Just When I Think I’ve Seen Everything in Miami (Bell: skateboarding, crime)

[elchevere]

Accessed 1-95 North from the Calle Ocho on ramp in the Brickell area this morning and merged on the highway when I saw some guy riding in a middle lane on a bicycle (not scooter or moped—a bicycle). Clearly not a member of the Mensa Society.

[cfenn006]

Originally Posted by elchevere

Accessed 1-95 North from the Calle Ocho on ramp in the Brickell area this morning and merged on the highway when I saw some guy riding in a middle lane on a bicycle (not scooter or moped—a bicycle). Clearly not a member of the Mensa Society.

I've seen teens skateboarding on I-4 coming home from work at 3 am. I first thought drugs, the saw the phones glaring in my rearview and figured it was a Tic Tok or Internet Challenge thing.

[elchevere]

I’ve also seen those 3 wheel Slingshots on the 95 doing 75MPH….wonder what the survival rate is for those involved in a highway accident….less than 5%?

[Miami Vice]

It's pretty much a lawless society. Cops are spread thin, and basically going call to call. Calls on the expressways belong to FHP, and they are basically a skeleton crew, so calls hold for hours. Many of them not wanting to engage people any longer for fear of being fired and/or arrested. Crime on the rise. It is what it is.

[elchevere]

It would take an unrealistic and unprecedented amount of hiring under any circumstance for FHP to be stationed at all on ramps in Miami to prevent the rare—not common—instance in which an isolated idiot rode his bicycle on a highway. I was already on the highway driving, by myself, and not in a position to make a phone call at the time. I did end up calling FHP when I arrived at my destination 30 minutes later to report what I witnessed, the dispatcher picked up right away (after a system prompt), but he noted too much time had elapsed to send a patrol car.

Originally Posted by Miami Vice

It's pretty much a lawless society. Cops are spread thin, and basically going call to call. Calls on the expressways belong to FHP, and they are basically a skeleton crew, so calls hold for hours. Many of them not wanting to engage people any longer for fear of being fired and/or arrested. Crime on the rise. It is what it is.

[SanyBelle]

Originally Posted by elchevere

It would take an unrealistic and unprecedented amount of hiring under any circumstance for FHP to be stationed at all on ramps in Miami to prevent the rare—not common—instance in which an isolated idiot rode his bicycle on a highway. I was already on the highway driving, by myself, and not in a position to make a phone call at the time. I did end up calling FHP when I arrived at my destination 30 minutes later to report what I witnessed, the dispatcher picked up right away (after a system prompt), but he noted too much time had elapsed to send a patrol car.

I have called 911 a couple of times from my car. Once I saw a man punching a women when they were both stopped on the side of a road. Once there was a mattress in the middle of a busy highway on my drive from DFW to Waco. They thanked me for the calls even though I probably should have called a non-emergency number at the time but since I was driving, I didn't know those numbers.

[elchevere]

I’m actually pleased with response I get from my local Miami police…while I wish there was more traffic patrol enforcement to ticket those motorists who cannot comprehend big words such as “no turn on red” and almost hit me when I’m crossing the street, I realize there are other, higher priorities.

I almost always get a live person answering the non emergency number when I call in and the police do a good job interacting with the public from my perspective.

Contrast this with the last City I lived in—San Diego. There was much less street presence (many were underpaid and fled to higher paying LA), I got a voice message when calling in 90% of the time, and the city relied more upon helicopter patrols which (1) were called in AFTER a crime had already been committed and (2) often circled overhead for 20-30 minutes at a time—many times in the middle of the night that woke me up and/or kept me up.

Originally Posted by SanyBelle

I have called 911 a couple of times from my car. Once I saw a man punching a women when they were both stopped on the side of a road. Once there was a mattress in the middle of a busy highway on my drive from DFW to Waco. They thanked me for the calls even though I probably should have called a non-emergency number at the time but since I was driving, I didn't know those numbers.

[k350]

Originally Posted by elchevere

It would take an unrealistic and unprecedented amount of hiring under any circumstance for FHP to be stationed at all on ramps in Miami to prevent the rare—not common—instance in which an isolated idiot rode his bicycle on a highway. I was already on the highway driving, by myself, and not in a position to make a phone call at the time. I did end up calling FHP when I arrived at my destination 30 minutes later to report what I witnessed, the dispatcher picked up right away (after a system prompt), but he noted too much time had elapsed to send a patrol car.

Not me, I want FHP to do other things, and aside from the damage to my car, I have zero care about the idiot on the bicycle getting hit. My only issue the idiot would cause someone to swerve and hit someone else.

Miami area though is so swarmed with more severe crime, they cannot even comprehend paying attention to other things. I am usually shocked when I see a stop sign enforcement day going on.

The suburbs are a nightmare in regards to speeders/reckless drivers. I wish the county would start hammering down on morons who thing neighborhoods are places to drag race, do 50mph through.

[k350]

Originally Posted by elchevere

I’m actually pleased with response I get from my local Miami police…while I wish there was more traffic patrol enforcement to ticket those motorists who cannot comprehend big words such as “no turn on red” and almost hit me when I’m crossing the street, I realize there are other, higher priorities.

I almost always get a live person answering the non emergency number when I call in and the police do a good job interacting with the public from my perspective.

Contrast this with the last City I lived in—San Diego. There was much less street presence (many were underpaid and fled to higher paying LA), I got a voice message when calling in 90% of the time, and the city relied more upon helicopter patrols which (1) were called in AFTER a crime had already been committed and (2) often circled overhead for 20-30 minutes at a time—many times in the middle of the night that woke me up and/or kept me up.

Yea, I have no complaints about when contacting them and their response, but they are very reactive in this regards, and wish they were proactive more. One cop can just sit on about any random neighborhood street and catch tons of speeders.

[roadtrip75]

Originally Posted by elchevere

Accessed 1-95 North from the Calle Ocho on ramp in the Brickell area this morning and merged on the highway when I saw some guy riding in a middle lane on a bicycle (not scooter or moped—a bicycle). Clearly not a member of the Mensa Society.

My goodness. I want to laugh, but this is scary bad judgement.