A man in West El Paso is claiming he was thrown in jail last week in retaliation for warning drivers about a nearby police checkpoint for speeding.

Jose Escobar stands at the same intersection where police arrested him last Friday. He hopes passing drivers will remember what happened that day. He says he was warning motorists that an officer was down the road…looking for speeders.

“I was running, jogging here and the police officer was giving tickets up there and I was advising the people to slow down and then he got mad,” says Escobar.

Escobar says he was jogging back and forth at this intersection in West El Paso, giving people a heads up about a speed zone when the officer handcuffed him.

“I asked him ‘Why are you arresting me?’ And he didn’t say nothing. And I asked him to give me a ticket. And he didn’t say nothing. And just took me to jail,” says Escobar.

After five hours in the county jail, Escobar paid $66 and walked out. The formal charge- pedestrian failing to yield right of way to a vehicle. Escobar says jail time for jaywalking is pure retaliation for angering a police officer.

Passer-by, Jizette Salazar says the same officer pulled her over that day asking her about Escobar.

Now armed with a sign, he’s asking anyone who may have seen how he was treated that day to give him a call as he plans to file a formal complaint against the officer.

Police say right now these are just allegations by one man and no formal complaint has been filed.

Source: KTSM News 9

Several new Texas laws went into effect on September 1, 2009. Among them was one prohibiting the use of cell phones (and pagers, texting devices, etc.) in a school zone.

House Bill 55 made it illegal to “use a wireless communication device (while driving) in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or a hands-free device is used”. However, it’s a defense to prosecution if the operator was making an emergency call.

However, there is one caveat — Cities or counties wanting to enforce this law must post a sign at the beginning of each school zone to inform drivers that using a wireless communications device is prohibited and the operator is subject to a fine.

I have yet to see an actual case of this law being enforced anywhere I’ve driven in Texas.  I DID come across one sign (left) that APPEARED to be an instance of this law being in effect, but, it’s not a school zone — it’s just a crosswalk. And it’s not even a school — it’s a church!

I’m thinking that the city (or highway department, or whoever) put this sign up thinking that they were exercising their right, as guaranteed by the new law — but, the law only applies to ‘school zones’! Now, maybe, the city council made some decision not related to the new Texas law, and decided to allow these signs on just any ol’ crosswalk, but I doubt it. I think they are just placing a sign where it’s not applicable. Good idea? Yes! Enforcable? Probably not.

Anyhow… I DO think it’s an excellent idea to have such a law within school zones. Drivers can be really inattentive at times, only complicated by trying to talk on the phone or send a text. Surely, drivers can refrain from using their phones for the duration of driving through a school zone.

I hope I start to see more signs like this (in school zones). And, I say sock it to the drivers who ignore this law and pay more attention to their devices than to their driving. A hefty fine would be in order, just like any other infraction in a school zone.

Drive safely, especially in school zones, and be on the lookout for these new signs.

Yep, that’s right! While running an errand during a break from work, I was stopped by one of Austin’s finest. In the end, I ended up getting a ticket. And, I’ll freely admit that I was guilty of what the officer described! The only problem is: What I was ticketed for is NOT against the law!

I work in Austin, TX near Metric and Braker. During one of my breaks from work, I made a quick trip to purchase an air compressor from a Craigslist seller. He lived near Lamar and North Loop. On my way back, I was going north on N. Lamar approaching Hwy 183. At the stop light at Morrow street, I was in the left lane. Intending to turn north on 183, I realized that I needed to be in the right lane (the green arrow on the map). So, when the light turned green, I pulled through the intersection, used my turn signal, and smoothly moved over two lanes. There was only one vehicle, several car lengths to the right-rear of me; and, I was never close enough to him to be in any way reckless.

Anyway, in my move to get to the right lane, I drove over the solid white line that delineates the regular lanes from the “exit” lane (where the little red arrow points). I continued on, through the next couple of lights, turning onto the northbound access road. Then, flashing red & blue lights caught my attention. I was being pulled over by an Austin cop. But, for what?! I thought maybe I had clipped through a yellow light at one of the signals or something.

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CAUTION: Road Work Ahead

In a typical year, the state of Texas has more than 1,000 highway projects under contract. As a result, drivers are likely to encounter a variety of work zone conditions, including uneven pavement, narrow lanes, concrete barriers, slow moving equipment, and loose gravel.

About 100 people, most of them motorists, are killed in work zones across Texas each year.

If you’re traveling in Texas, here’s the law regarding driving in work zones:

Texas law requires you to obey all signs in work zones. Fines for moving violations can be as much as $400 in construction or maintenance work zones marked with signs indicating that fines double when workers are present. You should always see a “Begin . . .” sign at the start of such zones. Enforcement of rules while in the ‘zone’ ends when you see the “End . . .” sign. (Note: I have noticed that the wording on ‘zone’ signs sometimes varies. For instance, the ‘end’ sign may say, “End Road Work”, or “End Work Zone”. Regardless, you should look for and pay particular attention to where a construction or work zone begins and ends.)

TRAVEL TIPS:

• Plan ahead by checking the web at www.dot.state.tx.us for state construction sites where travel may be delayed.
• Allow extra travel time, and be patient. Reducing your speed from 60 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour in a two-mile work zone delays your journey by only ONE minute!
• Observe all work zone warning signs; and, pay attention to flaggers in orange vests directing traffic.
• Merge at the first notice of a lane closure or change.
• Keep a safe distance between your vehicle, other vehicles, traffic barriers, construction workers, and equipment. Extra caution is required when driving in an active work zone at night!
• Avoid distractions! Don’t use your cell phone or send text messages. Don’t fiddle with the radio controls or your MP3 player.

Protest Red Light Cameras in Austin, Texas!

Call : http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/default.htm
E-Mail: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm
Agenda: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council_meetings/public_meetings.cfm

Red light cameras present several constitutional issues (due process, privacy statutes and possibly the 14th Amendment/equal protection clause) and they are ineffective.

• Studies nationwide show rear-end collisions have risen anywhere from 8-81% where implemented, and the drivers who cause the worst collisions are shown to be the least likely to account for the cameras’ presence.
• The programs are open to corruption: private vendors profit from fines levied spawning illegal and unethical measures to increase fines; they have access to private information without any public accountability.
• Prevention is easier and less expensive: instead of lowering yellow light times to increase fines, upping them one second can decrease collisions by 40%!

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