Okay. So. Speed Cameras!

... why, you say, is this madwoman talking about speed cameras? If it's not fanfic and Weiss Kreuz it's this random crap. Yeah, if you didn't think I was weird before you certainly will do now. But, um, yeah, I want to talk about speed cameras. Would you rather I did Placement Wangst again? No? well then I'm going to talk about speed cameras, so there. I've been up all night, I'm allowed to be deeply random.

But why do I want to talk about speed cameras in the first place? Well, mainly it's because I'm sick of all the whining motorists do about them (in the press, usually). How dare they fine us, it's just a stealth tax, they're not accurate, but I was only doing forty and all the rest of it.

Which, speaking as a pedestrian, all seems to me to be rather missing the point. You see, I don't drive a car. I catch the bus and, oh yeah, I walk quite a lot as well. I don't drive because I can't. I AM A PEDESTRIAN AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT. Wait, that made no sense. What I'm trying to say is this:

Um, big bad car driver type person?

You wouldn't have to pay a red cent if you hadn't been SPEEDING.

Which is why I want you to shut the fuck up moaning about getting fined. Speed cameras don't indiscriminately pick innocent motorists to fine completely at random simply to raise a bit of cash. If they did I'd understand where you're coming from, but they don't. They issue you a fine because you, um, broke the speed limit.

You remember speed limits? They're NOT OPTIONAL and they apply to everyone. Even to you. Oh, and they're very definitely there for a reason.

You see, dear car driver who was only going at forty miles an hour in a thirty mile an hour zone, there is a reason why residential areas want you to drive slow. That is because if your nice car hits a pedestrian while traveling at thirty miles an hour, they won't exactly want you on their Christmas card list but at least they'll most likely be in a position to send Christmas cards even if not to you. You hit someone with your nice car while traveling at forty miles an hour and they won't send you a Christmas card because they are DEAD.

You, you metaphorical driver, only broke a damned law. I hate to come over all Draconian on you but if hitting you in the wallet is what it takes for you to realize that driving slow and not killing someone if you happen to hit them isn't an optional extra then I for one am all for it.

Wow, how boring I'm being. BUT IT HAD TO BE SAID IN CAPSLOCK!

... shut up, my icon's pretty!

Now go read vermachtnis' post of the Youji x Ken variety over at 1sentence. That's much better.