because my freedom of choice wasn't restricted by law, right?

Please restrict your stupidity, eh? The law should be able to restrict people from killing other people, for obvious reasons, and the law should NOT be able to restrict people from committing suicide (or acting suicidally), once again for obvious reasonsn (for example, mountain climbing can be extremely dangerous behavior, similar to not wearing your seatbelt... should mountain climbing be outlawed?). If you can't tell the difference, cobalt, then you're even more stupid than I thought you were.

 

[ViRGE]

Oregon's had a law just like that on the books for years, and as I understand it(it was passed before my time), it ended up saving a lot of lives. Frankly, I think some of you people worry entirely too much.