Sunday’s column: ‘There ought to be a law . . .’
Amadeust | Wikimedia Commons
You’ve probably heard the expression “there ought to be a law.”
You hear it in bars and in church halls. It comes up in barber shops, bowling alleys, cafeterias and other places people gather to socialize and share tales of the latest outrage.
• There ought to be a law against 18-wheelers climbing hills in the fast lane on Interstate 81.
• There ought to be a law that grants grandparents reasonable visitation rights with their grandchildren.
• There ought to be a law that allows nonsmoking apartment tenants freedom from cigarette pollution caused by chain-smoking neighbors in the same building.
• There ought to be a law that stops internet, or cable or satellite dish companies from sucking you into their service at low “teaser rates” that inevitably rise later. At the least, those darn fine-print contract terms ought to be in bigger type so people older than 12 can read them.
There are endless laws that people believe ought to be. This is your chance to tell me some more. I’ll put the best ones you come up with in a future column.
READ THE REST OF THIS COLUMN HERE.
September 16, 2012 - 6:00 AM
There ought to be a law to keep crackpot left wing columnists from spouting their half baked tripe in print.
Dan, I think you are the slob. Truckers has as much right on the highways as you and I. If you don’t like it take the scenic route. Better yet stay off all roads. Yes there are some bad truckers, but most are condsiderate and are not and I repeat are not inconsiderate slobs as you call them. I resent this remark. Why don’t you try just for one day driving this big rig up that hill and see if you can do any better.
As for Granparents right, I think unless they are crimminals or they feed the grandkids to much chocolate they should be allowed to see the grandchildren.
As the old saying goes, if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it.
Hope you have a nice day.
“There ought to be a law that grants grandparents reasonable visitation rights with their grandchildren”
My experience has been that the grandparents see “visitation” as “bring the kids to me” rather than going to see the kids. The ones who don’t see the kids have a myriad of excuses as to why they can’t travel to see their own grandkids.
” There ought to be a law that stops internet, or cable or satellite dish companies from sucking you into their service at low “teaser rates” that inevitably rise later. ”
A “stop me before I kill again” law.
Ralph Smith is a great man. If all legislators were like him, we would have a lot fewer problems.
So let’s see if we’ve got this right — Ralph Smith signed up for a deal that he understood the terms of from the start but because he didn’t like those terms he decided he wasn’t going to accept them. He SAYS the guy on the phone struck a deal but of course he didn’t have that in writing, which as a businessman I’m sure he always required. And I guarantee the installer had no authority to accept Smith’s changes. He should have turned around a left without installing, but he’s just an installer and no doubt Smith intimidated him.
So what we have is a multi, multi millionaire who doesn’t want to pay a few extra bucks for his TV reception at his second or third or fourth or whatever home whining. Cute.
I bet if the grandmother put half the effort into repairing her relationship with her child as she has into lobbying for grandparents’ rights she wouldn’t need a law.
I would never support overturning parents’ rights like that.
#4 I wish more legislators would rent out tiny little houses and pretend they live in the district in which they’re running.
gdad, I think you’re misreading this.
The company made Ralph an offer. He negotiated with them, and they agreed on different terms. When the installer arrive with the contract for him to sign, it didn’t reflect those terms, he changed it so that it did.
It’s possible to disagree with someone politically without assuming they’re a liar.
From Suzie:
Ralph Smith is a great man. If all legislators were like him, we would have a lot fewer problems.
Comment by Suzie — September 16, 2012 @ 9:36 am
I almost lost my breakfast when I read this one. I nominate this for the most hilarious comedic post of the week.
Dan@11:36
I don’t think gdad was saying Ralph is a liar. Just stupid! We all know Republicans don’t lie. They just have their own private version of the truth.
#8 Dan, I didn’t say Ralph was liar.
#11 “was a liar”
#8 HOWEVER, Dan, in my book he was lying when he pretended he was a resident of his district — even if he was following the letter of the law.
