Thought of the Day 06.24.09

Last night while driving home, I saw something that I have grown unaccustomed to in the era of photo-radar: a really aggressive fast driver. As he passed us all, I felt inside me a growing sense of glee because I knew there was a camera array just over the next rise. So I waited and watched for the satisfying burst of law-enforcement vengeance.

Alas, he hit the brakes just in time and then sped away. I was crestfallen. But then I realized something. Compared with the fantasy ideal of a world where every reckless driver gets caught every single time, I have reason to be disappointed. But compared with the real world of six months ago where they almost never did, I have reason to celebrate.

The important thing is not whether every violator gets his just desserts, but whether more of them do. And under the new system, far more do get tickets, everyone else drives more evenly, and Valley driving is generally safer overall, which is the real ultimate goal. See, it’s always important to celebrate significant improvements, especially since our critical-oriented human tendency is to bemoan and focus on any failure to achieve perfection.