On lower speed limits, vandalism, and reckless drivers

As reported earlier this week over on SoHum Parlance, some improvements are in store for the Briceland-Thorne and Shelter Cove roads – namely, some sorely-needed chipsealing work. But the California Highway Patrol and County Roads didn't wait to lower speed limits: according to an April 9 press release from CHP, they have already “lowered the speed limit on numerous sections of these two roads. This was done due to numerous complaints regarding safety issues observed on these roads. The roads were surveyed for radar enforcement and are now posted with enforceable speed limits. The CHP will be patrolling these roadways and taking appropriate enforcement action against any observed violations.”

In response to this, some yahoo asshole jackass/es took it upon himself/themselves (sorry for being sexist, but I’m blatantly assuming he/they were male) to cut down 17 of the 35 new speed-limit signs that were just erected. They were metal posts, so whoever did it used a Sawzall or a similar device, and stole the signs to boot. Earlier in the week, the issue of lowered speed limits and road safety got some airplay on KMUD, with at least one well-known local citizen telling the populace he’d like to know where the speed traps are, so he’ll know when to slow down.

Well, how’s this for a radical idea? Drive carefully on curvy roads, regardless of whether or not you think the CHP is out there. If you’re in such a bloody hurry, why the hell do you live here?

Looking over the comments in response to Eric’s post, there was one in particular that caught my eye and made my blood boil: “The cops don’t seem to worry about the teen deaths, they are more interested in pot busts, like when you get on the freeway.”

Granted, the CHP has had a banner year for roadside pot busts. But you know, at this point, this is my feeling about it: if you’re a) speeding down a major highway while transporting 20 pounds of pot, b) speeding down a major highway with a busted headlight while transporting 20 pounds of pot, or c) congregating near the bottom of Bell Springs Road with two other cars, shortly past midnight, with 20 pounds of pot and $100,000 in cash... well, you’re a moron, and you deserve to be caught.

But it’s the first part of the comment that really bothered me. Why do you, Anonymous, believe “the cops don’t seem to worry about the teen deaths”? Have you ever spoken to any of these cops? Their job is to ensure that people are driving safely and not breaking any laws. Their job does not include teaching people to drive safely and not to drink and drive. Those should have been assumed the day you got your driver’s license.

*****

On August 31, 2007, four young people – including 19-year-old Garberville resident Stevie Shroyer – died when the car they were riding in, driven by 25-year-old Cody Baker, plunged into Ruth Lake.

From an article written by Thaddeus Greenson of the Times-Standard:

“Baker said he spent the summer working on a ranch in Southern Humboldt County, doing some painting work and playing softball. During that time, Baker said he would drink 10 to 12 beers a day while working on the ranch and as many as 25 during softball tournaments.

Baker testified that he consumed about a dozen beers – but possibly more – between noon and 10 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2007, but that he only had a couple of sips between then and the fatal crash, which occurred shortly before midnight.

...Baker said he agreed to drive because he ‘felt fine,’ and feared that if he didn’t drive, one of his more intoxicated companions would.

‘I didn’t feel the effects of any alcohol and everyone else had been drinking pretty heavily,’ Baker said. ‘I just felt that I should be driving. ... Growing up with this group of friends, as sad as it is, drinking and driving isn’t that frowned upon. One way or another, someone would have gotten behind the wheel to get them to the destination.’

Baker’s blood-alcohol level was reportedly .17 – twice the legal limit – when tested three hours after the accident. That would put Baker’s blood-alcohol content at an estimated .23 at the time of the crash, after taking into account different burn-off rates.”

As I reported in the post below about Emma Worldpeace’s thesis on youth deaths in Southern Humboldt, the spring 2008 California Health Kids Survey indicated that in Southern Humboldt, 17 percent of 7th graders, 38 percent of 9th graders, and 42 percent of 11th graders had engaged in binge drinking in the 30 days prior to the survey – compared to statewide statistics of 5, 12, and 21 percent, respectively. And as Emma discovered in a series of in-depth interviews with Southern Humboldt residents, youths themselves point to a culture of permissiveness and no limits as being a core problem that may contribute to the recklessness – and in turn, youth deaths – in our little part of the world.

*****

I’ve had more than a few close calls on the Briceland and Shelter Cove roads. And as much as I enjoy going out to the Cove – it’s a gorgeous drive to a beautiful little community, and I do love the ocean – it stopped being fun a long time ago. These days, if I need an ocean fix, I’m just as likely to go to Fort Bragg. There isn’t nearly as much traffic on 1, and the drivers are much more cognizant of the risks of curvy roads – and the pleasures of slowing down.

The Garberville CHP station has 11 patrol cars on duty per shift. That’s 11 cars to cover an area from Weott in the north to Laytonville in the south, and from Shelter Cove in the west to the Trinity County line in the east. I’ve seen and heard lots of complaints from people who want more of a CHP presence on the coastal roads; likewise, I’ve seen and heard just as many complaints from people who want less of a presence on 101. As evidenced by Anon’s comment, there are also plenty of people who think they don’t give a damn either way, that all they care about is pot busts. As if they didn’t live here, didn’t have children here, hadn’t seen their share of dead bodies on the road.

As Bob Dylan famously put it, “To live outside the law, you must be honest.” Let’s stop pointing fingers; hating the cops for doing their jobs (just because it’s de rigueur in Southern Humboldt to do so) deflects attention away from the much deeper problem in our midst. It’s way past time that we take responsibility for ourselves and what we’re teaching our children – about drinking and driving, speeding, recklessness, and the idea that just because we live in the Emerald Triangle, we get to live without rules.