I was speaking with a person who has a job that is to ensure everybody is safe and healthy in their occupation. Well I think that was the original concept anyhow. We were talking about speeding fines as I was telling him about the ever changing speed limits on my route to work which includes a 40km zone on a freeway at certain times of the day in case of some kid who might choose to avoid more than 3 sets of traffic lights and 1 pedestrian overpass to hurl him or herself in front of 4 lanes of traffic before being worked over by a tram, in which case they probably deserve it. The OH&S guy said "Oh you are another one of those reverse Darwin theorists". Apparently someone had said to him that because of his occupation (this was one of those 'the trouble with you people is...' type of conversations) his industry is causing us to eliminate all of the common sense thinkers therefore creating a species of non thinking beings that would step out like zombies into 4 lanes of early morning traffic. But is it really about safety? Having never been one to drive above the speed limit I must admit even I was pretty pissed off to see two high viz wrapped traffic police pointing their speed camera gun at me in the hope that I wasn't sure when the 40 zone ended and the 70 zone started, which I wasn't. If speeding fines can be issued on the basis of trickery they might as well dress up as cigar smoking Mexicans in ponchos and point rusty AK47's in our face and say 'give us your money you dirty scumbag'. Because doing 43 kms instead of 40 kms (or let's just say get out and push) is not about the possibility of running over the school children, it's about, well you know the answer to that. I didn't give much more thought to the reverse Darwin theory, until I turned on the television of course. The species is doomed.
Ah I feel your pain. The M2 freeway connecting the northwest to the city has so many speed zones and they change frequently, then there's 'no overtaking in tunnels' which I find just stupid but provides a nice photo opportunity for revenue raisers.
ReplyDeleteThe alternative, these days, seems to be the speed hump. Living in a tiny suburb like Flem means that if you want to avoid the screaming chaos of the main roads that border our area, you have to hop, skip and jump your way through the ever-breeding humps and roundabouts. Many times a pedestrian on the footpath has passed me!
ReplyDeleteVariable speed limits are something I need to take more care of. I'm sure I've been lucky to avoid a fine on a few occasions.
ReplyDeleteAnd Kath, I do my darnedest to avoid speed humps. I had two routes to Kensington PS from home - the one hump, or the four hump route.