DygiScape

VA Considers Banning Texting While Driving, Difficult to Enforce

Perhaps you’ve replied to a text message to a friend or family member, but soon that will be illegal in Virginia. Law makers are considering completely banning the use of text messaging while driving in an effort to make driving safer. I have a few thoughts on this legislation.

How can a police officer enforce this?
One of the most challenging pieces of this, is the fact that law enforcement has very few tools to actually enforce this. The technology involved is easy controlled by mobile phone users. When a person sees a cop, all they need to do is hit the End button. No message, no drafts, nothing. Nothing that would ever stand up in court. How would an officer witness texting? I know I hold my phone in my car like I’m texting when I am making a speakerphone call. Smartphone discrimination? I can see it now.

It’s already illegal to talk on cell phones (as a minor), use radar detectors, and additional penalties are sanctioned against VA drivers … how much more legislation does VA residents need against them?
While this is very conservative of me, law makers need to stop trying to protect and regulate every aspect of driving. I strongly doubt that text messaging on a cell phone is the highest cause of accidents, so “safety” is just a cover for revenue, just as it was for the ‘abusive driver fees,’ which has now been under more criticism since it had no effect on traffic fatalities.

“But how do we stop people from texting while driving, who risk everyone’s life when they get on the roads?”
First, you’re probably the problem when it comes to traffic safety; as you read your newspaper, brush your teeth, fail to turn your headlights on, tailgate and speed when you drive. Not only that, I’ve personally avoided several accidents because of driver’s lack of experience when merging lanes.  Further, depending on the state to provide a false sense of safety isn’t the answer. If you can tell me one time the state has enacted a law that actually resulted in fewer deaths, then please correct me. The only one who is responsible for your safety on the road is you, not the cops, not the legislators, not the courts. You should be an active, defensive driver who takes responsibility for the circumstances around them and not be a victim.

What do you think of this law? Will this actually save lives, protect others; or is it just infringing on the rights of all drivers in VA?

Tags: Government, laws, Rants, technology, virginia

My Thoughts on TMZ (and How They Grew More Than 200%!)

As someone who is as disinterested in celebrity gossip as writers are interested in comics, I can’t help but watch the Web site (and syndicated TV show) Thirty Mile Zone, TMZ in awe about their amazing growth over the past few years.

TMZ.COM, ~6MVisits to ~15MVisits/Mo in 1 Yr.

People consistently love disasters, crime, nudity and negativity. I can’t blame the readers, because look at what’s being reported and the extreme bias that’s added in. I expect the snarky one-upping to be from independent bloggers, not from a professional Journalism team. Then again, look at who they are reporting.

Does this mean people are becoming less interested in (gasp!) financial responsibility or politics? Has Britney Spears had more impact on the country than Congress or OPEC? Are people more interested in celebrity antics as celeb-gossip sites lead us to believe? Do the stars themselves LOVE the attention their getting? Do we even care anymore? I don’t know, but page views are page views are page views.

TMZ has become a household name, like what’s that newspaper at grocery checkout counters the, the E… yeah, that’s it — the Enquirer. I think TMZ’s success has been likely due to their accessibility more than their content. Their name is catchy (it’s only three letters!) They can turn every story into an “exclusive” by merely throwing up captions in their industry-leading font and put up a photo frame and it’s sold. People are captured, sold, and they look again for more.

I’ve just turned on my local FOX affiliate, WTTG FOX-5, and I noticed TMZ on TV has made itself into two evening television appearances at 6:30 and 11:30 PM, dishing the same dirt as their Web site on the stars. The format irks me. The set is designed to appear as a hustling and bustling newsroom, but it just doesn’t grab me as much as their Web site does. Harvey Levin’s short questions and overly exerted facial expressions seem a little over the top for the actual news being discussed. Their staff seems to be just a little too interested in the small pieces of news (stalkerish) and every topic said gets written onto a Plexiglas board, yet I see no addition scribblings on the board.

I do have to say that despite my disgust in celebrity gossip, I enjoy their “who kissed who” segment where they show all the former relationships a celeb had in relation who they are allegedly going out with. This is probably the only real content that keeps me watching TMZ.

I find it amazing how they, TMZ, continue to ask rhetorical questions that can only be contrived from viewers, “Why doesn’t the paparazzi give the stars space?”Then they answer it justifying that celebrities shouldn’t be allowed to walk outside! That is the most circular-logic answer I’ve ever heard. Why don’t they just spill the truth, “You keep watching [and clicking] so we have to stalk the stars the second the walk out of their house.”

