Ranting On Red Light Renegades

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Just recently I’ve noticed signs appearing around Windermere and also Orlando warning people that if they run a red light they may be fined $183.50. Well the first thing to cross my mind was “How did they come up with a figure of $183.50? Did somebody suggest $175 and get shouted down by colleagues saying “That’s not enough for such a heinous crime!” Then maybe somebody else said “Well how about $200 then?” “Are you crazy?” came the reply “you can’t fine them that much, they’re not made of money you know” Or maybe the law makers had a lottery and wrote down every amount in 50 cent increments from $100 up to $250 tossed them into a hat and then invited a celebrity to pick out the winning number.

The purpose of this post isn’t to work out how $183.50 came to be it’s a bit more serious than that. It seems to me that running red lights is somewhat of a national pastime in America, or at least it appears that way in Florida and that is deifintely part of America so I’ll make that irrational sweeping statement. I pity the poor tourist that doesn’t understand the rules of the game and stops at an amber light because he is going to get a nasty surprise up his rear end.

Yesterday I was sat at one of these lights and admiring the new sign when it came time for me to go. I knew this because my light turned to a lovely vibrant green color and beckoned me forward. I started to move off at the same time that a lady in an SUV the size of a small house came across in front of me. She was chatting on her cell phone and I could see her kids in the back seat. Obviously the light had been green when she crossed the State line so that was all that mattered really. She was driving a car that I reckon cost about $80k so I am guessing she wasn’t too short of cash and I don’t think it would have ruined her afternoon tot much if she’d been fined $183.50. It would have ruined mine though if she’d taken my front end of my car with her.

If you are trying to sell a product or service one of the most important things is demonstrate the value. When I started life coaching I did it for free and I had more problems then with people not turning up than I ever do now. That’s because there was no perception of value on something that was free.

Trying to get people to realize that it’s lunacy to drive a one a half ton truck loaded with kids and gas across an intersection when it’s not your turn to go by saying “we gonna fine you $183.50 if you do it” is absurd and doomed to failure. In fact it’s tantamount to saying it’s not really a problem because look at the fine! A piddling $183.50!  If you told people “We’re gonna fine you $350 the first time and if you do it again we’re gonna take your license off you for 6 months, then that sends out a different message and it would at least make people think twice. Rant over.