MS - Mower catching speeders

Mower radar is catching speeders
By Jeremy Pittari
item Staff Writer
PICAYUNE — Speeders traveling on Cooper Road Tuesday morning were caught by surprise when they were clocked traveling faster than the speed limit by a radar gun perched on a city lawn mower.

Tickets were written by patrol officers after Lt. Chad Dorn with the Picayune Police Department, sitting on a city lawn mower complete with safety vest, clocked them traveling faster than the speed limit. Officers were stationed at near by locations waiting for Dorn to notify them of an alleged speeder.

Dorn said he came up with the idea as a way to ensure motorists are abiding by the rules of the road, even if they don’t see a patrol car. Tuesday was the third day Dorn implemented his new idea and he estimates that during those three days almost 90 traffic tickets were issued as a result.

Typically motorists will slow down when they see a patrol car, Dorn said. However, motorists usually don’t expect to see a radar gun on a lawn mower. This effort is designed to ensure that motorists will obey the traffic laws whether they see a patrol car or not.

“We’re going to continue with it, but we might not necessarily be on a lawnmower,” Dorn said.

During the operation the officers were looking for seatbelt, speeding and loud noise violations.

Dorn didn’t just lounge around while the patrol officers did all the dirty work. He said last week while he was waiting for officers to write tickets and regroup, he kept busy by mowing some grass.

The effort did inspire some ire in those who were caught speeding. One motorist taunted Dorn by continually passing by his location on Cooper Road after he was issued a ticket Tuesday morning. Later that morning an anonymous caller left a voicemail at the Picayune Item saying he received a ticket as a result of the operation. He professed that the operation was unfair and he is a law abiding citizen and a taxpayer. The caller said in the voicemail he had been issued two tickets recently for speeding, once while driving his child to school and another time while on his way to drop his child off at day care before heading to work.

“They’re just taking money from good people, basically taxpayers like I said, that obey the law,” the caller said.
http://static.cnhi.zope.net/images/icons/printicon.gif

Photos

http://images.cnhi.zope.net/images_s..._195203654/med
MOWER PATROL — After Tuesday, some motorists might start looking for a scene like this along the roadway, a lawnmower with a police officer running radar. Lt. Chad Dorn, stitting on the mower, came up the idea to ensure motorists obey the traffic laws whether they see a police car or not. (Photo by Jeremy Pittari) By Jeremy Pittari/By Jeremy Pittari (Click for larger image)

Oh yeah, another revenue scheme.

If it were about safety, it would be about getting people to slow down. And the best way to do that is with visible enforcement.

Sneaky tactics just lead to more tickets = more revenue. But those without RDs and who don't get ensnared in the trap won't even be aware they're being monitored. Thus they won't see any reason to slow down. Increased safety? NOT.

And why do so many people speed? Cops think we're all reckless. But the reality is, in most cases, the speed limit is posted too low for the conditions.

And people think RDs are useless...

reason # 1 to invest in a counter measure

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kpatz

Oh yeah, another revenue scheme.

If it were about safety, it would be about getting people to slow down. And the best way to do that is with visible enforcement.

---

Actually, the logic is sound. The idea is to make drivers so paranoid that they never feel it's safe to speed. If you never know where the cops will be hiding or how they will be disguised, how many traffic laws would you violate?

It would be funnier if he pulled people over on the mower instead of using chase cars.

Well, I (and most people) don't go out of their way to "try" to violate traffic laws in the first place, whether I feel they are enforced or not. Most traffic laws have safety in mind (e.g. stop at red lights, yielding right-of-way etc.) Speed limits are so underposted though that obeying them is counterintuitive and counterproductive.

If more than 15% of people are speeding in a given area, more likely than not the PSL is posted too low. More (or sneakier) enforcement of an underposted speed limit isn't the answer, unless the question is "how to raise more revenue."

He was probably using constant-on. Noob. :D

laws vary by state
yet
the success of this operation is based on ignorance . . . . the ignorance of the average person as to the evidentiary burden of proof [as demonstrated by the reaction of some of the victims]
these tickets represent here-say and not evidence
the citing COPs did not see the radar unit display the violating speed
he was told, via radio communications
here-say is not evidence - case dismissed

I'm not an attorney - but I was married to a para-legal for 25 years - :rolleyes:
and
I beat a laser-ticket[53 in a 30] in court while never once mentioning the word 'Laser'
(In all fairness, I did get a good Judge)

Learn the System - Feel the Power

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by swarga

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kpatz

Oh yeah, another revenue scheme.

If it were about safety, it would be about getting people to slow down. And the best way to do that is with visible enforcement.

---

Actually, the logic is sound. The idea is to make drivers so paranoid that they never feel it's safe to speed. If you never know where the cops will be hiding or how they will be disguised, how many traffic laws would you violate?

---

Oncoming I/O from a slicktop does it for me...