However, I do agree that celebrities should understand the kind of media power they yield and should leverage that and balance it with life and work. I find it interesting how the strongest of celebrity stars seem to have the weakest PR teams when it comes to celebrity news.

Back to my point — people thrive off of gossip and drama pertaining to the lives of others. TMZ is just the reporter. While they do spin certain stories, the spin is very clear to the reader, and it leaves them coming back for more. Maybe this is the secret to TMZ’s success; while being dually promoted by AOL when ever someone’s caught without undergarments, or is having an emotional breakdown.

Celebrities are human, too. They even troll Internet forums. Given ‘em a break. What do you think? Is TMZ evil, or do they just do an excellent job at reporting to the masses on celebrity news?

Tags: internet, News, Rants, social media, Success

Taser Abuse: Deaf, Naked and at Home

Another incident (link via Digg) involving more Taser abuse from law enforcement, even if you are physically handicapped and posing no physical threat.

Donnell Williams was at home getting out of his bath only an with only a towel on, turned the corner in his house and was at gun point with police. Williams, who is medically deaf and forgot put his heading aide on, he was terrorized and motioned that he was deaf by pointing to his ear. Police responded by electrocuting him. Police were called to William’s home when searching for a shooter — which was later determined that it was a false call. You can read the full story on the local news affiliate, KWCH-12.

Deputy Chief Robert Lee passively responded to this incident with the following statement:

“This one occurred on the worst of calls, that being a shooting. The first few minutes getting control of the scene are very, very important.”

His statement failed offer any assurance that corrective action would take place, nor did he state that further training on the use of a Taser would take place. This is unacceptable! How do we accept this? More importantly, why do we accept this abuse?

Tasers aren’t meant to be the first tool of choice when handling conflicts with subjects. First, you need to accurately assess a situation. Then you must make a reasonable decision on how to react to it. As I’ve blogged before, Discretion is Important, you need to listen to them. If the situation legitimately warrants the use of compliance devices, then you do that … but never should you skip the elementary fundamentals of a field interview (listening to their verbal and non-verbal body language.)

Despite having the officer apologize for the incident, it does not address the greater problem of trigger-happy law enforcement who lack the ability of protecting and serving.

How many legal risks or minutes/pages of media coverage will it take to address this problem? Unfortunately, I can’t tell you, but one thing is for sure — it will be some time until Taser abuse reaches the level of egregiousness that is felt such as Rodney King.

Tags: debate, discussion, Government, law, News, police, Rants, taser

Discretion is Important

One who enforces laws or guidelines, it’s important to always keep in mind that proper discretion is key to successful enforcement. This video of a young man being tasered is an example of poor assessment of a situation and lack of proper discretion by Cpl Thomas O’Connor.

The officer initiated a stop on the highway and demanded to see the driver’s license, registration and insurance. As he was getting it out, the officer escalated the situation by yelling and pointing his Taser gun at him. Then after changing orders to have the driver exit the vehicle, the officer’s abrasiveness resulted in him yelling at the driver, then electrocuting him (being Tased) to get him on the ground. From that point, the officer became belligerent and called for backup and failed to address why the driver is under arrest. You can read the news article from The Statesman.

The officer was suspended for three days from this incident. Additionally, he has been suspended before for similar behavior, as well has numerous complaints about his demeanor with citizens in his area.

I know a Taser is a non-lethal weapon, but was this application of using it necessary? I’ve been tased (not from an officer, but by friends at a party) before, and it’s very inconvenient to say the least. From a typical traffic citation to being tased on the ground, it’s certainly excessive in my opinion. I’d like to see where in Taser training videos, it stated to yell at someone and use it within 45 seconds of the interaction with a subject.

If I was the victim, I would sue this officer civilly and press charges criminally and ensure there was wide media coverage so all police departments can learn from this example. The only person that had control in the situation, was the only one who escalated it.

What happened to beating people senseless with batons or pistol whipping people? Just kidding… clearly Tasers are the new baton, and must be used appropriately.

Just for anecdotal purposes, I do a certain amount of enforcement and I continually assess and make judgments on many conflicts between users. While it’s easier to close accounts, my discretion allows me to give people a second chance to adhere to the guidelines on our service and often it’s effective.

Sometimes you just need to step back and look at the big picture to make the best judgment.

