Loony driving laws

If you have traveled the world, you probably have noticed different driving mannerisms.   Most notably are the countries that drive on the “wrong side” of the road.  While perfectly acceptable to them, they are out of place for us, the foreigners. 

Here are some crazy traffic laws on the books from around the world, including the USA.

            Alabama:     

You can’t drive while blindfolded.   (Duh)

            Alaska:

You can’t tie your dog to the roof of your car.  (Someone must have tried and the dog resisted with bad results)

            California:    

In Eureka, you cannot use the roadway as a bed.  (I’m sure it’ll be  some kind of resting place at one point or another)

            Colorado:

                        Can’t drive a black car on Sunday.  (Guess all the hearses are white?)

            Florida:

Okay.  Not a driving law, but traffic related.  Sort of.  If you tie your elephant, goat or alligator to the parking meter, you must feed the meter. (I can understand the alligator in Florida, even the goat, but an elephant?)

           

          Maryland:   

You cannot curse from your vehicle.  (Sign language okay?)

            Massachusetts:

You will receive a parking cite if you drive with a gorilla in the backseat.  (Front seat is okay?  Mother-in-law will be riding shotgun)

            Nevada:       

You can’t drive your camel on the street.  (Never seen a steering wheel on one of those.  Would hate to hear the horn.)

            Rhode Island:         

You cannot drive with any alcohol in your vehicle, opened or not.  (Everyone must have their own distillery in their backyard.  Must suck to own a liquor store.)

           

           Tennessee:  

                        You are in trouble if you drive while sleeping.  (Only once!)

You can’t shoot any game other than whales from a moving vehicle.  (I’m sure there is someone out there still looking for the whale.  And what do you shoot a whale with from your car?)

How about overseas?

            South Africa:

Animals have the ultimate right-of-way on the roadways.  If you fail to yield to the critters, the fines can reach $535.00.  (What’s the average annual income in South Africa?)

            Singapore:

On the other hand, in Singapore, pedestrians have all the right-of-ways on the roadways.  Vehicles cannot be within 50 meters of a pedestrian trying to cross the road.

            Germany:    

It’s against the law to run out of gas.  (The gas gauge repair shop must be really busy)

            San Salvador:

                        Drunk drivers can be executed.  (With a trial or at time of the stop?)

            Greece:

Drivers can lose their driver’s license if they are unkempt, poorly dressed or unwashed.  So who is stopping these people, the fashion police. (The police must have a “BOC” device (Body Odor Concentration))

            Finland:        

If you are illegally parked, you won’t get a parking ticket from the police.  They will just flatten your tires. (Better keep a can of “Fix a Flattened” in the trunk)

            Denmark:

If someone is under your car, you cannot start your car. (What if you ran over him and your car is still running?)

            Bermuda:    

You cannot drive a car over 20 mph.  (That’s the fastest the cops can run)

Got one better?  Let me know.  I’ll be in the garage disguising my camel.  I think he’ll pass as a llama.

Police Stress Pt 6.

This is a continuation of a series of articles regarding the different types of stressors that officers face daily, in their personal and professional lives from a personal point of view.

After my accident in June 2000, I was then resolved to my recovery. 

Except for one thing that I was not prepared for.

After my accident while riding the police motorcycle in June 2000, I didn’t realize what I was in for afterwards. 

LVMPD’s Fatal Division of the Traffic Bureau investigates accidents involving officers with severe injuries or fatalities.  During the investigation, they mark the roadway with paint to indicate skid marks, positions of vehicles, bodies, etc. and the marks do not fade away quickly.  Needless to say, the marks were on southbound US95 near Rancho and I traveled over the accident scene every day, sometimes several times a day.  I saw the marks, drove over the marks and relived every part of the accident each time I did.

I already was having my doubts about getting back on the motorcycle after the accident, but experiencing the “shock” of driving over my accident scene was having a negative effect on me.  Each time I drove over the scene, I felt a strange sensation, sort of like an electrical surge going through my body.  I finally knew what “freaking out” was.

I was trying to deal with those feelings, doctor’s visits, physical therapy visits and the dreaded “light duty”. 

Light duty is reserved for those employees injured at work and/or recovering from an injury or a medical procedure.  While some employees relish staying busy, even injured, light duty was the bane of the injured officer.  You would usually be transferred to a civilian position, hopefully still in your particular bureau, and be assigned usually to desk duty, depending on your injuries.  I could barely walk.  Every bone and muscle ached.  My broken arm caused a lot of problems driving and felt wonderful every time I bumped it.  I had to buy new clothes as there is a dress policy if you are assigned to the office.  I racked up mileage on my personal vehicle driving to work, doctors, therapy visits, etc.  The work load of the light duty employee could be heavy or light, but usually entailed doing work that no one else would care to do.  My first duty?  I was given a large box of radar guns, apparently that had been stored away for a while due to the large accumulation of dust on the box and asked to package each gun for delivery to a repair facility.

