What could possibly go wrong?
Speed limit enforced by angry neighbors with paintball guns. Interesting.
I was driving through a neighborhood once and some one had written on the street in kids’ sidewalk chalk to slow down because kids were playing. Some smart ass wrote underneath it in a different color chalk keep your kids out of the street.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I’ve been thinking about this for some time. I’ve also been working the arguement a car is a deadly weapon and if you are driving in a manner I find threatening to me, can I defend myself?
August 19th, 2009 at 10:03 am
“What could go wrong?” Umm, someone might shoot back with the real thing?
August 19th, 2009 at 10:10 am
We used to throw snowballs at cars when we were kids. Or tomatoes.
The part of the article I find interesting is the tone of the writer that somehow citizens being involved in their neighborhood and the well-being of the children is somehow wrong and that they should just leave it to the police.
To me, the citizens should be involved always and have the assistance and support of the police.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
This would seem to meet the definition of vigilante vice the store clerks in Miami defending themselves in the earlier post.
You can defend yourself anytime you feel threatened. You just have to be able to prove that a reasonable person would have felt at risk of death or serious bodily injury if you to use your firearm. So I’d jump out of the way then shoot when they turned to re-acquire you.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
If I had a person shoot my car with a paintball I would call the police . There would be evidence of their vandalism and none of my speeding
August 19th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Good thinking there JKB. And to RAH, yes there would be evidence some one hit you with a paint ball, but I fail to see a connection to who.
August 19th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I used to sit in the front yard with a blow dryer and a note book. Every time a car came buy I would aim it at them and make notes in the book. Slowed them down FAST!
August 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
If anyone thinks they stand a chance in a car against determined paintballers, think again. I used to nail cars with snowballs for fun as a kid and never was caught, even once. Had to be a lot closer with snowballs too…
August 19th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
What’s wrong with kids playing on a residential street? I used to do it all the time.
I wouldn’t necessarily want my kinds tot be playing on my street right now; it’s immediately off a major-arrtery US Highway. but for a subdevelopment-type street…
August 19th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Holy carp what a missed opportunity. I keep having to explain to my 9 yr old son that the law won’t let us have a minigun mounted on the roof of our car. But a full auto paint gun to defend myself against similarly armed citizens… totally frickin’ awesome.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
So begins Car Wars?
August 20th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Completely moronic.
How do they propose to actually tell if someone is speeding or even the amount?
If their paintball distracts a driver who then runs over a child, who will be too blame?
What if you shoot through an open window and blind someone, will that be justifiable?
The rule of law needs to have some value. The signs probably got the police attention, but complaining loudly, repeatedly and in an organized fashion would likely get the LEO to do something. Shooting cars with a paint ball will likely get you punched in the face or worse.
But hey, it’s your life, take any risk you think is reasonable. Just remember, the police don’t like people doing things that are illegal to stop acts that are illegal. And willfully distracting a driver, I’d wager, is illegal just about anywhere.
August 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
My old neighborhood in Chicago has the most car-traffic friendly street system in the world — two to four lane thoroughfares every half mile, side streets wide enough to park on both sides and still allow to cars to pass each other from opposite directions every one eighth mile, and alleys wide enough again for two cars to pass each other from opposite directions. My neighbors got tired of the various delivery guys whizzing down their alley as they were backing their car out of their garages. They went to the alderman and he installed the meanest speed bumps. Not the gently curved raised asphalt. Eight by eight railroad ties bolted to the pavement. You do not want to go over them faster than 5mph except in a monster truck.