Tags: discretion, enforcement, law enforcement, police, police brutality, Rants, tasers

Where are the E85 Stations?

Considering that many auto manufacturers sell a lot of vehicles which are E85 (”Flex Fuel”) compatible, why aren’t there any closer E85 Stations here in Northern Virginia?

This weekend, I was going to try an experiment to test different mixtures of E85 to Regular Unleaded 87 octane, to see if there was any MPG or power increase. Well, consider this test busted because I’m not going to drive 50 miles to the closest station that sells E85. (I did this once in Tucson, and I felt more responsiveness from the car, but negligible gains on the MPG…)

What’s so special about E85? It is a type of gasoline which is gasoline mixture of 85% Ethanol, which is 110 Octane. Typical “racing fuel,” E85 surpasses Methanol-based gasolines in terms of the Octane rating and the overall cost. The other side of the issue, is the fossil fuel stuff. Ethanol is grown here in the USA, from Corn. A lot less crude oil is necessary to make E85.

Argh! Why isn’t Shell offering E85? At least in Ashburn, where 90% of the vehicles in that area can run on E85? (For those that don’t know, Shell dominates the gas stations out here.)

Tags: e85, ethanol, gas, northern va, rant, Rants, stations, virginia

What Apple Does Right (and Wrong)

Many innovators could tell you about the challenges Apple faced some time ago and how they overcame them to be one of the best-known computer manufacturers. Just as important as the strength of a company, are their weaknesses that people tend to forget.

What they do right:

• Apple is customer focused. A majority of their products, services, technologies, have all been in favor of the end-user — both new and their existing customer base. While I may personally dislike iTunes, I can definitely see the value it provides for people, as well as making amends with the media industry. People love their iPods, MacBooks, Mighty mouse, Mac Mini, and other popular Mac products.
• Apple makes their products available to the market effectively. These days, if you don’t make your product out to market in an aggressive time frame, you fail. I am very impressed with Apple’s innovations and the short time they took to make them available to their consumers.
• Apple is quality-focused. Not many Mac users ever complain about conflicting software. Why? Apple makes reliable, tested, durable products that can withstand the demands of their users. I imagine they probably lab-test with a combination of professional users as well as inexperienced ones to see what’s up.
• “Innovate or Die” is Apple’s other motto. Years ago, the tech giant was facing bankruptcy among other challenges, faced gaining poor reputation among users, industry insiders and investors. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak challenged the industry by improving the basic functions that consumers wanted — and did a damn good job of it.

What they do wrong:

• Not transparent enough. Apple has gained a reputation by means of fan-boys being egregiously gullible to company rumors, especially among bloggers. Whether they are legitimate or not, the company doesn’t do good enouigh job communicating to users and the industry. I suggest they could do a blog with a team of folks who handle user, industry, and press questions and respond accordingly.
• Inching closer to the dark side. I strongly believe Apple does have their customer’s interests at heart, but I think their success is becoming like a snowball — if they can’t achieve phenomenal numbers from the previous quarter, they are viewed as slowing down and imploding on innovation. Because of this (coupled with the obvious — they want to stay on top), they cooperate with the industry too much. For instance, the iPhone, they restricted it to just AT&T and continued to pursue DMCA notifications against the authors of the unlocking software. This isn’t cool, and is proof they are edging closer to the dark side.

That’s pretty much it on what I believe Apple does well and what obstacles they face as they go forward. I presume that as an elitist technology company, a bit of mystery is good which is why they probably keep their mouth shut about their products as it drive bloggers and columnists wild when they release innovative technologies.

Surely that can’t be all the things Apple does right and wrong … share your thoughts in the comments.

Tags: apple, bad, consumers, good, innovation, internet, products, Rants, technology

Some Reasonable Suggestions on How DMV Can Improve Customer Service (and Profit, too!)

WTF: Although unrelated to my blog entry, I had to post this. Found it when searching for “Virginia DMV” on Flickr.

When was the last time you paid your vehicle registration and had a pleasant experience? That is my frustration, that the number of state governments fail to address the needs of their citizens who pay annual fees for the privilege of driving. I want to share my observations and suggestions I have for the Virginia DMV (and other states) can improve customer service and do it cheaply.

The first thing that you do is enter the facility then wait in line for the Information Desk. This is where they vet out the folks who don’t have the right paperwork, provide paperwork for people, and issue the ticket. I can attest that the line on average takes a minimum of 45 minutes to stand and wait. Even if you just want to pay them, you wait just like the people who are applying for citizenship.

