School Zone Santa .Com

When a person wants to do something, and he needs help he goes to someone who allegedly thinks the same. I heard on talk back that Ray agrees that the answer to the problem at school zones is "flashing lights" to warn drivers when it's school zone time.(he said wed 9/2 Flashing lights with solar power ,I don't agree. with solar power) see categories.)
The cost to the RTA would be huge so they aren't keen to install flashing lights at all. but they have found to their great delight, that even with all the signage people can't get used to the school zone speed limit times, so penalising drivers has become a lucrative pastime.

But we CAN change their mind.
If an unpopular policy is going to cost enough votes, they WILL change policy.
There is more money in being in power, than in opposition
Those in power get the biggest perks.

It is a bit disheartening by the lack of media response . It appears the TV were, with a bag of 40 pieces of silver (seasonaly adjusted)chasing after an alleged "enemy combatatant" or camped outside Nichols' house.

Speaking of alleged, as I was driving to kogarah, I heard on the 2GB news Fri 28 Jan ( pupil free day )an item about those two brothers convicted and sentenced for rape. This news item said that the two brothers had "allegedly" raped this young woman.
Excuse me, but when you are tried, convicted and sentenced the news room can drop the "alleged "tag.
Anyway I thought I had broken through AS I was mentioned on the Ray Hadley show. Excitedly I rang in to explain my cause to his listeners. Obviously I didn't come across to well ,because for a man who has been on the RTA 's back about flashing lights for three years( he said that this morning) I didn't get much air time as I thought I might.
He spends more time discussing the paintwork of a restaraunt, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the sponser pays for that light hearted banter too. The audience is, I think, not supposed to realise that they've just listened to a five minute advertisement.
If I was a little too passionate when I came on I'm sorry but
you would think Ray would've helped santa a bit. If I was a little Fuzzy .( Ihaven't been getting much sleep it's 4.18am now. a "calm down santa " in the voice he uses for old people, and children would have settled me down, as opposed to the voice he uses to tell off politicians.
Then he could have asked Questions like
Why are you doing this schoolzone?
How long will you be there .
Are you getting a reaction?
What does your wife think?
Are you on medication.?
Have the RTA been round?

The RTA were on my websit again yesterday .

How can they get rid of me?
Arrest me?
Just imagine the police prosecutor. "Your honour this man is charged with holding up a sign to remind motorists, that it's school zone time. To help ensure, the school chidren's safety he is using this sign to slow down speeding drivers,the drivers that numerous RTA signs and road markings are unable to do."

I can only put it down to the heat during the night,and subsequent lack of sleep, but if it weren't for me, this morning at least 70-80 drivers wed morning would've been booked. Whats 70-80 x $143

One of the other drivers crawling to work on the other side of the road might ring and tell you how I do it ( if he/she gets on)

Here's an email (Untouched apart From deleting name.)

I met you this am in your very hot santa suit. I have thought what you do to be inspirational.
However i wonder why you have poured so muych time and money into it. I am a great community supporter and believe in what you are doing. SMy boys attend the school on the highway i walk them there and some days drive. I think it is is awesome what you are doing and it amzes me what drives uou each day to do this in your Santa suit. I came back and rang 2GB 2GB and waited for 30 mins. Then the line was disconnected. I will try again. I will support you and the flashing lights system. Particularly in our area where we have 5 schools. The govt have stated in the Telegraph that there this area was the highest in NSW for revenue raising according to the Telegraph. Why dont you just leave the siggns maybe it will take some more people to be bookedto come on board with supportfor you cheers ........

and this one from "angry Motorist"7/2 1.31 pm

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for making me half an hour late for work today.
Everyone slows to a crawl to read your long winded sign which causes extreme traffic congestion.

The traffic was banked back way past St George Leagues Club this morning, not because of an accident, but because of you trying to make a political statement which most people really couldn't care less about.

You are making an extreme nuisance of yourself and putting a lot of people off side by doing so.

Furthermore, people are more likely to speed and drive dangerously through the later part of their morning journey to make up for the travel time which you have selfishly wasted.