Fortunately, I was assigned to the “Hit and Run” detail of traffic, so I was still assigned to the Traffic bureau.  I didn’t know most of the employees there but we grew close and had a good time working together.

Not sure if you remember my time in field training from my previous article and how the field training sergeant advised me that my field documentation of the trainees was too long and how he didn’t have time to read such a long dissertation.

His office was directly next door to the Hit and Run office.

He would repeatedly come into our office and proudly display pictures, printed on LVMPD equipment and time, of women that he had been dating and those he planned on dating.

No wonder he didn’t have time for reading.

I recovered from my injuries thanks to a great surgeon, supporting doctors and physical therapists. 

I now needed to deal with my fears.  Do I want to get back on the bike?

I had support from my co-workers with whatever decisions I made.

I’ve always been one not to let anything scare me away from what I wanted.  I wanted to ride the motorcycle.  “Live to ride and get paid to ride”.

So back on two wheels I went.

Was it the best decision?  There were times…many times I wondered.

To be continued…

A Journalist, Satirist, Editorial Writer and CBS Icon dies at age 92

Andy Rooney, died Friday night following complications from a surgery. Mr. Rooney most recognized for his journalistic commentary on 60 minutes was a true icon of TV, Journalism and CBS. The detailed AP story is on Yahoo. I simply acknowledge a one-of -a-kind is gone.

Police high-technology

Being a big science fiction fan and having law enforcement experience, I naturally watched the “Robocop” series, not for the acting but for the cool gadgets and wondered how long it would take for present day officers to get those types of toys.

Well, we are closer than you think.

Instead of ordering a plain-Jane, off-the-shelf car from one of the big three automakers and paying extra to have the vehicle outfitted with extra wires, lights, siren, prisoner compartments and such, Carbon Motors have come up with a prototype police vehicle, the E7, designed by police officers, that can be made to any specification the police need.  Options include; explosive detectors, armored doors and dashboards, and cameras.  The rest of the vehicle is equipped with police ready features such as custom colored fenders, so additional paint is not needed by the purchasing agencies to match their color schemes.  Performance is through a clean burning diesel engine that exceeds most of the patrol cars out there.  Life span would be approximately 3X’s that of current vehicles. (www.carbonmotors.com)

As long as we are talking about the patrol car, how about the “smart” system integrated into the car?

“Project 54” is a system that lets the officer control the electronics of the car by voice.  For example, the officer could have a license plate checked for wants and registration simply by saying the plate number out loud.  The computer would give a return, out loud, without the officer touching a keyboard or taking his/her eyes off the road.  When the officer initiates the car stop, a voice command turns on the emergency equipment and activates the video recording.  After the stop, the officer can check on the driver’s license and any wants/warrants the driver may have.  Currently, the system is in use in four-wheeled vehicles and motorcycles also. (www.policeone.com).

More smart stuff?

How about a “Automatic License Plate Recognition” (ALPR) camera?

Cameras are mounted on the patrol vehicle, facing forward and to the sides.  The cameras send the pictures of the scanned license plates to a processor in the vehicle and checks them against known Amber Alerts, stolen vehicle and wants/warrants lists. Again, the officer doesn’t have to fiddle with a keyboard, or take eyes off the roadway.  This particular system is already in use and is slightly expensive at approximately $25,000.00 per unit.  www.avigilon.com

I would think the insurance industry would help forgo the costs on ALPR as it would help in recovery rates and reduce their payouts.

How about the crowd control scenario?

This is real Robocop stuff.

Officers equipped with this sleeve/glove combo have a digital display, 50,000 volts, shielding, HD camera, flashlight and customizable features. Officers can intimidate potential threats with a spark display and stun suspects with 50,000 volts if they come in contact with the officer.  Further upgrades could include “TASER” projectile probes, so the officer could “reach out and touch” someone. (policeone - bionic arm)

How about surveillance?  Our childhood fantasies have come true. 

The “microdrone”  is the police version of the military’s UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) without the weaponry (so far).  It can beam back video footage, in the day and night, flying almost silently overhead the bad guys.  It’s currently in use by the British Transport Police to catch metal thieves. One accessory is a “squirt gun” used to mark suspects for later identification.   Opponents to this $50,000.00 toy claim this is another “Big Brother” spying technique.  (microdrones.com)

Ever wished you had a cannon on your patrol car?  Your wish is about to come true.

