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What *Should* We Be Worried About?

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Stoic Joker:
Tom was arrested after his Mercedes sedan plowed into a car driven by Lorraine Wong, who was turning left onto a busy street.

Prosecutors argue that Tom's car was speeding at 67 mph in a 35 mph zone when the collision occurred. He was placed in the back of a police cruiser but was not officially arrested and advised of his rights until later in the day.-Ren's Article Above
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In what universe is it your fault when some idiot turns in front of you?? Yeah yeah, sad story bla bla bla ... But cruising down the road close to double the posted speed limit or not...you have the right-of-way, period. Anybody crossing the flow of traffic needs to do so smartly.

Do they not teach this in California's Driver's Education classes?!? Or do they actually enforce the F'em they got brakes rule there?

Darting out into traffic without regard for how fast oncoming vehicles may be going is how squirrels get killed constantly ... And that's setting the bar for knowing better pretty friggin low..

Renegade:
Darting out into traffic without regard for how fast oncoming vehicles may be going is how squirrels get killed constantly ... And that's setting the bar for knowing better pretty friggin low..
-Stoic Joker (August 16, 2014, 09:32 AM)
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Squirrels! Love the metaphor! :) But yes - exactly that.

I had the same basic thing happen to me before - totalled the car.

I'm driving along (at the speed limit) and a woman quickly guns a left turn in front of me to get into a supermarket parking lot.

I'm absolutely going to hit her - no doubt about that - so I pull hard right and hit her in the front of her car at her engine rather than hit her broadside and ricochet left into other cars. Good thing as her kid was in the passenger seat and probably would have been hurt. As it was, nobody was seriously hurt.

The intersection where I have to turn when I leave the house is pretty much blind due to an incline. I'm never in such a rush that I need to gamble on there being no cars coming. These things aren't rocket science.

But... the more dangerous thing in the article is that silence = guilt.

IainB:
I recall that in UK contract law, silence can not be taken as an acceptance of an invitation/offer to treat.
Are you suggesting that In US law silence may be taken as an admission/implication of guilt?     :huh:
Wasn't there a 5th amendment right to silence in the US Constitution, or something?

40hz:
This from Popehat:

Cops, and prosecutors, and other public employees in the criminal justice system have power. It is the nature of power to make people believe that they are better than the rest of us, and entitled to privileges the rest of us do not enjoy.

The question is this: are we so addled by generations of "law and order" and "war on crime" and "thin blue line" rhetoric that we'll accept it?
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Read the full article here.

40hz:
I recall that in UK contract law, silence can not be taken as an acceptance of an invitation/offer to treat.
Are you suggesting that In US law silence may be taken as an admission/implication of guilt?     :huh:
Wasn't there a 5th amendment right to silence in the US Constitution, or something?
-IainB (August 16, 2014, 11:27 AM)
--- End quote ---

There is such a right.

And it has been argued in some jurisdictions (and agreed to by certain US judges) that a refusal to speak to police officers may be construed as sufficient grounds for suspicion of wrongdoing that that (by itself) is justification for arresting someone.

On the topic of "remaining silent" look here and here.

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