Next, you hope that you filled everything out correctly you wait even more. I estimated another 45 minutes goes by and it feels like the lottery when your ticket number is called. You gleefully go to the DMV representative. To your shock, one incorrect check box, one field not entered, one typo when transposing a 17-character VIN, or a form that you didn’t know about — you’re fucked. The only real incentive in going to the DMV, is to only go there once and never hassle with them again until next year.

The problem in this, is that I imagine DMV turns people away for rather minor reasons. The goal is not to help people, in fact, to treat customers so bad, they never come to you for assistance. In other words, just clock in, make it to the end of the day and clock out without any regard for the people they help. This form of customer service is detrimental to not only the people, but to the state as a whole. For some reason, people have come to accept poor customer service from a government entity; but can’t wait to jump on the chance to criticize businesses who do the same. (Word to the wise — I’m not saying it’s OK.)

Alright Joe, so you know it all, you fix the system. As I share my suggestions, understand that the DMV is a two-way street and it depends on customers who are motivated as well as the governments who employee their staff. (Nice pun and metaphor, I might add.)

• Remove the Information Desk and replace it with a touch-screen flow-based system. Seriously, give me the salary of one of these traffic-lights, and I’ll code the thing myself. This will allow users to read the information, select what they want, allows them to evaluate the required forms and documentation, and queue themselves in line. Note that when queued, they are issued a code which is tracked. (I’ll explain in bit, keep going…)
• Utilize sponsored TV programming. Nothing is worse when waiting in line than when you get to watch the clock tick. Many studies have shown that if you distract someone during a boring exercise, they are less apt to be upset. Why does this matter? Keep your citizens happy, and they just might make you happy. How many of us can recall a story in our DMV experience of “some guy” who was yelling at the DMV workers? Think of how upsetting that is for the employee as well as the time impact to everyone else as a result.
• Maximize technology to the best it can offer. While biometrics isn’t up to par, bar codes, and simple “online” accounts citizens can manage to link their assets together is mutually beneficial. Why issue licenses with a Bar code if it isn’t even adopted at the DMV? (I know, I know, age verification systems.) Enable citizens to pay their fees seamlessly via computerized terminals. The bottom line: make it easy to do the most complex tasks. Allow the users to exit from a flow, and elevate the concern to the DMV staff. Reward your computer users with fast processing time while not penalizing those who use the traditional processes.
• Revamp employee compensation into a profit mentality. We don’t just go to work to get the same paycheck, do we? We all aim high and like to provide the best for our lives. Introduce a bonus structure for the volume of customers handled, as well as the accuracy of the data. Deploy a coaching process and observation system for managers to help teach best practices to inexperienced employees. Implement a Quality Assurance construct where customers take a survey based on their experience (anonymous paid surveys) and DMV centers that have high performance and quality are given a higher bonus; where as lower performing ones aren’t.
• Regulate and manage in-state inspections. In case you didn’t know, in VA and several other states, inspections have to be done by private industry mechanics who are authorized by the state to do state-mandated “safety” inspections. This is a waste of time, money, and resources. The only reason why this is done, is so the shop owners pocket more money from unsuspecting people. The bottom-line: one price for everyone, and the revenue stays in-house.
• Remove unnecessary bureaucratic layers required. As much of a maze as DMV installations are, they don’t have to be. Trim redundancy, and revise policies where reasonable and just. That doesn’t mean add more hoops for someone to jump through, just cut the bullshit, collect your fees, issue their tags, title their cars and get out. I suggest the easiest thing that VA can do, is allow drivers to waive the mandatory safety inspection. Waive what? Exactly, just remove it because it’s not like the state is liable if someone neglects their vehicle. It is cautioned in the driver’s manual, as well as common sense that before accessing a roadway, you perform a brief visual inspection of your vehicle for tire pressure, leaks, or other problems.
• Employ customer service advocates in each satellite DMV office. Their job would be to observe the overall morale of employees, customers, and other internal staff and implement motivating campaigns to bring numbers up. They would earn bonuses on the aggregate of all satellite offices.
• Listen to customer feedback and allow for escalation processes. I imagine that many disgruntled customers are often the result of misinformation or confusion to the processes. The role of the customer service advocate is to reach out such customers and address concerns and issue priority tickets so they can get speedy service if warranted.

These are all great ideas, but how do they make money?