Enter the “Starchase GPS Launcher”.   The mortar type barrel fires a shell resembling an artillery shell containing a GPS device and a sticky point that glues itself to the suspect’s car.  Police then can track the vehicle’s movements at their leisure.  (starchase)

Of course there are other advances involving ammunition, clothing, protective gear, knives, mini cameras and such and that would require a bit of time and research on the purchaser’s desires, but when looking at the best bang for the buck, these “toys” really make sense.

A car that is already equipped from the factory for police work and has 3X’s the life of a normal patrol car for a little more than the price already being paid.

A “handsfree” control system that doesn’t require the officer to be fumbling with a radio microphone, keyboard on a mounted computer, switching his overhead emergency lights on and off by hand; it enables he or she to focus on the job at hand, enhancing the officer’s safety.

An automatic license plate scanning system that requires hardly any effort from the officer.  Multiplies the output by 100 fold with results you cannot argue about.  Citizens would love the reduced time for recovering their stolen vehicles.  Fugitives could be located easier.  Missing children also.  Just by driving the patrol car down the street or alley.

A system worn like a glove, still giving the officer manual dexterity, protection, defense, recording ability and respect.

Since many police department do not like or prohibit vehicle pursuits, a system that allows an officer to “mark” a fleeing vehicle that could be easily tracked from a remote location and apprehended when the timing is appropriate.

Sure, they cost.  But what does it cost for a life?  A lawsuit?  Property Damage?  The initial cost would be worth it even in only one situation. 

It’s a shame that administrations only look at the initial costs, not long term.

Sheriff Gillespie.  Are you listening?  The links are listed for easy reference.

How many Conrad Murry’s are there, how many are here in Las Vegas? The Pill Mill industry providing drugs on demand to consumers is a thriving business.

Las Vegas Police are becoming more active and court dockets are being filled with cases such as Dr James Tinnell. Dr Tinnell (age 74) using the front of a Pain Clinic was convicted following a guilty plea of supplying prescription narcotics without medical cause. In essence Dr. Tinnel was charging consumers a Doctors fee or clinic fee and receiving a narcotic prescription of their choice. Most often the drug of choice is the highly addictive narcotic Oxycodon.

How prevalent is this practice of providing consumers with Prescription narcotics on demand? The efficiency of this practice and the numbers are so high that Prosecutors around the country are making these cases a top priority.

 In Florida (see story) the State has created an entire State-wide program “Pill Nation I and Pill Nation II” which has generated 69 arrests since February of this year. Pill Mills as they are often referred to by law enforcement consist of Doctors, Nurses and Medical Assistants using the front of a “Pain Clinic” to distribute narcotics to consumers and pretty much on demand. Seventy doctors and six pharmacies there have lost their ability to dispense controlled substances so far this year in Florida. In addition, more than $18.9 million in cash and other assets have been seized.

Here in Nevada Pill Mills are active but under huge scrutiny by the Attorney General. (Full Article in the Las Vegas Sun)  Nevada’s U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden condemned illegal prescription drug distribution conspiracies, vowing to continue targeting “pill mills and pharmacist co-conspirators.” Officials have filed federal charges against 70 people for illegally distributing addictive prescription painkillers since January 2010, Bogden said.

Nevada as a State was on the forefront of passing legislation 15 years ago allowing Law Enforcement to track Doctors prescriptions and patients receiving narcotics via Pharmacy records.  Now there is an effort by ethical pharmacy’s and federal law enforcement to create a national tracking system of narcotic drug prescriptions to address the Doctors and Clinics that are coordinating efforts across State lines and outside  individual State jurisdictions. The National Law enforcement effort would address cases similar to the case against Las Vegas Dr. Wetselaar who was arrested last month in Las Vegas while his counterparts were arrested in Michigan.

So why are Pill Mills so popular and why is the number growing? The answer is as obvious as it was easy to create. Money for everyone! The Pharmaceutical companies continue to profit even during a bad economy, selling more of their “higher cost” medications. The pharmacies sell more prescription meds and the Pain Clinics/ Doctors have a steady stream of return addicts. Most all the “patients” are highly addicted to Oxycodon or their narcotic of choice. The price of a visit to the pain clinic is usually nominal ranging between 80.00 and 140.00 dollars. If a insurance company picks up 80% the tab then the cost conscious consumer pays between 16.00 and 30.00 for the visit. 

What makes this abuse and crime so difficult to prosecute? Physician’s unique status and authority in society and the Doctor / Patient privilege make it difficult for Law Enforcement to get a clear case quickly. Added to the complexity are the patients who are often Doctor Shopping or Pharmacy pricing. In order to begin investigation law enforcement must utilize a series of metrics including mathematics, technology, drug usage standards and statistics to build a case.

