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Morning Brew: June 10th, 2008

Posted by Jerrold Litwinenko / June 10, 2008

34 Comments

rubber ducky racePhoto: "Rubber duckie race" by chewie007, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Tuesday June 10th, 2008:

A Toronto-based ad agency is refusing to run Conservative Party ads that attack Liberal Party policy on LCD screens mounted on GTA gas station pumps. Is the ad agency opting to steer clear of a political mess, or are they concerned about the questionable legal status of the screens being brought into the limelight?

Speaking of poop, next year we should see new public pay toilets in the city. Drop in $1, do your business, and then the washroom sanitizes itself after you exit, making it fresh and clean for the next person to do their business.

A TTC bus went out of control and crashed into several objects and vehicles on a 1km long stretch of road in the Yonge and York Mills area before coming to a halt. Early reports suggest that the driver may have suffered from a medical episode that led to the crash. Union boss Bob Kinnear is expected to tell us that absurd suggestions like driver training and periodic physicals are both violations of employee privacy.

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CBC has learned that only about one third of people charged with the new crime coined "street racing" are actually being convicted in the courts, with the rest having charges reduced to speeding or having them thrown out. One thing is for sure - the new law keeps me well under 150km/hr, and gets those going over 150 off the road, even if temporarily.

Apparently Mayor Miller hasn't given up on his failed "One Cent Now" campaign to get the feds to give a chunk of the GST back to cities, and will relaunch the campaign in the fall. I expect the feds to laugh off and/or ignore the call again, and people to complain about the money wasted on the campaign.

