In reply to Kerry Menezes’ letter about her parking fines (‘More pressing issues to address than parking’, Opinion, July 9), I’d just like to point out that people such as Ms Menezes have nobody to blame but themselves for their situation. Don’t break the law: don’t get a fine. Where the money from fines goes is of little consequence. To question where it goes is just ‘sour grapes’.
Ms Menezes seems to believe that there are far more serious crimes that require the attention of our community services, such as the police. I could write at length about the psychological effect that breaking minor laws and getting away with it has on people and how it encourages them to believe that they can gradually get away with more and more serious delinquency and crime, but there isn’t the space here.
Maybe Ms Menezes would like to consider though, along with others, what the effect would be of everyone obeying all the minor traffic laws.
Fewer accidents because people don’t talk on the phone whilst driving. No parking violations, so no resources wasted on enforcing parking restrictions. Fewer accidents because a significant minority of local drivers seem to think that a red traffic light means ‘just three more cars’. Less policing of traffic offences would mean more resources available to solve more serious crimes, including knife crimes. There could also be more resources to invest in social services, housing, hospitals, etc.
But this isn’t just about money. Let’s ignore the money altogether. Who wouldn’t want to live in a better society where people are more considerate, helpful, less jealous and selfish, etc?
Unfortunately, the answer is that too few people want to make the necessary changes in their lives.
Though Ms Menezes and others fail to see the connection (at least until now) they were (and may continue to be) part of the problem of knife crime and other serious issues that afflict our society, both locally and more widely.
Dave Day
The Orchard, Winchmore Hill
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