In a response for the 18 wheeler SLOB remark I have read and disagreed with most of your comments but thats going to far, would you call your doctor that because he makes you wait 45 mins past your appointment time? As a multi million mile safe driver i do have the time in to say some of my fellow drivers are at fault but maybe you dont think how much over the speed limit most motorists drive or maybe that guy needs to make up time were he broke down somewhere on his way to market I PUT UP WITH THEM DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOUR TIME GOING TO GRANDMAS IS MORE INPORTANT THAN MOVING FREIGHT SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE GOODS TO WORK WITH? The interstate system was also created to move useable goods to everyone, or does that matter. In todays world both cars and some trucks feel their anomous in their travels thinking cutting someone off or making really stupid lane changes to get to the mall exit is justified.Some trucks are caught in the left lane not because they chose that move but even in my profession some drivers dont want to slow down 5 seconds to let someone pass, no professionaly driving there, right..We get called in all the time about not getting over to the left lane to let someone on a highway even when someone is in the left lane, so when we try and run the speed limit in the left lane they call in to say were holding up traffic, come on people lets just put everything on the trains and WAIT 3 WEEKS. Thanks and please exscuse the spelling…
Jim Hogan
You and your colleague have tough jobs. That doesn’t mean you should be able swing into the fast lane at the bottom of a long climb so you can go up that hill at 51 mph rather than 50 mph (speed limit: 70). You’re blocking the highway AND creating clots of traffic WHICH makes the interstates more dangerous for everyone.
Big picture: if you stayed in the right lane on long climbs it would cost you NO time, there would be fewer accidents (trucks and cars), freight would move more smoothly and everyone would be happier.
And btw, drivers ov 18-wheelers who pulled into the fast lane at the bottom of a long grade are slobs.
The trucks on 81 are rude, and grandparents have no “rights” to their grandchildren. I think parents get to pick those people with whom their children spend time. There are probably unfortunate incidents of ex spouses exacting revenge on ex inlaws through withholding the grandchildren, and that’s unfortunate but not worth writing legislation over.
…or maybe that guy needs to make up time were he broke down…”
Unfortunate but not the problem of everyone else on the road.
OK, how much time did it cost you or was the trip to Wallmart interupted Casey , you didnt say anything about the telephone calls on us.
HEY Kristen, put it on the train next time
I am amazed at the way people are responding to this column!! Especially robin’s comment, seeing as Dan wasn’t suggesting that any parental rights be overturned, simply that grandparents should have rights to see their grandchildren! Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, robin, before you make anymore asinine comments like that.
I think parents get to pick those people with whom their children spend time.
Sounds like someone’s had battles with the ex in-laws. There’s a way to avoid problems of this type. Just heed the bible verse: “Whatever God hath joined, let no man put asunder”.
Good posts, Jim Hogan. You make points people haven’t thought of. Yes, I’ll bet there are cranks out there who report you guys at the drop of a hat, and you can’t win sometimes.
I almost lost my breakfast when I read this one. I nominate this for the most hilarious comedic post of the week.
Dave obviously doesn’t understand politicians who want to spend money sparingly.
Jim Hogan,
Telephone calls? Oh from “Am I driving safely? If not, call 1-800…” I’m sure it frosts you whenever anyone who has been almost killed by an 18-wheeler dares to make one of those calls.
Actually, I made one once. It was a harrowing situation.
I was driving south on I-81 in the fast lane, in a minivan with my wife and 4 kids. I was alongside an 18-wheeler when the guy simply moved over into my lane. To avoid being crushed, I had to jerk the wheel left to out of that lane. To our great fortune, we were right beside the Natural Bridge exit — the one that is a left-side exit when you heading south on the highway. So there was pavement and we didn’t lose control in the median, or crash a guardrail or anything.
#20 “Just heed the bible verse: “Whatever God hath joined, let no man put asunder”.”
I’ll tell that to my friend whose husband physically and verbally abused her for years. Or my relative whose wife cheated on him twice and then left him because she was bored.
Have you sent that advice to Rush?
