Winnipeg - Of Interest

[esquire]

I just don't see what kind of lesson a $672 ticket will instill that a $200 ticket won't. The only traffic infraction I was ever written up for was a $200 ticket for running a stop sign... you can bet that it corrected my behaviour in a hurry. But if you put a nearly $700 ticket on a young person, in some cases they won't be able to pay it which will lead to bigger problems with the law. And once they're in trouble for failing to pay the fine, you have to ask exactly what problem are you trying to correct at that point.

Personally, I think fining people for smoking in public is asinine to begin with. I can understand why it's an offence to consume it inside vehicles, but the fine is way too high IMO.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Pallister

[optimusREIM]

#cashgrab

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by esquire

I just don't see what kind of lesson a $672 ticket will instill that a $200 ticket won't. The only traffic infraction I was ever written up for was a $200 ticket for running a stop sign... you can bet that it corrected my behaviour in a hurry. But if you put a nearly $700 ticket on a young person, in some cases they won't be able to pay it which will lead to bigger problems with the law. And once they're in trouble for failing to pay the fine, you have to ask exactly what problem are you trying to correct at that point.

Personally, I think fining people for smoking in public is asinine to begin with. I can understand why it's an offence to consume it inside vehicles, but the fine is way too high IMO.

They're not trying to instill lessons, they're trying to prevent behaviour. Maybe if there was a $672 ticket assigned to running stop signs, you wouldn't have run it to begin with. They increased the fine for distracted driving because at the current levels, they weren't seeing a decrease in the behaviour.

[windypeg]

My biggest gripe with conservatives is that they pretend they're all about small government that doesn't intrude on people's lives, but in reality they just want to pay less taxes and actually seem to jump at any opportunity to bring in completely unnecessary laws that dictate the most minute details of what you're allowed to do in public and even in private.

So some people don't like to smell the smoke. I don't particularly like choking on car exhaust every time I walk down the street. Is Pallister going to outlaw fossil fuel vehicles anytime soon?

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by cheswick

They're not trying to instill lessons, they're trying to prevent behaviour. Maybe if there was a $672 ticket assigned to running stop signs, you wouldn't have run it to begin with. They increased the fine for distracted driving because at the current levels, they weren't seeing a decrease in the behaviour.

An almost $700 fine for smoking in public is ridiculous and will only encourage police harassment. It's beyond stupid.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by windypeg

My biggest gripe with conservatives is that they pretend they're all about small government that doesn't intrude on people's lives, but in reality they just want to pay less taxes and actually seem to jump at any opportunity to bring in completely unnecessary laws that dictate the most minute details of what you're allowed to do in public and even in private.

That's precisely what's happening here.

Small government for me (lower taxes, deregulation), the heavy hand of big government (fines, prosecution, government meddling in stupid things... who cares if someone wants to grow weed in their home?) for other people.

[dmacc]

What is the fine for drinking in public? I feel like the two fines should be about the same. I bet in a year a few the rules will become more lenient as it becomes more accepted.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by dmacc

What is the fine for drinking in public? I feel like the two fines should be about the same. I bet in a year a few the rules will become more lenient as it becomes more accepted.

Alcohol doesn't enter your blood standing next to someone drinking in public. THC enters your blood standings next to someone smoking marijuana in public.

They should ban cigarette smoking in public too. I should be able to stand at a bus stop without having to inhale a bunch of disgusting smoke.

[bomberjet]

So if I'm sitting in a park with my wife, smoking some weed and nobody else is around. A cop walks by and gives me a $600 ticket? Piss. Off. In the end I think common sense will prevail. Don't smoke weed in your car just like you don't drink. Otherwise, should be just fine. Now trying to prove how high you are is a whole other thing.

In Ontario you can smoke weed just like cigarettes. Wherever you please.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

#cashgrab

Not if you don't break the law. It's a way to penalize stupidity.

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Alcohol doesn't enter your blood standing next to someone drinking in public. THC enters your blood standings next to someone smoking marijuana in public.

They should ban cigarette smoking in public too. I should be able to stand at a bus stop without having to inhale a bunch of disgusting smoke.

I think you would have a hard time proving that smoking in an open air environment would have any transferable effects.

[Hecate]

These fines are high enough to potentially make lower income people homeless.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Hecate

These fines are high enough to potentially make lower income people homeless.

...again. Are lower income people stupid. Why does having a lower income make you subject to doing something that is against the rules. Don't smoke a joint in your car or in public = paying no fine (rich or poor).

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

Not if you don't break the law. It's a way to penalize stupidity.

No question that's who it will hit... people inclined to act stupidly. The young and impetuous, people who through no fault of their own have lower than average IQs, etc. But why is it OK to stick it to those people, especially when they are the ones least capable of paying the fine?

For certain things fair enough, distracted driving, impaired driving, things that have the potential to harm other people... sure. But that isn't what we're talking about here. These are stiff fines for small potatoes offenses.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Hecate

These fines are high enough to potentially make lower income people homeless.

If it is truly a financial burden - you can challenge the fine and also indicate it would cripple you financially and you are likely to see a reduction and/or payment plan and/or payment deadline extension or all of the above.

[windypeg]

Originally Posted by Biff

Not if you don't break the law. It's a way to penalize stupidity.

For smoking while driving, yes I agree. But for smoking it in public? In MB you're technically not allowed to smoke it anywhere except your own home. It is effectively still illegal for anyone who lives in an apartment. That's stupid. I could support something like a $50 fine for smoking in with 20 meters of entrances to buildings or something reasonable like that.

[bomberjet]

^That's debatable. It's your home, so would be discrimination or something like that. Basically like a second class citizen because you don't live in a house.

Those are the types of things that need to get sorted out. Just like the military requiring 28 days since smoking to going to work. Effectively you cant smoke. Again, by law you're allowed so discrimination of some type.

28 days is ridiculous. Should be something like 12-24 hours max. Especially if you've slept. This isn't like alcohol where you get completely shit faced and are still drunk 12 hours later after sleeping.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

An almost $700 fine for smoking in public is ridiculous and will only encourage police harassment. It's beyond stupid.

smoking a joint while behind the wheel deserves a $675 fine and a boot to the head in my opinion

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

smoking a joint while behind the wheel deserves a $675 fine and a boot to the head in my opinion

I never said anything about driving. A fine for doing that is definitely appropriate. A boot to the head maybe not so much.