Almost 30 tickets an hour

[Wilbur]

There has been some discussion, although early on in the process, that with the electronic ticket machines, they could have a credit card swipe ability so a driver could pay on the spot.  The ability is there, although, not sure the higher ups are interested in such an ability.

[shadows]

If one goes to OCIN and list the name or the citation number they can see where ticket money generates revenue and how it is distributed.  Even to the extent that there is a state statute on how much of the cities budgets can be supported by the traffic tickets.

The $2.00 per day cost to the citizens on take home cars that are driven 50 of miles a day is a figure that could have been used in the great depression when gas was 14 cents a gallon and the Willis police cars were purchased for less than a thousand dollars.

I have an ticket [W5PYV] whereas with the 200 watt transmitter is was driven by a 12v/300v generator which required an extra battery,  If the city with the support of over 1,500 employees cannot find out how to hook up an extra battery in the trunk of the cars then they should ask a sixth grade student.

I believe the stand-by conditions can be better addressed by the fed labor department as well as the state.

I am sure we have a shortage of police cars as a large percentage are sitting in the drives in the suburb 128 hours each week to be used 40 hours.  We need three times more cars.

The mayor can hire and fire anyone she chooses under her duties as chief officer of the city by the charter, even those in the legal department and hire her own personal advisor.

Once a curmudgeon always a curmudgeon looking back over the road that I have just passed.

[buckeye]

quote:Originally posted by patric
Well-lit for your neighbors, or for passing thieves?

Maybe it's just still a bit touchy, but it sounds like you're putting part of the blame on me.  Try again.  Some bozo made the choice to step onto my property, bash the window open and take what he was too lazy to work for.  

quote:If your light is forcing your neighbors to keep their curtains closed, you might want to re-think your strategy.  Motion detectors do a better job of drawing attention to unexpected visitors than dusk-to-dawn "security" lights that draw attention to stuff worth stealing.
If I recall correctly, the cop you mentioned who had his shotgun stolen from the cruiser in his driveway had a neighbor-blinding Mercury Vapor "farm light" over his driveway.

Draw attention to stuff worth stealing?  In that case, at least half the houses on my block are seductive temptresses to the vagaries of the thief's mind and effectively invisible to folks across the street - AND it's our fault.  You may be right, but it comes across the wrong way (and I don't entirely agree with you).  

I have a single, CPF floodlight that shines down onto the driveway, exposing my neighbors to a minimum of 'overspray'.  In fact, my neighbor directly across the street has a noisy and bright "farm light".  I can't say that I'm so sensitive that it keeps me from checking out the street.

As for the shotgunless cop, I'll drive by tonight to check out his lighting setup.  In any case, it serves as an example to counter the idea that cruisers in a neighborhood are a crime deterrent.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by buckeye

Draw attention to stuff worth stealing?  In that case, at least half the houses on my block are seductive temptresses to the vagaries of the thief's mind and effectively invisible to folks across the street - AND it's our fault.  You may be right, but it comes across the wrong way (and I don't entirely agree with you).  

I have a single, CPF floodlight that shines down onto the driveway, exposing my neighbors to a minimum of 'overspray'.  In fact, my neighbor directly across the street has a noisy and bright "farm light".  I can't say that I'm so sensitive that it keeps me from checking out the street.

Once upon a time I too bought into the marketing hype and thought I was doing all my neighbors a favor with all the extra "coverage" my lights provided, but until you literally see it from their perspective you dont realize it's probably not your neighbors your actually helping.

What you seem to be describing is a Domino-effect that is sometimes described in lighting circles as Ratcheting.

Ratcheting is often used to describe retailers who deliberately install brighter lighting than their competitors to lure more business.  The competitor's counter with yet more lighting, and the cycle continues until some authority steps in with some sort of lumens cap or other ordinance.
Residential ratcheting is often well-intentioned but misguided attempts at making an area safer with inappropriate, out-of-scale or poorly-designed lighting that inadvertently causes neighboring homeowners to perceive their properties as now being much darker.  

How does that happen?
The eye adapts to the brightest thing in it's field of view.  If that happens to be a bright point-source light, that's what the eye adjusts to as it's surroundings then appear darker.  Use your hand to shield your eyes from the light source and the eye better adapts to those surroundings and night vision improves.  Take that a step further and shield the light at it's source and you have a light that is more night-vision friendly.  

...but more often than not, adjoining neighbors may install the same type of unshielded lighting themselves just to "recover" their ability to see their own yards, while others will block out the view entirely with thick curtains (hampering the natural surveillance necessary for an effective neighborhood watch).

The end result is patches of areas in a neighborhood brilliantly lit but with no one watching... except, of course, passing thieves now able to inventory their targets from the anonymity of their vehicles.  

If you have a ratcheted neighborhood, I might suggest having a neighborhood block party where you get to meet everyone and possibly get a look at your homes from each others perspectives.
If you compare notes you might come to the collective conclusions that the lighting could be improved (and I dont mean just made brighter).  

"Farm Lights" perform poorly over residential driveways (too much light too close to the ground) and can even be a nuisance atop a PSO pole.  If you work to contain your illumination to within your property (shielding), you will be doing your neighbors a big favor (which could very well be repaid if you depend on them to keep an eye out).      

quote:
As for the shotgunless cop, I'll drive by tonight to check out his lighting setup.  In any case, it serves as an example to counter the idea that cruisers in a neighborhood are a crime deterrent.

He may have gotten a new shotgun by now (and maybe a new tactic on illuminating his driveway).

Hope you didnt take offense.  We've all at one time drunk from the "lights fight crime" wishing well.

[buckeye]

"Ratcheting" doesn't seem to be a problem in my neighborhood, but I will bring the topic up to the neighborhood association.  They're actually pretty good about fostering community and so forth.

Because my neighbor's light is so bright, it's occurred to me that mine might also show up too much where it shouldn't.  Since then, I've looked across the street from the other houses' perspectives and find my light is less obtrusive than most.

The thieves that hit cars in our block evidently don't care a thing about any lighting - they work their way down the street, checking cars one by one.  I get the feeling that none of us see this from a criminal's perspective.  As a result, there's a lot of moot talk about prevention.

In any case, I appreciate your advice.

[sauerkraut]

Ohio used to have a big speed trap town (New Rome, Ohio) that was shut down by the state. It was a small crooked town that ran for about 40 years. They have a web site now www.newromesucks.com

[patric]

A new state law prevents citizens from complaining about speed traps in Oklahoma.
http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=140946

Apparently you have to be an elected official now before you can petition for a redress of your grievances.  
Wonder how many town officials are likely to turn in their cash cows?