What an excellent idea.

[corydoras]

Fine quotes and maxims from all, but little comment on speeding drivers being questioned at kids' court.

[Vagabond]

Fine quotes and maxims from all, but little comment on speeding drivers being questioned at kids' court.

Perhaps the rest of us were being tactful !

 

But you ask, and so I will respond (another maxim is "be careful what you wish for")

 

 

I am surprised you think it a "good idea" as I thought you were against populism

 

This "kids' court idea is a classic populist gimmick, and like most populist gimmicks, has not been thought through

 

I can see the naive thinking behind the idea - that these drivers should be shamed

 

But are these drivers capable of being shamed into changing their behaviour ?

 

I think not Anyone capable of speeding past a school. with schoolkids about must be selfish, self-centered and fairly stupid.

Selfish and self-centered because their own immediate problem takes precedence over the risks to the kids' lives

Stupid if they think such risks are negligible

 

These people are NOT like the average careful motorist, and should not be judged by the same standards

 

Now only twice in my life have I been in a court of law (both times as a witness) but from those experiences have learnt that guilty defendants whine, grizzle and grovel (or employ trained monkeys in wigs and gowns to whine, grizzle and grovel on their behalf)

Fortunately, most magistrates and judges can see through such tactics. "Two hundred pounds and three licence points" is the cynical (and correct) response from the bench

 

Would a "kids' court" do the same ? and I doubt very much the likelihood of such a court having the power to impose any penalty.

 

Thus the offender , having whined, grizzled and grovelled (and maybe even experienced a transient shame) is free to speed past the school again, No fine, no licence points lost, and just as likely to kill or maim some of his/her erstwhile "judges"

 

Back in the conventional court system, the more sensible offenders (and those of us with clean licences) find the deterrent effect of financial and licence loss sufficient. Those who are heedless soon lose their licences - much safer for the kids under discussion.

 

 

So no, NOT a good idea - just a populist gimmick.

[chesters1]

Going by experience most of the speeders at between 7.30 and 9 will be the brats parents themselves so theres a vested interest with kids to look the other way as it were.

I recently challenged some coppers letting kids use the speed cameras and asked why they wernt there at 7.30 ,to early one said ,i told them most of the problem is these chubby faced flouro coated kids parents were the problem and they were long gone by the time the police turned up to catch out the unwary.

One copper even said me walking down the road (in the road there are no footpaths past the school) my very presence slowed a potential speeder ,i said in the interests of not breaking the law perhaps they should give me a lift home ,this ofcourse fell on deaf ears.

 

If you want to stop speeding an angled 2ft high sleeping policeman every ten yards WILL cure it but ofcourse the speeders will shout the loudest for it not to happen ,i am sure some gifted aeronautical designer can calculate the exact angle the ramp has to be to have a speeding car take off and land on its roof in the field adjoining the road ,once a speeder writes off his car a few time i guarantee on that road he WILL obey the speed limit ,if he hits a post with his face the lesson will be learnt even faster

 

Most kids here dont actually walk on terra firma most are collected (parents sitting in cars blocking the verge at 2pm is not unusual) so speeding cars hardly an issue in the afternoon as the road is gridlocked by mummies car in a half mile queue of parent waiting to pick up their brat ,the problem lies in cars trying to get PAST the line of traffic and ending up in a stalemate with a car doing the same in the opposite direction

Edited November 21, 2016 by chesters1

[Steve Walker]

I don't know how the kids will find time to be sanctimonious about driving, surely they're too busy telling their parents to quit smoking, drink less, eat healthily and turn the lights off to save the polar bears?

[snakey1]

Stupid idea if you ask me, better to make them help clean up at the sites of motoring accident fatalities'. Might be more of an eye opener than listening to brats

[John S]

Maybe we could have an Adults Court for all the stupid little brats that run out of the school gates and straight onto the road without looking for traffic first?

[chesters1]

Or the stupid mothers that make their kids get out the drivers side because they cannot be arsed to walk round to the nearside

Or the bitches that park in the bus stop so the bus cannot stop on the left hand side of the road and blocks it to all while people get on and off

Or the arsewipe that changed the route to send the bus down the busiest street in south farnham when the original route was fine

Edited November 21, 2016 by chesters1