Tuesday, August 14, 2007

New Virginia Traffic Offense

As a "damn Yankee" --- I was told long ago that the difference between a Yankee and a damn Yankee is that a Yankee goes home --- I worried when I came south of the Mason-Dixon line for college and law school that my Pennsylvania tax would be a big, fat target for the local constabulary.

Well, I found that this --- along with quite a few other stereotypes about the South --- was false, never having had the occasion to answer the question "Do you know why I stopped you?" with the flip remark "Uhhh, out-of-state tags?"

With the new abuser fees, one has to wonder whether those passing through Virginia have obtained a license to speed. After all, what officer in his right mind --- when faced with two vehicles committing the same "serious violation," one with out-of-state tags, and one with Virginia tags --- is going to stop the out-of-state driver?

Yet another perverse incentive created in the name of government revenue.

2 comments:

Tortfeasor said...

Why would the cop give a shit? It's not like he's working on commission.

James Young said...

Do you really believe, tortfeasor, that this bill does not create such a revenue? I give all of the credit in the world to the "thin blue line" between order and anarchy, but the law is clearly designed to create incentives. Police officers respond to incentives. That is why speed traps are set up in places likely to yield a return, like at the bottom of hills, or near high schools at dismissal time.