Lights, Camera...Fines!

I have had enough. (I know, it's all about me!) As most readers know, I tend towards tree-hugging, flaming liberal status. I'd probably even be a vegetarian if sausage just wasn't soooooooo good.

But on law and orders matters, I tend to run conservative. And I am completely fed up with the repeated attempts upon my life by people who feel they have the right to kill and/or maim me simply because they don't want to stop for a red light.

Twice, I have narrowly avoided accidents in which I literally, really, ya'll'd be coming to my funeral would have been killed.

First was a tractor-trailer ran the red light at Paul Cantrell and Magwood. My view was blocked by a SUV on my left and it was only when I saw the SUV hesitate in accelerating that I braked, waiting until I could see why he slowed. The semi missed my little Saturn by less than a foot, enough to rock it back on its wheels.

Second was just this last Friday when I was leaving West Ashley High School, making a left on to Paul Cantrell. Two cars had already gone straight through OUR green light while I hesitated because the person coming towards me in the opposite lane did not have a turn signal on and I was waiting (in the intersection!) to see where he was going when a large SUV came barrelling through the red light on his side. Two cars had already gone through - it wasn't a last minute, run the yellow and it turned red.

So here is my proposal. I think Charleston County needs to put a camera on every single solitary red light there is in this county and snap a photo of the license plate of every car that runs a red light. Send the registered owner a $1000 ticket. Don't care if your Aunt Sally borrowed your car that day. Don't care if it was your teenager driver.

It is your car, it is your personal responsibility to monitor who is driving it.

Remember that good old fashioned American value? Personal responsibility?

Take the money from these fines and establish a Charleston County School district supply fund. The teachers (not administrators) will be in charge. They can get supplies from paper and pencils on up to laptops for their students. We could get every single child in the county a laptop with just the fines from Paul Cantrell and Magwood within a week!

Come on, it's for the children!

And perhaps we'll go to less funerals. Perhaps our insurance rates will drop.

The boys say: How many red lights to we have to go through to the vet?