My Run-Ins with the Police

I break the law. Regularly. What law?
The law that says I MUST NOT go faster than 110klms per hour.
You see Greenways is a remote location. The nearest Town is Lucindale (28klms).
But I never go to Lucindale as it doesn't offer the shops that I need.
The next nearest is Robe (42klms). I don't really go to Robe for the same reason.
The next nearest is Millicent (55Klms).

I do nearly all my shopping at Millicent.
Every 2 - 3 days I HAVE to go to Millicent.
In the last couple of months,
I have done that bit of road numerous times.

I also travel to Adelaide on a regular basis.
(Once a week on average)
I have had a good night sleep and done the drives easy.
But I have also had times where I had only averaged 2 hours of sleep per night.
And struggled to stay awake.

110klms per hour on a road that you know WELL when TIRED is DANGEROUS!
Interstate truck drivers have known this fact for years.
So far I haven't left the road.
But being behind the wheel when your so tired
You blink and decide to rest your eyes because they really need it.
Ahhh that feels better as you drift off to slee...
Hang on! I'm driving!!! Eyes spring open!!! Correct steering!!
Heart Pounding!! Eyes WIDE OPEN!
But it doesn't last.. A few klms later....
hummmmmmmmmmmmm as the engine note sends you to sleep again!.
I have pulled over a few times to snooze for an hour or so.
Because to continue would have been suicidal.

So my comments are aimed at the voting/driving public of Australia.
I have come to the conclusion that my eyes go weird after 2 hours of driving.
Normally only when I'm tired.

Fully rested. I can do Greenways to Adelaide straight. (360klms)
But I do feel the fatigued at the end of the run.
(And then I gotta come back home!!!)
That run home is the scarey one!....
Throught the Coorong where you MUST be extra careful.

That is the most tiring part of the trip because you cannot go fast.
So you slow down to under 100klms at times.
When it's night and raining, cold and windy.
And you see the "Roo's" on the side of the road.
You soon shed some speed and with white knuckles and staring eyes you continue.
You see many black marks and dead animals on the the road all along there.
150Klms of under 100klm/h = 1.6 Hours Min. You get weary.

Thats the problem..
The Government doesn't keep the vegetation down on the side of the road.
As a result an animal can and do come out at you in such a way
as to make it extremely difficult to avoid.

I haven't hit an animal there yet.

But the law of averages says that I probably will.

So I'm not too hot on the Government for allowing the vegetation
to overgrow the shoulder of the road through here.
Or anywhere for that matter.
Seems to me the Government has not learnt the lessons of the last bushfires either.

If that or many other areas catch fire it would be deadly
to motorists as well as wildlife.
Not counting lightinging strikes - Cars or their occupants
would have to run a close second for being the cause of most bushfires.

Just a comment or two about speed.

When I exceed 110klms per hour in my car. I wake up a bit.
I have to exert more care in controlling the vehicle.
I know that if an animal runs out in front of me. It's all my fault.
Because I was speeding.

I have to be careful of the police.
Because they have proven themselves to be the unthinking slaves
of the Government they serve so blindly.

In short. When I speed it is safer. Safer for me. Other road users too.
The fatigue level goes down as it takes me LESS TIME TO GET THERE! But lookout!

But theres a Blue light in my mirror. Again!
This time I'm doing 128klms per hour in a 110klm zone.
My 1991 v8 ford is capable of 200+ klms per hour.
I'm cruising on 2300 rpm in top gear.
(My tacho goes up to 5000rpm.)
I'm not even at half the revs of my engine.
$230 fine.
Wheres the justice?

They make these laws in the cities.

They should try living in the Country!.
In my opinion the speed limit on the open road. (Main Highway) should be
130klms per hour.

So why does the Government allow this dangerous practice to continue?
Why indeed
What has all this got to do with "Breaking the Law"?
Well you tell me..

The Governments current policy towards
maintaining the states highways is dangerous.
It should be obvious that the Government collects huge amounts
of revenue from speeding fines.
But that revenue never gets spent on road maintenance.

Australian State Governments have displayed a gross disregard
for the Australian community with their blatant "speed kills" rip off.
In my opinion this practice of "revenue raising" by preying on a public
that have been legally equiped with state registered 200+ klm vehicles
should therfore be declared unlawful.

I would like to see some laws about how illegal it is
for a Government to extract money from the motoring community
without at least a token improvement in safety for that community.
What we need is a shakeup of the whole road traffic, policing system.

We need Police back on the beat and off the street.
Lets get the Police solving crimes again.
They didn't join the force to go hooning around in cop cars anyhow??

Did they?

If they did... They are in the right place at the moment...
But there would be no place for them in my new Police force.
Lets have brown bombers to enforce the road laws.

Those hoon cops can be the first of the brown bombers. :)
(Gotta take care of the 'ol boys' somehow...)
We could give them a nice uniform with flash badges.
Maybe a nice dark color... Jack boots.. A little SS insignia (wink)..

But no gun for the Traffic Cops. They wont need them with a fairer system.
The hoons. Without the gun trip. Most will probably resign.
That would sort the wheat from the chaff.
Crimes would get solved... Well maybe??
Under the current system. To duplicate both services.
I would estimate 75% of the time personel being used
in the role of Traffic Police/Brown Bomber
25% of the time left for real criminal police work.

I would reverse it and have 25% bombers and 75% real police.
Lets see what the criminals think about that.
We'd just have to raise revenue by increased taxation I guess..
But at least I'm honest about it.

Whats the good of a Government that underhandedly
claims to tax you "x%" when in reality
when you add all the supplemental levies and fines and fees
the real overall taxation rate jumps to a much higher "y%".

I would like to see transparency in Government.
Every cent accountable for.
Every transaction with the public on show for all to see.

That in itself would scare the hell out of real criminals.
To allow public scrutiny off all Government records.
You would have to limit certain records.
But that would be the call of an independant agency.
If the Government just allowed the public the ability to fill in forms
on the telephone. For Government Departments.
(Complaints or Otherwise)
Wouldn't that be something!

Police and bomber vehicles to be fitted with computers to allow tracking of officers.
Police and bombers to be put on an "even keel" witht the public.
Computer automatically issues standard speeding fine to police/bomber officer if
the vehicle he/she is driving exceeds the stated speed limit. (Unless in a chase)
Video Cameras to be installed in all Police Vehicles. No camera - No fine.

So in my perfect world.. Money would be spent on road maintenance.
There would be 2 kinds of Police. The real Police
and the Brown Bombers (Traffic Police). Taxation would be about the same.
Maybe less.. (Vote for me!! Vote for me!!) lol.. There would be less crime.
Less speeding fines.
The speed limit would be 130klms on the open road.
Sounds Good?
Lets make it happen!!!