Thought of the Day 02.11.10

There are four reasons why I don’t speed. First, because obedience to the law is my Christian obligation. Second, because the roads are much safer if everyone drives the speed limit, especially since anyone who can see the car in front of them and sign their name gets a license in this country. Third, because I don’t usually have 20 spare minutes to spend with the cops when I’m going somewhere. But fourth, because a speeding ticket is expensive.

I’m not poor, but the idea of throwing a couple hundred dollars away horrifies me, and even without the other three reasons, that would be enough. Thus, given the choice between the inconvenience of going slower than I’d like and the risk of a fairly minor financial penalty, I choose inconvenience. I know the rules, and I carefully follow them to avoid losing that money. And I think I’m not alone in being willing to endure a fairly significant non-economic cost to avoid a fairly minor economic one, when given the choice.

Nevertheless, governments at every level seem to have no compunction at all about imposing new tax burdens (like 2% on food) that have far greater economic impact on us than a measly speeding ticket. And given that I’m so careful about my money, it’s exceedingly offensive that they don’t seem to feel they have to be.