I return that question with, tell me one state government that operates in the green — or even within their allocated budget? [...] Exactly. However, I intend to blur the lines of “profit generating” to “cost reduction.” Lower the costs by having to have less employees on the payroll, while still collecting the same (if not more) revenue via non-linear methods. As far as the employees, let attrition and inter-departmental promotions reduce the workforce.

I know that some of my ideas are reasonable and possible. What do you think: What suggestions do you have for YOUR DMV? Let me know in the comments.

Tags: customer satisfaction, customer service, dmv, i like waffles, ideas, motor vehicle, mvd, profits, Rants, slow, speedy, state government

Being Civil Doesn’t Always Pay

For a while now, some of you know that I’ve made some mistakes with my past relationship. First of which is being too civil and reasonable. To some, that means “whipped,” to me, I’ve made compromises and have maintained flexibility. The only problem was the other person was too stubborn, thus resulting in more drama later.

I’ve given this individual more than reasonable notice to change their direct deposits and get their own health insurance, and to cease any further activity from my bank account. With the intention of not becoming an asshole, I facilitated my own demise in the situation. I figured being a nice guy, it would pay off — think again.

Of course now, on my vacation, I have the time to tie all my loose ends. Not really the first thing someone wants to do on their vacation, but it had to get done.

You know what’s funny? The fact I blinded myself from acknowledging this problem from happening. I mean I can give advice to others who are in my situation, but I didn’t have the awareness of seeing this unfold. For instance, for the last few months of our relationship, every discussion started out about money. It was sickening to say the least. It resulted in me volunteering her $215 cash out of my goodwill, and let her use the account for hotel stays along the way back home. It was “reasonable,” and certainly not the worst that I could have done.

More recently, I withdrew $250 from my own account to hold me over with things while I’m here and the very first voice mail I get is from her wondering where my money is. Then, she pulls some attitude with me about her money in my account, and later lies about creating her own bank account or even taking the time to pursue it. When under stress, her true colors shine so brightly, and to her it’s anything for a free ride.

Later the next day, I attended a wedding where we were mutual friends with the bride and groom. I called her the night before to confirm the date and time (which by providing me the location and time, it’s implied its OK for me to go). I get there, and not more than 10 minutes later, she (MoH) asks her minions (groomsmen) to ask me to leave. It wasn’t too surprising, but I was intrigued at the fact the requester didn’t have the fortitude to address me in person. Secondly, it was just so classy of her to bring her personal agenda into someone else’s wedding. I acted respectful and sent my regards to the bride and groom, then I left. Actions speak louder than words.

Later, I deleted her from MySpace (which these days means you REALLY don’t like them). Then changed all my passwords for my accounts. It was my mistake for letting her use the copy of Firefox with all my passwords saved. In addition, I switched my direct deposit from work, which only took a few minutes. Breaking off the cell phone from her account was quite nice, since she failed to pay the bill on time, and everything started out with “I thought …”

Then the excuses came. I received a couple text messages on my phone from her stating, “…if you want to talk about this like adults, then call me…sorry…,“which is really ridiculous. Maybe if you acted like an adult at the wedding, or an adult at any point in your life, you’d have the foresight on how your actions will be interpreted. Then I get the long-winded, zero paragraphs, broken-punctuation letter from her justifying her actions over the weekend.

I’ve learned vicariously through some contacts who were present at the wedding, that she just couldn’t get enough from talking about me. I mean, I know I’m a good guy and all, but it’s flattering to hear that I was the topic of discussion without me even being there. Thanks, I appreciate the smack-talk, but just realize that it only makes you look more like an ass in front of your friends. Besides, isn’t it more disrespectful to bring up your ex, while two people just got married?

Growing up is hard. I’ve learned my lessons. I’m actually glad this happened to me now. She was special to me at one point. But after her charade was over, her character really disgusts me. Second, being nice about money bites you in the ass. Money is money, it has no feelings. I can’t dictate what someone does and all I can do is control my actions, feelings, and tone with people.

For someone who didn’t want things to “end badly,” well, life’s a bitch, just like you. You manipulate people by playing the victim all the time while lacking responsibility during all of your tragedies. I made my mistakes, and I admit them; but you fail to do so. Your actions speak for yourself, your impulses, and your psyche. I may have been flexible and nice; but that ended Saturday at 10:15AM. Things are going to have changed. You get zero sympathy from me. Go on, tell your friends what a dick I am. Tell them something they haven’t heard. Surprise them.

Good Riddance, STFU GTFO, n00b.

