Mail carriers can drive just as fast as they want, post office says


What do the U.S. Postal Service and Amanda Bynes have in common? Well, both of them have a series of unpaid tickets, but only one of them is receiving legal punishment. After receiving a series of notices from traffic cameras in East Cleveland, Ohio, the post office responded to the fines with a big "Nope." According to the post office's lawyer, mail carriers attempt to operate within local traffic laws "when feasible," but they are not held accountable for breaking local statutes. “I was unaware that the post office doesn’t have to stop at red lights or obey the speed limit,” said East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton. “But since they are, I wish I’d get my mail faster.”





http://now.msn.com/postal-service-do...raffic-tickets

 

Hey, dont pick on them, they are going to make me rich.
In 2007 I bought a bunch of forever stamps at .41 cents each.

They are now worth .46 cents each.
If I would have bought one million of them I would have already made 50,000.00

 

Good, maybe my mail bum will deliver my mail on time now. If she hurries, I might get my mail 6 days a week instead of 4.

Guardrail

 

Anyone now the paint codes on their trucks? I think I found next weekend's project.

 

If you can find a vehicle with the steering wheel on the right side, and it's white in color, that's about all you need.

I say that because there's a Jeep like it here, that delivers mail. No magnet on the door, nothing.

 

Hmmm, I think the laws in Canada are a little different. There was a big to-do in the news about 6 months ago. It turns out our ambulances arent legally permitted to speed or run red lights. Are you kidding me - if I am in grave danger, go like the wind and give me the bill for the fines. The issue came up because we have cameras at intersections that photograph your license plate and issue tickets if you run red lights or speed thru intersections. EMS asked city of Calgary to dismiss tickets for ambulances and city said no, pointing out that ambulances have no exemptions from traffic laws and that they needlessly put the public in danger if they speed or go through intersections.
Stupid. I am fine with ambulances getting to calls as fast as they can and I will continue to get out of their way.

Hmmm - did I just hijack a thread?

 

Great. What if you get in accident with one? Are they exempt from fault, too, like ambassadors and foriegn officials?!?

 

And that's the case in allot of places. In Alabama the fact that you have lights and a siren, whether you be police, fire, ambulance, game warden etc does not give you the right of way. In actuality, you're requesting the right of way. In any traffic situation you still are responsible to obey the prevailing traffic laws.

 

The Fire Dept here is permitted to issue citations for aroos listening to their IPods and oblivious to a siren. They also break all kinds of traffic laws with plenty of horn and moderate speeds in order to save someone's life.
That's the way it should be.
The Canadian philosophy is **** backwards.

 

What???? I didn't know that...I thought they had the same rights as the police...I guess I was wrong...I hope I never get to sick..Person could die while the ambulance is waiting at the lights..

This world has the most stupids laws...

 

Back in, 1988, I think it was, I investigated an accident were a postal carrier made an illegal turn, hitting another vehicle. I issued a citation for the turn, and the driver argues that with me at the time.
The local Postmaster General argued with the D.A. Office that they were exempt, it went to court and the fines were upheld... so I guess its a matter of interpretation..

 

Tallguy, if a "privately owned" ambulance company responds then they are subject to all public safety laws. No acceptions. A "Fire Department" ambulance is not applicable to the same laws. Crazy as it seems their is sound legal basis in this. Private ambulances have to stop and wait for light, also you do NOT have to yield right of way to a private ambulance. Different all together if its a "fire department" ambulance... Most fire department ambulances have the same right of way that regular fire fighting apparatus does. Drive with due regard for public safety. It may be somewhat different in different areas of the country or in Canada, however from my International training it seems to be mostly similar.

Danderson, we have the legal ability to issue a plethora of citations. Some times we do and more times we don't. its all dependent on the circumstances.

 

here in KS, an emergency vehicle does have the right to violate traffice laws, but MUST drive with "due diligence"... and we used to LOVE thhose who failed to yeild for ambulances or fire trucks...

Statute 8-1506: Authorized emergency vehicles; rights, duties and liability of drivers thereof. (a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.

(b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:

(1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this article;

(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

(3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as such driver does not endanger life or property;

(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions; and

(5) Proceed through toll booths on roads or bridges without stopping for payment of tolls, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation and the picking up or returning of toll cards.

(c) The exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1738 and visual signals meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1720, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red light visible from in front of the vehicle.

(d) The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others.

 

Reasonable close to the laws for fd ambulance companies here.

Good stuff Chris.

 

Not to belabor the obvious, but I see NO provision for the USPS in there..