This story was on the radio this morning. I still can't believe it. What a stupid waste of our city's resources. 1) Talk about a rediculous way to control traffic. If anything, it just draws attention to the area. What effect on crime and congestion could "puddles of water" have? Wouldn't a visible patrol of the police officers be more effective -- patrolling in their cars instead of playing with water? 2) Weren't we experiencing a severe water shortage a few months ago? Isn't there currently some valid concerns about the current water supply not being able to support Houston's growing population in a few years? Does the city need to be wasting water in this way during the current city budget crunch? (Actually, it won't affect the budget -- since the cost of treating the water is eventually passed on to your water bill!) Either way, do you want to pay for this? 3) Quannell X must be running short of things to protest. I really don't think the officer pictured was motivated by race relations. Does anyone think race was a factor? Thoughts? From KPRC: http://www.click2houston.com/hou/news/stories/news-61168320010409-090406.html HPD Questioned For Using Hydrants To Deter Traffic -- Black Panther Party Protests Hydrants Use HOUSTON, 10:31 a.m. CDT April 9, 2001 -- The Houston police chief is questioning officers' use of opened fire hydrants to deter vehicles and pedestrians from a high-traffic area. Chief C.O. Bradford will meet with his command staff Monday to discuss why officers opened fire hydrants to discourage traffic in the 7100 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard near Van Fleet. A spokesman for Bradford told News2Houston Sunday night that the chief was unaware of a law enforcement strategy of using fire hydrants in Houston, and that he disagrees with this type of strategy. The traffic enforcement tactic Sunday responded to residents' recent complaints about traffic congestion and trespassing in the area. Police officers at the scene opened fire hydrants to create puddles on the road and discourage traffic in the area, which were captured by an amateur photographer (pictured, right). But New Black Panther Party activist Quanell X protested the move. "They have never turned on fire hydrants to control a crowd on Richmond (Avenue). They've turned on fire hydrants to control a crowd off of Westheimer," Quanell X said. "Why do they come out here and turn on fire hydrants to control a crowd in the black community." From the Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/872267 ------------------ Stay Cool...
Quanell is right in so far as they wouldn't do this sort of thing in a wealthy white neighborhood -- though they would in a poor white neighborhood. Otherwise, what a weird idea. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
.....and the solution to get people from cruising the area is? Residents from Galveston were frustrated with cruising on the Frat weekend and pushed for changes to curb it. The residents in that black neighhood mentioned in the article are frustrated with the cruising, but the police and the community are still casting about for a viable solution. Mango ------------------ Get it right or just don't do it! Resistance is futile....you will be assimilated.
There is a very simple solution to the "cruising". Police should just stop people who don't live in the neighborhood. If they can waste manpower to turn on fire hydrants, they can waste it by deterring people from the area with blockades. No way this would happen in River Oaks. Of course, they'd just get their private security patrol to run them off. ------------------ And then, depression set in...
Mango, I caught part of a similar story on the radio this morning -- and thought it said Galveston. This story is in Houston though -- maybe the departments are passing on silly ideas. I think Jeff is right though -- a visible police deterrant would be much more effective. (When it comes to pulling people over though -- you could easily get into percieved racial profiling problems. Quannell X has taken a stand on that issue -- people have a right to drive on public streets.) It just seems wierd and silly. The section pictured, for instance, isn't a residential street, it is daylight, and it is a major steet -- one you would expect people "passing through" to use. It also doesn't appear to be over-run with traffic. I'd think if anything, the police would force more traffic off of the major street and into the neighborhoods to avoid this silliness. Another thought -- I wonder who's responsible if this HPD created, un-necessary, un-marked traffic hazzard causes an accident? ------------------ Stay Cool...
This has to be one of the most moronic things I've ever seen . . . What, do they think this is a good solution? It probably doesn't deter anything short-term, and CERTAINLY doesn't do anything as a long-term solution, unless they keep the hydrants on 24/7. When did Houston all of the sudden have such a huge water surplus that it could be wasted like this? There are people who goto school for traffic management and get paid lots of money, and this is what they come up with . . . puddles . . . MORONS!! ------------------ "Up and down, inside out, outside in, some you lose some you win" -- DMB -> "Sweet Up and Down"
Doesn't that excess water f*ck up the street eroding it somehow .. . So now they may get POT HOLES a little earlier Rocket River ------------------