Discussion

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guy lafleur / June 10, 2008 at 08:53 am
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And what did the old speeding laws do? Give people free reign to speed? Our existing laws were fine, they just have to be enforced. There was no need for the draconian speed racing law and it was sold based on scare-mongering around a handful of incidents.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 09:00 am
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The thing is, even with this new law, many more than a "handful" of incidents of extreme speeding occur. Since October, more than 5000 charges have been laid. And those are the ones that were caught. I suspect thousands upon thousands more insanely fast and unsafe trips have gone unobserved by police during that time.Just last night, during a torrential downpour (where visibility was severely compromised and traffic flow was reduced to about 80km/hr), I was nearly sideswiped by a asshole doing about 140km/hr on the Gardiner. Scared me and my passenger pale.
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Ratpick / June 10, 2008 at 09:40 am
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I'm a habitual slow driver, but...50km/h over the limit really isn't all that fast, considering how slow our speed limits are (probably the slowest in North America now). The problem isn't speed -- it's recklessness, lack of courtesy, and poor road design. Anyhow, the law is draconian and likely to be wiped off the books by the courts soon. Maybe then, the authorities will turn their attention to where it will do some good -- mandatory, QUALITY driver education and testing.
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binlazer / June 10, 2008 at 09:45 am
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Man, I can't wait to cleanse my colon for a buck on the downtown streets. Hot!
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bb / June 10, 2008 at 10:01 am
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"The problem isn't speed -- it's recklessness, lack of courtesy, and poor road design."Yes. Couldn't agree more.150km/hr on the 401 on a clear day with little traffic is not very fast and can certainly be safe. While someone going 100km/hr in the fast lane and refusing to move, causing everyone else to pass on the right and weave in and out of traffic is extremely dangerous.and
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Adam / June 10, 2008 at 10:02 am
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Yeah that street racing law is keeping me at a healthy 140.
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serotonin / June 10, 2008 at 10:17 am
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"Excessive speeding" was just re-labeled (incorrectly) as "street racing" as a PR move, to take advantage of the general public's dislike of the Fast and the Furious stereotype, subwoofers and all.The street racer angle helps the police get fancy new toys, and let's them run over Civics with construction equipment. Isn't that what law enforcement is all about?
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Gloria / June 10, 2008 at 10:24 am
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Um, maybe if we weren't all so impatient, driving would be safe and OK. If you can't STAND moving at a mere 100 km/hr, maybe you should try walking or taking the TTC and see what real "speed" is.
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Ryan L. / June 10, 2008 at 10:47 am
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"Yes. Couldn't agree more.150km/hr on the 401 on a clear day with little traffic is not very fast and can certainly be safe. While someone going 100km/hr in the fast lane and refusing to move, causing everyone else to pass on the right and weave in and out of traffic is extremely dangerous.and"Just to point out that the unsafe drivers in this case are the ones passing on the right and weaving in and out of traffic. Like everyone has already mentioned, the main problem is recklessness.
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AMH / June 10, 2008 at 10:54 am
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Speed kills, plain and simple. You may be lucky enough to survive a high speed crash, but your passengers or the people in the other vehicles likely won't be so lucky. But excessive speeds are most dangerous to those NOT in a car, ie pedestrians and cyclists. The other problem is that almost all cars are not designed for higher speeds regardless of what kinds of engines happen to be under the hood. And the chances of an incident increase at higher speeds, one's time to react is reduced, and the magnitude of damage increases exponentially with the speed. In addition, the old laws were not working because the courts were being even more lenient then than they are now. It was easier to fight a speeding charge before, and people continued to speed. Speed is part of the problem, as is recklessness and general lack of empathy. When even a few people speed it causes an effect known as "tragedy of the commons" which means a few speeders get a benefit while society as whole suffers. The fact that the police can "punish" a driver right away with this law is appropriate, even if the courts feel the need to be more lenient afterwards. Punishments are only effective when they occur as close to practical after the offence.You want to drive fast, fine; go to Mosport or any other race track and drive as fast as you dare there. But I don't want to be your next crash victim as I'm trying to head home with my kids. I happen to think that the law is working, and is working well. The crash stats are down, as are the casualties, and I find that it is now generally easier and safer to drive on our highways.
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beth maher / June 10, 2008 at 10:56 am
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As a teenager growing up in Toronto only 10 short years ago, let me tell you a little secret: street racing is real, it's bad, and these laws were needed. Maybe you're just unaware of the culture that's out there, but let's just say for a certain group of people in the city the Fast and Furious movies are barely fiction. Fines aren't going to deter them, as money isn't always an object for them. Jail time, removal of licenses, and confiscation of vehicles will.
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Ratpick / June 10, 2008 at 11:09 am
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Odd that anyone could defend a law that allows police to punish without trial.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 11:22 am
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Punishment without trial? I suspect you'd agree that if someone waved a loaded gun around in public, it would be taken away as evidence until trial. If you drive recklessly and dangerously in a vehicle, it should also be taken away until trial. Until our speed limit is raised to 150km/hr, I will defend the merits of a street racing law. There's absolutely no reason to be going 50km/hr over the legal speed, IMO.
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Ben / June 10, 2008 at 11:31 am
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Ratpick, you may have noticed that the story was about charges being reduced at trial.
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apetimberlake / June 10, 2008 at 11:35 am
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For the little pussy that was bitching on CBC radio yesterday about the storage and tow charges made him feel guilty before trial.GUESS WHAT...THE TOW AND STORAGE ARE A RESULT OF PRIVATE TOW FIRMS OVER CHARGING FOR TOWS AND STORAGE..THE POLICE DO NOT HAVE A TOW YARD UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR A SERIOUS CRIME OR FATALITY.THE SAME HIGH PRICE TOW/STORAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED IF HE HAD HIS VEHICLE TOWED AS A RESULT OF A MINOR REAR END ACCIDENT THAT LEFT HIS VEHICLE NOT DRIVEABLE.
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Ratpick / June 10, 2008 at 11:37 am
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Yikes Jerrold! You don't believe in the right to defend yourself against charges before receiving punishment? Sorry, I never got into the Stalinist thing.
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apetimberlake / June 10, 2008 at 11:44 am
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I have ZERO symnpathy for these street racing assholes that put everyone in danger.They should be publicly beheaded.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 11:44 am
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Having your car impounded for going 90 in a 40 zone or 150 in a 100 zone and getting caugbht on radar isn't punishment. It's taking a dangerous weapon off the streets pending trial. You have your chance to defend yourself when trials comes. If you don't want to be inconvenienced by having your car impounded, don't exceed the speed limit by 50+ km/hr. This isn't a guilty before proven innocent arguement, IMO.
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guy lafleur / June 10, 2008 at 11:49 am