Tags: Personal, Rants, relationship

LCSD: Why Am I So Suspicious?

Alright, I’ve really had enough. Today, I went to lunch and I got pulled over again by a cop for “suspicious activity.” I was pulled over previously this week also for the same reason. In all circumstances, I was obeying the law.

I’m not sure why I seem so suspicious, I was traveling at a nominal speed, driving straight, using turn signals, paying attention, and also have valid plates (’till next month).

Anyhow here’s how the Field Interview (FI) went:

[Radio off, hands positioned at 11 and 1 on the steering wheel]

Officer: Good afternoon, how are you doing today?
Me: I’m doing fine. May I ask why you pulled me over?
Officer: You seemed a little suspicious.
Me: What was suspicious? … My vehicle or my driving?
Officer: Can I see your license, registration and insurance?
Me: Sure. [Hands them to him]
Officer: Where are you from?
[Understand that I gave him my AZ license and registration, and I still have my AZ plate]
Me: [Redacted], Arizona
Officer: Ah, where you going?
Me: Just out to lunch and on my way back to work, sir.
Officer: Where do you work?
Me: AOL, it’s right off of Waxpool. Here’s my employee badge — [shows my RFID badge].
Officer: Hm. Ok… [He goes back to his Tahoe and runs some records and comes back]
Me: Sir, what was the reason why you pulled me over? … I’ve been very compliant to your questions today and I haven’t exhibited any unusual or criminal behavior. I would like to know the reason for initiating my stop.
Officer: We’re just making sure everyone is safe.
Me: I beg to differ. This is just so you and your buddies can earn quotas. This is my second time of being pulled over on this road. It’s getting ridiculous. The officer last time provided me the same lines of bullshit on why you are pulling people over.
Officer: Sorry to hear that.
Me: Sure you are. Are you going to write a ticket or am I free to go?
Officer: You better watch your tone, or–
Me: Or what? Write me a ticket that is questionable in the first place, and that it will be my basis for holding you and your department accountable for harassment. Last time I checked, it isn’t a crime to drive in Virginia.
Officer: Here you go. [Abruptly hands back my license, registration and insurance and returns to his vehicle.]
[Drives back to work, fuming.]

I know I was very abrasive at the end, but his dodgy questions and overzealous attitude deserved it. While I may not be the one wearing a badge, I am a customer of sorts, and the police here need to understand how to better adapt to different “customers.” For instance, when I asked very direct and clear questions, I expect them to reply with just as much clarity.

I am thrilled to pay for for my vehicle registration this month. Exhilarated!

Tags: Field Interview, LCSO, police, Rants, Sheriff, Traffic

NoVA Street Racing Scene = Fail.

So, this Friday I got all excited to venture around to meet up with the local ricers and such. After some small talk, I was surprised to see that street racing here is non-existent.

[ Yes, we can debate about the moral and legal issues concerning street racing, but that will be for a future entry.]

There’s no drama between racing factions, no he says/she says crap, and no stolen parts conundrums. It’s kind of interesting. Also, the collection of cars, the American Muscle and foreign cars park next to each other and just hang out. People meet up to hang out and not cause trouble.

Being more curious, I asked what happens when the 5-0 comes around? Simply put, the cops don’t do anything unusual. They simply drive by to make sure no one is fighting or causing a public disturbance. Wow.

A few other reasons why street racing is rare, is the the aggressive enforcement from the police when you are caught, aggressive judgment (biased in the police’s favor), and excessive fines on top of it. I can totally understand. If you didn’t know, street racing in Virginia carries hefty penalties:

• Seizure of all vehicles who participated in illegal street racing. [Ref.]
• License suspension 6Mo. to 2 Years, at discretion of the court. [Ref.]
• License shall be assigned 6 demerit points. [Ref.]
• $350.00 Civil Remedial Fee. [Ref.]

Yeah, so let it be known that I do not engage, participate, promote, or encourage any illegal street racing in the state of Virginia.

So I asked about the local drag strip, Old Dominion. It’s a 1/8 mile strip! Not even a full quarter-mile. It’s about 20 minutes from me, it’s not worth it to go. I find it so hard to fathom how they couldn’t lay out another 1/8 mile of asphalt!

In conclusion, drag racing and street racing is a pretty dead scene. Call it good for the safety of others, call it good cause another scene hits the dust thanks to legislation. I miss drag racing.

Tags: drag racing, northern va, Rants, street racing, virginia