This looks to be the start of a good discussion about Bill 203 on this forum. I was actually surprised how little talk there was on this forum when Bill 203 was introduced last year, especially compared to the other on-line forums I've visited. I did see past posts on this topic strewn about here & there but I hope this issue really heats up both here and in the public eye. Thanks to the OP for having the ***** to bring it up again!

There are lots of idiotic drivers out there. I remember there was a time when people waved when you let them in...today, no longer. People deliberately cut you off for absolutely no good reason. Jerks weaving in & out of traffic like they think they own the road. People use their cars as instruments of agression by tail-gating you...even when you are already cruising at 120 kph on the right-hand lane (which pisses me off really good). People going way too fast for the road conditions, etc. The list goes on and on...everyone knows what I'm talking about.

Having said all that, I do think this legislation goes way too far. It is too broad and gives too much discretionary power to the police. In this case, the medicine is definitely worse than the disease and I think the Police State comment hits the nail on the head. What was wrong with the old Dangerous Driving charge that we already have on our books? Seemed adequate to me.

When individual police officers have the discretion to hand-out large fines on the basis of legislation that is entirely subject to his interpretation...all without due process and a conviction on top of that...this has to undermine the public's trust and sentiment towards the police. To add insult to injury, let's face it...most cops won't give other cops tickets. Doesn't sound like a fair society we live in.

This legislation smells like a cash grab. If it really was about speeding and street racing, the government could simply legislate the top speed our cars could reach by mandating the maximum speed right into our vehicle's computer. However, I doubt this will ever happen because of the massive ticket revenue that would be lost.

I'm wondering if the fines levied from Bill 203 go to pay, at least in part, for some of Fantino's airplanes?

When you add in the possibility/perception that the police could simply go out there and use Bill 203 to hand out hefty fines just to pay for more of its own goodies --- that just leaves an even worse taste in my mouth. I think therein lies the danger with such a law.

The next day after Bill 203 came into effect, I saw one idiot driving along the 407 in the morning rush hour with a camcorder in his right hand and filming the traffic around him. I surmise this fella may have been outraged in the past by some other driver and took it upon himself to try and tape some other would-be offender. This camera-touting bozo was a complete danger to, not only himself, but to the other drivers around him. I steered clear from this asshat.

I suspect not much will ever come about from our rants about Bill 203.

 

Did you guys see the video? The took his bike because he was splitting lanes with his bike...I thought splitting lanes is not illegal...Correct me if I'm wrong...

 

^you read about it in California?

 

yeah... lane splitting is still illegal here. in my eyes he got a pretty ridiculous charge for it though. it's almost as though this new bill has replaced 80% of all the other useable charges in the officer's book. i think the largest problem with this bill... is that it is nailing everyone except the suspected street racers it was originally brought in for.

 

So I was talking to an officer this past weekend at a friends over a few beers and my car came up as a subject.

So the officer quickly starts boasting about his ride (SUV) that is boosted and how he can take all those little honda imports, how he has 400hp, how well it hooks up, how he recently beat a Grand prix GPS or something etc, .. and he wants to race me.

I was surprised and said well lets go to cayuga and see then.... he pushed for how much pwr I had under the hood etc...

Very weird situation. Was he checking for my response or can they and do they get away with stuff..

 

^Strange situation indeed. Sounds like he was looking for you to play.

 

+1. I don't believe many police officers are jealous of the 1990 Honda Civics with the 10' exhaust; but those are 90% of the vehicles pulled over on cruise night. I do believe however they profile alot of vehicles & drivers/races which is what I do not like. Young drivers, aboriginals, & blacks tend to be the targetted audience here in winnipeg.

Just a couple weeks ago a black church minister (also a christian rapper) was pulled over at gun point because they believed the vehicle was stolen even though the vehicle was not reported stolen, or anything that would give reasons to pull over just besides his appearance & skin color.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2...y.html?ref=rss

A countless number of examples occur with aboriginals and other minorities that go unreported. I guess they do it for a reason; but I still think it is a bad approach to policing and will only create more tensions between certain groups and law enforcement officers in the future.

 

^I think he was only referencing Z's and not all ricers etc that get pulled over.

Profiling does go on for sure. It can't be pleasant to be on the receiving end of an obvious stop / harassment by police.

 

just to add.... i think it has a lot more to do with the driver's style and attitude as opposed to what they're driving. i'm sure there's a lot of rich lawyer's and doctors cruising around in expensive, flashy cars, yet never get pulled over for anything.

the main difference is that they're not wannabe gangsta's blasting rap music at full volume while wearing their baseball caps on crooked complete with tags... and sporting the low rider seat where the guys eyes are just above the car's window sill.

 

I agree 100%. The gangsta look or modded car doesn't do anything but attract unwanted attention.

 

^The thing though is, what right do they have to do that just because the car or driver looks a certain way?
What right does the police have to harass me, for mods which are 100% legal? And since it's not racial, no one cares, they can keep doing it for as long as they want.

 

^I'm not defending police rights. However I think it's a fact of life that some of those things will create attention and that won't change. Personally I accept that my tinted car and shiny, slightly lowered car may attract a little more attention. So be it. Same thing unfortunately applies to people in the way they dress, act and carry themselves.

 

http://www.speedandmotion.com/



We need something like this here!!