Mobile Radar Again?

What's wrong with this picture?

Why are we back to the mobile radar unit?

I never imagined that I would have two postings about the same issue within a month, but now three?

The mobile radar unit is still in my neighborhood and for more than two weeks it has been facing traffic on eastbound Indian School Rd.

I like the idea of mobile radar because it is interactive with the drivers. It tells them exactly how fast they are going and what the speed limit is. There is no enforcement action and citizens modify their own behavior.

As posted earlier, the problem is that in this specific area, where the unit has been for more than three weeks, the posted speed limit is 40MPH while the unit indicates 35MPH.

The speeds have come down as drivers are slowing down based on the speed displayed by the mobile radar unit.

So what’s wrong now?



I suggested that citizens would recognize a credibility gap widening. I did not expect them to act out forcefully, but apparently someone has.

The mobile radar unit is parked on the median of Indian School Rd. where there is rock landscaping.

There is now evidence that someone took one of those rocks and threw it at the machine at least three times, denting the metal of the trailer and breaking the glass.

When citizens act out violently against their government, the government should try to figure out, if they can, why.

In this case it can be figured out.

Government has arbitrarily and inappropriately changed the speed limit.

If government wants the speed limit to be 35MPH, change the permanent signs to 35MPH.

...Or is it just some kid conducting an ad-hoc physics experiment to see if the unit will record the speed of a thrown rock?

Vandalism is vandalism.