Jim Hogan and Betty, there are simply times that truckers should not be in the left lane. Prime example is the climb northbound on I-81 just past the Ironto rest area. I’ve seen trucks below 50 mph on that one and just recently I nearly got creamed from behind because an inattentive person didn’t realize that traffic was going 20 mph there. The person behind me would have been at fault, but the trucks ahead of me were clogging both lanes.
And while I’m at it, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell your trucking buddies to stop playing I’m not going to let anybody get ahead of me cop when there’s a lane closure coming two miles ahead. Blocking the lane so that nobody can use it merely slows down a bad situation even more.
#21 I called one of those numbers just once and I also called the state police. Several years ago a trucker on I-81 who was either, drunk, drugged or falling asleep at the wheel nearly ran me off the road once when he passed me and again when I passed him, and he also nearly hit four other people that I saw. I never knew whether the police or the company caught up with him, but it was ugly.
Jim Hogan, I sign every petition I run into to take the truck traffic off 81 and boost rail transport. I’d also love to see big tolls coming into VA on the North and South ends of 81. At least the state can get some benefit for the misery trucks cause on that road.
#23 gdad – tell your trucking buddies to stop playing I’m not going to let anybody get ahead of me cop when there’s a lane closure coming two miles ahead. Blocking the lane so that nobody can use it merely slows down a bad situation even more
That is false. I think queuing theory shows that the optimum situation for all drivers as a group is to begin merging when first notified. The worst case is for there to be two lines of cars alternating at the lane closure. In the first case everyone may lose a few minutes. In the second case everyone loses several minutes. People who try to merge at the last minute do so at the expense of everyone who is trying to make the situation as good as possible. It’s basically a prisoner’s dilemma.
FWIIW, there is a law:
http://tinyurl.com/9vvcmuu
**
§ 46.2-843. Limitations on overtaking and passing.
The driver of a vehicle shall not drive to the left side of the center line of a highway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless such left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such overtaking and passing to be made safely.
No person operating a truck or combination of vehicles shall pass or attempt to pass any truck or combination of vehicles going in the same direction on an upgrade if such passing will impede the passage of following traffic.
[emphasis added]
**
What you would like to see is better enforcement.
IMHO, “there ought to be a law” in Tort risk-creating-conduct-negligence cases that creates a “special relationship” when the defendant has required the plaintiff to ceded the ability for self-protection as a condition of entry or participation.
Kristen,
I agree with your toll comment. Public/private concept could expand funds for more roads (although a reasonable gas tax would also foot the bill).
81 is a difficult road to travel for trucks and cars alike. I would not paint the entire industry with a “rude” brush deserved only by a few.
Also, much rail freight is now “piggyback” and truckers pick up their loads from rail yards to disperse around the area. Every warehouse, grocery store etc… cannot have rail access or we would be wanting legislation that cut down on the number of RR crossings.
gdad, I wasn’t defending the truckers using the wrong lanes. I resented the name calling by Dan. He probably called these truckers that in front of his young impressable children. What a great example he is. If I remember right I read that there were more 4 wheel accidents than big rigs.
Jim Hogan, I pray that you will always be safe on the roads that you travel.
@Dave Hicks #30,
+1. I’ve heard of places that have considered such legislation, but I cannot remember the details or where it was.
“There ought to be a law” forbidding Dave and Gdad, obsessing over Suzie. We know you two are producing more estrogen these days and jealousy would be natural. Try and focus on something different; Burka shopping, or start a camel farm. That way you will be prepared for Obama’s victory parade. You can sell camels to your friends to ride on the green way and hopefully on I-81.
I think there should be a law where cigarette packs must include a pouch for the butts.
I think there should be a law where between 7am and 11pm there are no tv/radio commercials for medications that cause deadly erections.
I think there should be a law where ALL drivers should PAY ATTENTION and get out of the passing lane.
For those who missed the Sunday talk shows.
Be sure and check out last week’s Romney interview.
There ought to be a law that college kids (ie VT and RU) LOOK before entering the crosswalk. Yes, I’m stopping for them as I should, but they really ought to look!
