What have you done at school lately?
That's a question I ask kids from time to time. My youth don't like talking about school, but pre-pubescent kids seem more willing. One girl this week told me that she had handed out speeding tickets. This seemed odd to me, but I thought maybe she was a hall monitor or something. No, it turns out that our local OPP detachment has an agreement with the schools do to do this program, which instills respect for the law among students and their communities.

The way this program works, is the police make a presentation to the various classes on the dangers of speeding. Then, grade 2 students, in their art class, get to create speeding tickets. Those tickets are then given to the grade 5 class, who accompany the police over the course of the day. Together with the police, they hand out these tickets as warnings, in the area around the school.

That's as much detail as I got, but I hope that I am never a victim of that kind of program. Not only to maintain a position of respect and a good reputation, but I cannot imagine the guilt of looking in the eyes of a ten year old, as she gives me a speeding warning made by a seven year old. Getting a scowl from a police officer seems to be part of the accepted routine of getting a ticket for a traffic violation (I'm only speculating here, my driving record is still clean). I can stand looking at a police officer as he hands me a ticket whilst conveying the message of "You broke the rules, now you're going to pay." I would have more trouble dealing with the image of getting a warning from a ten year old conveying the message of, "Your driving endangers my life."

That of course would be the idea, guilting people into lawful behaviour. Speeding happens so naturally, that I'm not sure we can immediately guilt ourselves out of it. I've been speeding less lately because it's easier on my transmission if I don't. Not a bad idea though.

   [ posted by William @ 1:15 PM ]