Comments on: Morning Links

By: Benjamin Wright

Benjamin Wright — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:09:29 +0000

The Texas private investigator/computer tech legislation is causing problems for robo-cop traffic enforcement. A Texas judge said the company running a red-light camera was acting illegally because it did not have a private investigator license. On the basis of this ruling, motorists are challenging traffic tickets. See deails: http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/12/e-discovery-forensics-private-investigator-license-for-computer-data-collection-and-assessment.html --Ben

By: Leon Wolfeson

Leon Wolfeson — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:49:54 +0000

Hi Radley,

To be clear, it’s not the police in London (the Metropolitan Police Service) who don’t want tasers (although they’ve been highly sceptical in the past), it’s the Metropolitan Police *Authority*, their overseeing body, who have veto’d.

By: paul

paul — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:07:13 +0000

British police are old school. They don’t like tasers, they don’t like guns. A couple of pool balls in an old sock works just fine..

By: scott in phx

scott in phx — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:24:30 +0000

As a native of Maricopa County, I find my co-residents insistence on re-electing the “butcher of Maricopa County” (Arpaio) very embarrassing.

But as I told my wife, Obama’s election may have a silver lining, at least we might get rid of Napolitano.

By: SJE

SJE — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:50:21 +0000

So next time I go to Canada I should get to fly business class for economy prices because I am 6’4”: awesome!

By: Tybalt

Tybalt — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:32:22 +0000

I’ve never seen someone on an empty train be prevented from stretching out on an extra seat, Warren. :)

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:30:53 +0000

I like to nap a lot, does that mean I can get 3-4 seats?

By: Tybalt

Tybalt — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:35:30 +0000

The Canadian decision on disabled persons using airlines isn’t a “civil rights” decision, though. This was not a court mandating differential treatment; this was a government order by the airline regulator, the Canadian Transportation Agency. It’s the CTA that decided that airlines should – as a matter of regulatory policy, not of “civil rights” – allow disabled people an extra seat for an inflight attendant.

The decision mirrors other CTA decisions – for trains certainly as I have experience there (my mother is disabled and must have assistance to travel).

The CTA’s decision is essentially safety-oriented; it makes no sense to put disabled people (and potentially other passengers or crew) at risk by encouraging them to travel without necessary assistance. There is no undue hardship on the transportation companies as in the vast majority of cases the seat provided to an inflight attendant is unused.

I know you’re not keen on regulation either but to describe it as a “civil rights” decision is just completely wrongheaded.

By: Troy

Troy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:07:43 +0000

Like the article says, Maricopa County loves this Arpaio. So what if Slate doesn’t? This story isn’t going to go anywhere. Only people left of Napalitano are going to care.

Having said that, things lean a little to the right in the West. An Idaho or Arizona democrat probably doesn’t look anything like a Massachusetts Democrat.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:03:10 +0000

Man, I wish *my* name were “Rob Cockerham”…

By: parse

parse — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:51:24 +0000

“This means I’m equal now,” said Joanne Neubauer, a Victoria woman whose severe rheumatoid arthritis requires her to use a wheelchair.

You know you are equal when you are being treated differently than everybody else.

By: Fritz

Fritz — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:00:41 +0000

Loved the digital camera tricks. I’ve used mine to take pictures of how products are packaged in a box in case I find myself in the unfortuante position of trying to pack them back in there. It saves the effort of trying to figure out how bubble-wrapped object B fits into styrofoam shape Q-171, etc.

By: Legate Damar

Legate Damar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:42:15 +0000

Chargers-Raiders? Yuk. That’s like inaugurating your new Ferrari with a trip to Dollar General. Were the Lions and 11 guys at the local Y unavailable?

By: B

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:29:41 +0000

To be fair to Ms. Napolitano, I think her posture towards Arpaio as governor is *generally* better characterized as non-interference more than an “alliance”. It isn’t really the governor’s job to oversee a county sheriff. That’s (theoretically) what local elections are for.

Ladder of liberty, and all of that.

By: Alaska

Alaska — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:26:50 +0000

The link to the Australian study is broken. It goes to the Texas story about requiring tech experts to have p.i. licenses. Please fix the link. Thanks.

By: Greg N.

Greg N. — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:10:57 +0000

Wait, so the POLICE don’t want the Tasers? What kind of bizarro world is this “Britain”?