You Don't have to go to Jail if you don't want to!
Since anyone can remember lawlessness on the roads has been rampant. The DGT has made passing the tests to obtain a driving license so difficult that many people simply gave up. They bought a cheap acr and drove without a permit, insurance, or without paying the road tax. When they were finally stopped and their car was taken from them, they simply went out and bought another.
The implications of that were horrific. When such people were the cause of an accident they simply left the scene. They were uninsured so that left their victims at a disadvantage. Finally, the lawmakers got tough. They mandated that anyone found driving under the influence of drink or drugs would be taken straight to jail. However, they were picking up lawmakers themselves, and law enforcers. So, there was a backing off from that.
After the passing of time the proposal was brought back with the added provision that anyone driving who had never held a license would also go to jail This made sense because those people who drove around in wrecks that they dared the police to take from them, now faced going straight to jail. That gave many of them pause. But, now the courts are very reluctant to send people to prison for these offences. Instead they are sentencing people to do Community Service.
In principle that sounds noble, however, there are so many people out of work that these jobs should be a means of returning people to employment so that they can earn a living. It’s all very well declaring to the judge that “I don’t want to go to jail” for my sins of driving while drunk or without a license, but you really shouldn’t expect to be taken seriously. But, that is exactly what is happening in the courts.
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Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael
