I was outraged to read last week’s news story about the obscene increase in traffic tickets issued in our community (Urban Initiative Yields Sharp Increase in Local Traffic Tickets: PROGRESS, Jan. 10, 2018). The overreach of policing authority, and the unjustifiable targeting of our small populous, is shameful. Something truly needs to be done about this nonsense! The people of our community need to rise up together and make a strong, unified statement against such treatment!
Here is my suggestion. I think that the entire community should stage a complete boycott on all traffic violations for a whole month. By doing this, we will starve local law enforcement out of issuing citations! There is no way that the local police force would meet their averages then. And what will their Las Vegas superiors say?
For a whole 30 days, no one should exceed the speed limit.
While we are at it, no one should drive too slow, either. That would mean no driving 35 mph on Moapa Valley Blvd. between Logandale and Overton causing the unique local winter-time phenomenon known as ‘The Snowbird Parade’. Of course, if you, or your vehicle, are unable to travel the highway speed limit, it is okay. You can still participate in the protest. There is a perfectly fine alternate route along the airport road where your slower speed is entirely appropriate and welcome.
Likewise, we should all boycott the practice of passing the car in front of us when there is a solid yellow line.
And, though this is difficult, we must go on a complete hunger strike from passing cars in the right shoulder when they are stopped, without a turn lane, waiting to turn left.
To really make a statement, the entire community should make a full stop at all stop signs. That is especially true when crossing the Yamashita bridge onto the Boulevard where we must refrain from the common practice of suddenly pulling out in front of highway speed traffic.
We should show a strong enough resolve in our month-long protest to not ever use cell phones while driving.
Finally, to really drive our point home, we should take the month off from operating off-road vehicles in places where they are not allowed or in ways that are prohibited.
Even the kids can get involved by not operating their four-wheelers and dirt bikes unsupervised on the state highway while they are still in early grade school.
I know that these things will require a tremendous act of collective sacrifice. But desperate times call for desperate measures! And these are desperate times!
But don’t despair, it’s only for a month. Once we show our solidarity in protesting against this traffic enforcement travesty, our local police force will have nothing to do but simply go back to their jobs of community policing.
They will have ample time then to be good buddies to our teenagers and positive role models to our young children. They will be forced to resume communicating constructively with our business owners and other citizens in rooting out what little crime exists here. They will have to return to being a friendly, calming and reassuring presence in town. And we will again feel comfortable in cooperating with them in their efforts of keeping our community safe and peaceful.
So, my comrades, neighbors and friends; let us go forth in this great act of civil disobedience! Who is with me?
And who knows? After the 30 days maybe it will become a habit.
Sheldon Worley