It would be appreciated if you would refrain from such action in the future

I advised this "angry motorist" to go another way tommorrow and call the media, any media or Kogarah police. ( a well constructed letter,by the way. If you scroll down the site you'll see I am a bit "long Winded")

This morning I took up my normal spot near the city side camera because the cars "speed" against the peak flow. The reason the traffic is so bad there ,angry motorist, you goose (as ray would say)is the sheer volume of cars. Not my "Political" statement.
When the southern shire was all chicken farms and orchards REAL planners had a route marked out to take , distant future, traffic from the local roads using this proposed freeway . Get your map out and it should have dots and proposed freeway printed on it. But recently this government with GREATER forsight thought green trees and open space is better . So angry motorist get yourself some relaxation tapes because the traffic is not going to get any better.
The other motorists I put "offside" showed their anger with thumbs up signs and emails like this

7/2 10.43am From Jim

Thanks for doing something to bring this state government's revenue raising exercise to the public's attention.
I like your idea of the flashing lights to warn motorists of the variable speed limit zone. I think the government should also be installing a variable speed zone sign in this location, as they do on motorways. That way the actual speedzone could be displayed at the correct time of day, 40 or 60. It could be argued that these zones are a traffic hazzard because the drivers are distracted when they approach the zones and have to check the times on the signs and check their watches to see what speed limit applies.
If the government is fair dinkum about saving lives in these school zones and not just raising revenue, then they should have no problem using the funds collected to pay for these variable speed zone signs.

Keep up the good work.......

Not daunted by the short shrift, I thought I'd recieved on his show ,I 2 finger typed an email to Ray thanking for his help yesterday . I even had the temerity to suggest he ask his listeners how many of them had never been booked before school zones, I said his phones would fuse
In hindsight, I think that telling him how to run his show was my big mistake.

I included this e mail recieved 3 Feb 1.56 pm

I too have received 2 fines at Kogarah, the first time before I knew there was a speed limit change and the second one when I knew but my child was sick in the back seat and I was distracted for a moment. Had I received the first one in tha timely manner the 2nd one would probably not have occurred. This was a very costly exercise for my family and made me resent to govt immensely. I am glad child safety is a concern of the govt as I have two young children myself but this has made me feel very betrayed and duped by the govt as a law abiding citizen. My husband infact also received two fines in our letterbox on the same day. We were left shocked, upset at the enormous cost and felt unfairly treated as criminals by the govt.

I fully appreciate what you do and my kids love seeing you in the morning. The govt needs to treat it's citizens in a kinder manner than it did without using the 'moralistic' purpose of child safety for this money raising effort.

While I think of it, it appears that 99,000 rail commuters have refused to pay their fines $19.8 million in total (DT9/2/05)
My schoolzone criminals would have trouble renewing their regos if they tried that trick.
Maybe the lads in Mcquarie st can cross -link computers surely some of these train travellers own cars, or did someone stuff up and the computers between these departments aren't compatible.
If so I hope that this person was severly councelled or moved to another highly paid position in another department.

I listened and listened nothing . Close to 12 noon I rang a friend and asked him to ring 2GB to talk santa.
He rang back shortly after and told me he got the "brush off"
So I rang
"Would you like to talk to Ray?
"It's school zone santa here"
"yes Schoolzone"
" Did Ray get my email?" I asked in my polite voice.
I was put on hold and when she came back "yes Ray got your e mail"
In a slightly more serious voice I enquired why my mate had been given the brush off.
"We have a very busy show this morning."

Nothing personal Ray but if you still have that long winded letter I wrote to your boss last June(I have it here in "Documents") I did give you a big wrap , You do a lot of good and help a great many people and here's a chance to help thousands and thousands of good drivers in one go.I,m sorry If I might've come over a bit urgent but that's maybe due to my enthusiam and my Dutch heritage.
I thought you would help. Its not for me, but for all those other poor unaware bastards that are being screwed by the RTA/gov every day at school zones.
I'll write tomorrow about what happened yesterday ,I rang 2GB twice.
Unless I'm carted off to Baxter.