While the case of Dr. Conrad Murry brought worldwide attention on the issue of Doctor Standards and Practices with regards to prescription drug abuse and medical ethics there is no doubt many more criminal cases involving the same issues will be coming forward here in Nevada.

Rick Singer and Dave Robbins, VegasNewsReview.com

Smart meters. Smart for whom?

NV Energy recently installed “Smart Meters” on most, if not all the residences in Las Vegas.  (lvsun

What is a Smart Meter?

A smart meter is an electrical meter that records use of electric energy in short intervals and relays the information back to the utility for MONITORING and BILLING purposes.  Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central system.

So what happened to the “Meter Reader”?  No longer needed.  Signals are sent out every 15 minutes to the power company.          

The opposition to the meters cite these problems;

            Lost jobs. (Meter readers)

Constant exposure to radio frequency emissions and electro-magnetic       radiation.  Studies have shown that the same frequencies from cell phones and smart meters can affect brain functions  

www.createhealthyhomes.com).  The World Health Organization pointed out that radiation from cell phones can cause cancer. Check out how your cell phone rates in emissions rates (www.ewg.org)

Intrusion into privacy.  Since the meters are monitored almost 100 times a day, it could show a pattern of your life.  For example; when you wake up, go to sleep, leave your home to go to work or go on vacation, when you cook dinner, etc.  Also, since the meters depend on wireless technology, the signals could be intercepted for malicious intent.

When the meters were being installed, the resulting power surges blew the customer’s electronic devices such as expensive computer.  There were more than 130 claims of such occurrences.  I’m sure many folks never even knew what happened.  But I did get an energy-saving light bulb when they completed the swap.  I spent about an hour going around my house, resetting all my clocks though.  Good thing I wasn’t on some sort of life-support system.

Instead of your power consumption being evaluated at the end of your billing cycle, now it can be evaluated daily, several times a day.  For example, the total power usage was tallied at the end of the month and was determined by the power company if you had “exceeded” your allotted use of power, you were placed in a higher “tier” and charged accordingly.  Now you can be checked daily for excessive power use.

The emissions affect your pets.  I’m sure the same way as humans.

NV Energy’s “main man” stated the meters do emit “RF emissions and very low RD emissions.  Our meters are all FCC certified.  SO the federal government controls the standards around smart meter safety”.  He further stated that three independent studies were done, including one done by the University of Nevada Reno.  Wonder if NV Energy is a “supporter” to that University?

We all know how the government is SO concerned about our health and safety. 

That’s why they allow the same ingredients used in fireworks and silver polish to be added to our food as a preservative.  (wikipedia.org)

Yup.  I trust the government to have my best interest at heart.

New law concerning bicycle riders.

Most of us now know of the new law regarding the use of handheld devices (phones, gaming devices, etc.) while operating a motor vehicle that came into effect October 1^st, 2011.  You can’t do it unless you have a hands-free capability.

There are a few other new laws that went into effect also on October 1^st.  One is aimed at bicycle rider safety.  It doesn’t address the riders, but the drivers of motor vehicles around the riders.

Drivers of motor vehicles have to a give a berth to bicycle riders as they pass them, much like the law concerning stopped emergency vehicles.  Drivers MUST move to the next lane to the left that the rider is occupying or if that is not possible, wait to pass on the rider’s left, giving AT LEAST a three foot clearance as the motor vehicle passes.

Other rules already on the books are the marked bicycle lane, reserved for bicycles ONLY.  It’s not a motor vehicle lane.

And, for those aggressive drivers, you can be charged with reckless driving if you chose to intentionally cut it close to a bike rider or cause the rider to crash.

I remember when a neighbor and I chose to ride our bicycles to work and a large 4X4 truck purposely accelerated and swerved across our path to access the right turn lane.  The driver, a particularly eloquent, vocal anti-bicycle lobbyist, resorted to yelling at us as we had no right to the roadways as were not “motor vehicles”.  We asked if we could “educate” him regarding the laws regarding motor vehicle operator’s responsibilities and the laws pertaining to the rights of bicycle riders.  Okay.  The conversation wasn’t that long or that civil.  He got the point and left waving goodbye at us.

Bike riders have to adhere to the traffic laws as if they were driving a motor vehicle.  Red lights mean stop and stay stopped until the green is lit.  Riders have to use hand signals when changing lanes or turning.  Lights have to be used at night, front and back. You can be charged with DUI on a bike too. 

Nevada has the new driver’s handbook on their website (DMVNV) and it’s updated with the new laws. 

It certainly wouldn’t hurt for the rookie drivers as well as the experienced to take a look at it and keep abreast of the laws, new and old. 

Refreshers are always a good thing.

By: Dave Robbins, Publisher VegasNewsReveiw.com