#28 Wrong, Kevin. The “zipper” method at the point of closure is the most efficient and quickest. If you have people using both lanes up to the closure, then you don’t have people racing up and darting in. At one time (and maybe still) it even used to be a law in at least state (Minnesota maybe) that people HAD to use it. Anybody caught blocking a lane could be ticketed.
One problem with self-appointed lane cops, especially when the closure is caused by a wreck, is that you often get people still blocking a lane when in fact the wreck ahead has already been cleared and both lanes are open. I have seen this and been the victim of it numerous times. Another problem, which has also affected me in the past, is that some big-ass truck is blocking you when all you want to do is get to the next exit.
“Whatever God hath joined, let no man put asunder”.”
What in Gods name does this mean..
What if u replaced God with Allah..would that change its meaning?
And as far as man not tearing apart that which God put together..
does that include blowing up ground to load coal trains?
I’m with gdad on the self-appointed lane “cops.” This type of person exists in many other areas of society. I’ve abhorred these type of folk ever since the first time I got suspended from school, in Kindergarten. Society would be better off without them.
Re: Comment by Holly Moore — September 16, 2012 @ 7:13 pm
There is a crosswalk law:
http://tinyurl.com/88e8r7a
**
§ 46.2-924. Drivers to stop for pedestrians; installation of certain signs; penalty.
A. The driver of any vehicle on a highway shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing such highway:
1. At any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at mid-block or at the end of any block;
2. At any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block;
3. At any intersection when the driver is approaching on a highway or street where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, at intersections or crosswalks where the movement of traffic is being regulated by law-enforcement officers or traffic control devices, the driver shall yield according to the direction of the law-enforcement officer or device.
No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic.
The drivers of vehicles entering, crossing, or turning at intersections shall change their course, slow down, or stop if necessary to permit pedestrians to cross such intersections safely and expeditiously.
Pedestrians crossing highways at intersections shall at all times have the right-of-way over vehicles making turns into the highways being crossed by the pedestrians.
C. The governing body of Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and any town therein, the City of Alexandria, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church may by ordinance provide for the installation and maintenance of highway signs at marked crosswalks specifically requiring operators of motor vehicles, at the locations where such signs are installed, to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing or attempting to cross the highway. Any operator of a motor vehicle who fails at such locations to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians as required by such signs shall be guilty of a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of no less than $100 or more than $500. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall develop criteria for the design, location, and installation of such signs. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any limited access highway.
**
Re: Comment by joe — September 16, 2012 @ 8:09 pm
Or splitting wood? The atom?
Eating an apple?
OTOH, how does visiting a child have anything to do with a marriage or rendering asunder a marriage, be it intact or already split by the courts?
Re: Comment by Dan Casey — September 16, 2012 @ 8:20 pm
I’m with gdad on the self-appointed lane “cops.”
—————-
Ditto, here!
Also ditto Re: self-appointed speed cops and distracted drivers (think texting, on the phone, etc) — i.e., drive in the passing lane at or below the posted speed — hills and/or vehicle power notwithstanding.
BTW
http://tinyurl.com/8grsos2
§ 46.2-802. Drive on right side of highways.
Except as otherwise provided by law, on all highways of sufficient width, the driver of a vehicle shall drive on the right half of the highway, unless it is impracticable to travel on such side of the highway and except when overtaking and passing another vehicle, subject to the provisions applicable to overtaking and passing set forth in Article 4 (§ 46.2-837 et seq.) of this chapter.
**
and
http://tinyurl.com/9dyej3a
**
§ 46.2-804. Special regulations applicable on highways laned for traffic.
Whenever any roadway has been divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following:
1. Any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions existing, shall be driven in the lane nearest the right edge or right curb of the highway when such lane is available for travel except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or where right lanes are reserved for slow-moving traffic as permitted in this section;
SNIP
**
Note that the law is “less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place” — not the posted speed, what the self-appointed speed cops think it should be, etc.
