Saturday, December 17, 2005
Dying Man Ticketed...
A 73-year-old man who receieved a $5 jaywalking ticket after he was struck by a car in Washington, DC, has died. Although witnesses said Charles Atherton was badly injured at the scene, police issued him the ticket. His family found it with his belongings when they went to the hospital. Police Captain Willie Smith said officers would have not issued the ticket "if we knew he was going to die."
Yikes, makes me think twice about jaywalking. Not only could I be struck and killed by a car, but my family might be left with a huge debt to pay. Although, if the police refuse to fine people if they know they are going to die, crime could be rampant in the streets because.... we're all going to die someday!
I wonder if the first person to cross the street was named Jay....
Yikes, makes me think twice about jaywalking. Not only could I be struck and killed by a car, but my family might be left with a huge debt to pay. Although, if the police refuse to fine people if they know they are going to die, crime could be rampant in the streets because.... we're all going to die someday!
I wonder if the first person to cross the street was named Jay....
# posted by Dairn @ 2:55 PM 
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I heard about this story. Apparently, police said that the man was not merely struck by a car while jaywalking. I am not sure f all the details, but they claim that he caused the accident through his reckless endnagerment of human lives, and therefore was deserving of the ticket.
I guess, deep down, the question is really this - is the law the law, or isn't it? Although i feel bad that this gentleman died, he DID do something illegal and foolhardy. Most of us should thank God that we are not punished the same way (death , i mean, not a ticket) when we do the very same thing. After all, we all jaywalk from time to time, do we not? And do we not all speed from time to time? Think of all the ways in which we disobey the rules of society!
I, for one, am glad that we have a loving and forgiving God, because we spend far more time disobeying God's commands (the ones He gives us for our own good, our own protection) that we should, and we get away with far more than we deserve to.
This gentleman gambled, and lost.
And truth be told, he deserved the fine as well. Too bad it did not come at another time he was jaywalking, maybe then it would have deterred him from doing it again, and thus dying. Maybe.
I guess, deep down, the question is really this - is the law the law, or isn't it? Although i feel bad that this gentleman died, he DID do something illegal and foolhardy. Most of us should thank God that we are not punished the same way (death , i mean, not a ticket) when we do the very same thing. After all, we all jaywalk from time to time, do we not? And do we not all speed from time to time? Think of all the ways in which we disobey the rules of society!
I, for one, am glad that we have a loving and forgiving God, because we spend far more time disobeying God's commands (the ones He gives us for our own good, our own protection) that we should, and we get away with far more than we deserve to.
This gentleman gambled, and lost.
And truth be told, he deserved the fine as well. Too bad it did not come at another time he was jaywalking, maybe then it would have deterred him from doing it again, and thus dying. Maybe.
Tamara, YOU'RE awesome!
Mel, thanks for the info (all those poor, stupid, ignorant people named Jay out there!)
Al, I don't speed some of the time. I speed ALL of the time!
Mel, thanks for the info (all those poor, stupid, ignorant people named Jay out there!)
Al, I don't speed some of the time. I speed ALL of the time!
You know, sometimes if im in a crap mood, I read yor blog and it makes me smile. Keep it up dairn
--jen
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--jen
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