EDITORIAL for June 17, 2004



Lights on!

There surely are some among us who are repulsed by the prospect of cameras at intersections on Roosevelt Boulevard capturing the motoring public’s every move.

Yes, dear readers, by the end of the year, cameras that snap pictures of license plates of vehicles that run red lights at nine key intersections in Philadelphia, including three on the Boulevard, should be in place.

Chill out, people. There is no cause for paranoia. To those who say the cameras are proof that Big Brother is watching you, we say, so what?

With all due disrespect to the American Civil Liberties Union — aka, the National Criminals’ Lobby — innocent, law-abiding drivers have little to fear but fear itself. If you drive safely, within the boundaries of the law — including maintaining safe speeds and reasonable space between you and the next guy — and you do not run red lights, you have nothing to worry about. You won’t even know the cameras are there. And if they keep drivers on their toes, all the better.

And if you do not drive safely, you’re a public menace and have no business being behind the wheel of a killing machine. Big Brother should put you behind bars and slap you with a fat fine.

While we welcome the arrival of the cameras, we must lament that they are ridiculously overdue. The movers and shakers in Philadelphia City Hall and the Pennsylvania Capitol should have made the cameras a reality 30 years ago. The red tape and bureaucratic delays were senseless and may well be responsible for many deaths on the Boulevard over the years. But rather than crying over spilt blood, let’s just say, better late than never.

Now let’s figure out a way to get the cameras up and running at intersections throughout the city. Memo to naysayers who say the cost is prohibitive: Add a 500 percent surcharge to moronic drivers’ insurance premiums. There’s a gold mine there. ••

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