THE EDITOR, Sir:IT IS just unbelievable how much contempt for the law is exhibited daily. It seems to be worsening. Several times I stop at the intersection of Trafalgar Road and Knutsford Boulevard and while waiting to make a right turn onto Knutsford (traffic filter lights are red), the car next to me drives right on through.
There is a police sub-station just a few yards down the road. At the corner of Waterloo Road making the left unto South Avenue it is rare to see a car stopping at the red light. Colours are irrelevant there. Whether red or green, drivers turn left anyway.
Whenever I stop there, the driver of the vehicle behind me leans on the horn while gesticulating in an excited manner trying to prompt me to turn. Sometimes I look in the rear view mirror to see the driver gently waving forward as if to say "I know you're not from here but it's okay just drive on through!" Occasionally even the passing pedestrian advises me that it's okay to turn on red. But where is the police officer?
Forget for the moment about the amount of tax revenue that could be gained at those two intersections alone and think about the order that can be created if we can start issuing tickets for these offences.
The left turn onto Upper Waterloo Road from Shortwood Road is another intersection where it seems okay to turn left on red. Even at the corner by the Y.M.C.A. drivers are now turning left from Trafalgar Road on red onto Hope Road.
Of course, driving through red lights after midnight under the cover of darkness, has always been perfectly okay as long as you do either two of the following; blow your horn, flash your lights, slow down. The list is endless... blocking of intersections mostly by drivers with red plates cutting from turn lanes to jockey for a position at the front of a long line of traffic is routine.
I was recently stopped for driving without seat belt on and tried to reason with the police officer as regards his discretion in letting me go with a warning, after seeing that all my papers were in order. He gave me the ticket anyway. Whether or not I respect his decision, I now put my belt on in remembrance of the inconvenience and expense involved in ignoring this "simple" law. Whenever there is no enforcement people create their own rules. Do we want law or lawlessness?
I don't know if there's any point in screaming since no one listens anyway but this is my therapy.
I am, etc.,
CHRISTOPHER JARRETT
Kingston 8
