A Thought For When You're On the Road

You know those jerks who zoom ahead when the road loses a lane, and then expect people to let them cut into line? The author of Freakonomics has a lovely idea on how to make their bad behavior pay -- for the rest of us:

I was in New York City the other day and my taxi cab driver bypassed a long line of cars exiting the freeway to cut in at the last second. As usual, I enjoyed being an innocent bystander/beneficiary to this little crime. But what happened next was even more gratifying to the economist in me. A police officer was standing in the middle of the road, waving every car that cut in line over to the shoulder, where a second officer was handing out tickets like an assembly line. By my rough estimate, these two officers were giving out 30 tickets an hour at $115 a pop. At over $1,500 per officer per hour (assuming the tickets get paid), this was a fantastic money making proposition for the city. And it nails just the right people.

Just something for you to imagine when you're on the road to wherever you're going this Thanksgiving. Fortunately for us, we're going to my in-laws', three miles away on a rural road. We won't much have to worry about stuff like this.

Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry

This entry has 7 comments: (Add your own)

#7 Comment from lurkynat
11/24/05 1:26 AM | Permalink

Dear John, very amuzing! I once waqtched a woman pass me ina no-passing lane, barely mising a mother and two children who were crossing the road. Boy did she need a ticket or something!
nat
#6 Comment from lurkynat
11/24/05 1:26 AM | Permalink

Dear John, very amuzing! I once waqtched a woman pass me ina no-passing lane, barely mising a mother adn two children who were crossing the road. Boy did she need a ticket or something!
nat
#5 Comment from onemoretina
11/23/05 11:42 PM | Permalink

Bravo ! This has always irked me, and nice to see the guilty ones get their comeuppance. Enjoy Thanksgiving... Tina http://journals.aol.com/onemoretina/Ridealongwithme
#4 Comment from xscrazychris
11/23/05 1:10 PM | Permalink

I LOVE IT!!!! Those people are one of my commute nightmares. What did they think we were all in line for? What makes them so entitled?!?! Well - now they can pay for their entitlement!

WOOHOO!
Chris
http://journals.aol.com/xscrazychris/Abruptchangeoftopic
#3 Comment from glendar0812
11/23/05 11:19 AM | Permalink

YES! I LOVE IT!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! WHOO HOO!! HALLELUJAH!! PRAISES TO THE NY OFFICERS ... PASS IT ON......and one more YES< YES YES .... for good measure. YES>

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A Thought For When You're On the Road