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Unfortunately, Jerrold, the 'street racing' law applies to much more than just going 50km/h over the limit. Read the CBC article, the guy was charged under the law for lane splitting in stopped traffic, would you say that's equivalent to waving a gun in public?Giving police this kind of discretion over such a wide swathe of activity is dangerous. An officer can define nearly anything as falling under this law, and punish on the spot. It's such terrible law that the majority of charges don't even end in conviction, but before that even happens people have forked out thousands in towing and impound fees and have already lost their vehicles for a week. I hope to god someone comes along with the money and time to challenge this law. There's no doubt that the courts will overturn it.
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apetimberlake / June 10, 2008 at 11:53 am
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Boo HooDont drive like an asshole you wont have your car impunded.Same tow/storage applies to improerly parked vehicles as they do street racers.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 11:54 am
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Sounds to me more like the officer improperly deemed lane-splitting to be a violation under the street racing laws, which clearly it isn't (as the courts revealed). That doesn't mean that I don't support proper interpretation and enforcement of the new laws. I do. :)
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guy lafleur / June 10, 2008 at 11:58 am
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Right Jerrold, unfortunately giving police officers that amount of discretion means this kind of 'incorrect interpretation' is pervasive. Worse, the consequences of their mistake fall entirely on the person charged, in the form of towing/impound fees and the loss of their vehicle. That isn't right. We have a justice system for a reason. If they did wrong, they'll pay the price eventually. Skipping due process isn't a good look.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 12:07 pm
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Honestly, I'm so frustrated with, and anagered and scared by asshole drivers that I'm starting to think it's ok to have some unfounded charges laid here and there. Getting these wannabe F1 drivers and inconsiderate punks off the road is something I'd love to see happen. Agressively tail-gating on the highway? $2000 fine. Lane change without signal? $2000 fine. Going 50km/hr over the speed limit? Take the car away on the spot, and hold until trial.
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Roger / June 10, 2008 at 12:41 pm
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I was astonished to see those abhorrent GTA gas station pump ads when refueling at an Esso pump late last year. I avoid that Esso station now precisely because of this. Their loss.
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Ryan L. / June 10, 2008 at 12:41 pm
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I'm still shocked that people will claim that driving at 150 km/h is a safe thing to do.1) While a car might have the capability of handling at those speeds, no street car has the capability of surviving a crash at those speeds. Roll cages, seatbelts, airbags. They all start to become useless the further over the speed limit you go, ESPECIALLY if there is more than one car involved.2) The flow of traffic on major highways usually tops out at 120. Going 150 means you'd be going 30 km/h faster than the flow of traffic. That is the definition of reckless driving. Even if the roadway was clear enough that you weren't weaving in and out of traffic, and even if you are capable of driving at those speeds, you still don't have control over other drivers on the roads. If someone going 110 cuts in front of you while you're going 150 that difference in speed means a huge increase in the resulting damage.3) Well, why don't we just increase the speed limit so everyone is going 150? Ignoring #1, which is reason enough to label that question as stupid, the fact is not everyone may be as good a driver as you. Not everyone would be able to drive safely at those speeds. I know many people who are uncomfortable as it is driving 120 on 400 series highways. I know few who are comfortable even being in the same car as someone going 150.
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Ryan L. / June 10, 2008 at 12:45 pm
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Hey Jerrold, what's going on with the line breaks today?
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Christopher King / June 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm
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I agree with Jerrold in his last comment. I too am becoming increasingly scared by the lack of courtesy, reckless behaviors and excessive speeds that seem to permeate our highways and roads.It seems that very time I listen to the news now, someone has been killed in an accident that could have been easily avoided. When are we as a civilized society going to stand up and say Enough!I see nothing wrong with the police seizing evidence, in this case the car, so that it can be used as evidence in a case. I applaud the suspension of a persons license until the case has appeared before a judge. I am totally behind the increase in fines, which even if they're not paid at the time, will be there waiting for the perpetrator when it comes time to renew their license.I also feel that anyone caught behind the wheel of a vehicle without a license and or insurance should be charged under the criminal act and sentenced.Police officers should be allowed that type of discretion, to an extent without repercussions. Their mandate is to "Serve and Protect". It's up to the courts to define whether those actions were correct or not. The police need to be able to do their job. We should be supporting their actions.The next time you or me turn on the news, the victim of yet another accident that could have been easily avoided might be someone we know and love.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm
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Line breaks in comments are not working, but we're on the case.<br><br><br>TEST :)
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 12:50 pm
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Using html code for linebreak (br) twice will give you a double hard return (new paragraph) until we fix things. Cheers!
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Ben / June 10, 2008 at 12:59 pm
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I think that the so-called "lane splitting" was categorized as stunt driving. I guess it is a bit of a stretch, but you could make a case for the categorization to be sure. <br /><br />The new laws don't just cover excessive speed. I have the feeling that people opposing them are doing so because they are mad that they can't drive over 150 km/h any more.
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AMH / June 10, 2008 at 01:13 pm
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Police have always had limited ability to "punish" without trial. They've been limited by our laws and by our courts to standards of what is "reasonable." What is "reasonable" is always a moving target. Even for this law the courts still determine if, and how much, any fines should be, and if the charges are even appropriate. The police asked for, and we gave to them, some additional discretionary powers to immediately remove those people and their cars from our roads when the police felt that the behaviour they saw from those people was posing a danger to other road users. The courts also use their powers of discretion in by not convicting all of the people brought before them. Discretion is a wonderful and awful thing. I'm glad that the police and the courts have and use their powers of discretion, even if I don't always agree with all of the times that they may choose to use it, or choose not use it.J.S. Dean writes in "Murder Most Foul..." (1947) that courts were literally letting drivers getting away with murder on our streets by speeding and by driving in other ways that endanger other's lives. These dangerous behaviours lesson the quality lives on the streets and in the neighbourhoods in which they happen. I am glad that we finally figured out a small way to discourage and show our intolerance for this. I'm just unhappy that it took 60 years, and that the courts are still being too lenient.
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bb / June 10, 2008 at 05:02 pm
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Jerrold - i can sympathize with your frustration but you seem to be completely ignoring the facts here when you say "it's ok to have some unfounded charges laid here and there.".<br /><br /><b>The courts have overruled 70% of the speed racing charges</b>. 70%! That's not a mistake here and there, it's a complete abuse of the new law with severe consequences for those who have been incorrectly charged.<br /><br />You can't seriously be so upset over other drivers that you think that it's ok for over 700 people to have their vehicles taken away without just cause.
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Jerrold / June 10, 2008 at 05:16 pm
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It's more like 80% resulted in convictions, but only 30% were for street racing.
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Stacey / June 10, 2008 at 05:40 pm
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I have a small bladder. What happens if I have to go and I don't have change on me, or any money at all for that matter? Should I be stocking up on Depends??? This has to be the stupidest law ever. I can see a charge at a restaurant where the employees have to clean up after you, but in a gov't building?? Our taxes surely cover the cleaning service, yes?
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