FWIIW, there are LEO and judges that accept that blocking the passing lane is a violation if it backs up traffic and the vehicle is not passing other vehicles — speed notwithstanding. The increased congestion behind such drivers is more dangerous than speed alone.
LOL #35/Kevin on you law against “medications that cause deadly erections.” That’s funny! Here’s one for you:
Sitting next to a total stranger one day, there was Viagra commercial on TV in the waiting room… The narrator cautioned “If you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, call your doctor”… To which an older lady and I glanced at each other and chuckled… and she says, “Forget the doctor, honey, if you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, tell him to call me!”
To gdad in #38, you are right that I was wrong regarding late merging, aka the zipper method, as being the worst. My thought writing the previous post (that was conveyed poorly if at all) was that the people who pass by the conventional mergers to merge late are being selfish and acting in their self-interest to the detriment of those who follow the conventional method. If that wasn’t so then the people in the open lane wouldn’t get ticked off enough to try to straddle or block the closed lane. Honestly, when you are passing by all the people in the open lane, are you thinking to yourself “I’m implementing the zipper method for the betterment of society,” or are you thinking “I just saved a lot of time passing by these suckers”?
Rebyl, a law giving grandparents rights is absolutely interfering with parental rights. The parents have said the grandparents cannot see the grandchildren and you and Bobbie Simpkins are asking the courts to come in and overrule the parents.
“Putting myself in someone else’s shoes” is exactly what I’ve done in responding here. My three children are fortunate to have four amazing grandparents who have moved hundreds of miles to be near them and we all have excellent relationships.
Unfortunately not everyone’s situation is the same.
I stand by my original comment: If Ms. Simpkins wants to see her grandchildren she needs to repair her relationship with her child, not try to get the courts to overturn his/her parental rights.
#45 Honestly what I’m thinking is that I wish these folks would use both lanes so that everybody would be able to move a little faster. And the truth is that I rarely zip by ALL the people because some dolt inevitably pulls out to block the lane — usually a tractor trailer.
In alternate situations where the empty lane is not meant to be a real traffic lane, I’m perfectly willing to wait my turn. For example, heading in toward Roanoke on Brandon at the intersection with Mudlick/Edgewood, there are two lanes going straight at the light, but the right lane is very short after the light and is really meant only for folks turning into those apartments or the bus. Others, however, use it to cut in past traffic backed up at the light all the time. I don’t.
Yeah, I’m sorry, the grandparents law should never happen.
It’s a total right wing view, and i totally agree with it. The nanny state gov’t should stay out of family business.
Grandparents have no “rights” because grandparents also have no legal obligations.
There ought to be a law that says right wingers and left wingers cannot both inhabit the same blog, forum, event or room. Moderates, with less partisan fealty should be able to converse without the cacophony of the peanut brained gallery chiming in with their extremes and their distortions and their lies!
Even here, we have some of the best subjects, that get bogged down in lies and insults instead of being the enlightening and informative discussions they could be. It is not making us better, smarter or solving anything. It is frustrating beyond belief.
Take your “free speech” where it is wanted. Where it can echo through the halls with ringing endorsements, and let the grown-ups have a conversation!
I think Jim Hogan, Dan Casey and others should cut truckers a break. Remember they are the ones delivering the food you eat, the beverages you drink, the toilet paper you wipe yourself with, the gas for your POS car, the medicine for your kids, the soap to clean yourself and the list goes on and on and on. The most inconsiderate drivers I have ever seen are the drivers of cars and pick up trucks. Hands down the worst. Trucks take longer to recover momentum lost on grades. If I am traveling 50 in a 70 and I am passing another truck which is doing 40 I will NOT get back over until I have passed the truck. I am not trying to be difficult, I am trying to save as much fuel and get where I am going in a timely manner. Also, when you are behind the said trucker doing 50 in a 70 climbing a steep grade tailgating and riding the shoulder will get you nowhere and you would be a moron to believe you have any power to move the truck any faster. Blame it on VDOT for not having truck lanes where needed most but belive me, I will be safe and I will get that truck where it neds to go with no accident. People just drive me crazy.