To Slay a ‘Law’ – Papachristou Style. VC 22400

So the stage was set.  The duel was soon to begin.  It would be to the bitter end.  NO quarter would be given. NO prisoners taken.

Today, I was prepared to lay waste to a ‘law.’  Accentuated by vagueness, I had it in my sights, dead-to-right.  While I may have preferred to be doing otherwise, given the ‘law’ as it currently stood, I was envisioning its righteous slaying – I must admit.  Nevertheless, I continued to tell myself to hold steady and not fire until I could see the whites of this section of the code’s eyes.  When it would all come to fruition, maybe years down the road, I was convinced there would be nothing but mincemeat of those words that were once part of the VC, ... VC 22400 to be specific.  I planned to rip it from the  books.    

As I entered the venue which appeared as an amusement ride or a house of horrors – depending on one’s perspective, I had all I could do to hold my enthusiasm and maintain control on my nerves.  I did not want reveal my intentions or apprehensions relevant to the upcoming battle – as battle was the whole reason we had come to be together on this morning.  But concurrently I could not help but to think if there would be repercussions for the killing of this ‘law’ or ‘code.’  For instance, would the system seek retribution against me if I forcibly ripped a page from its ‘official book,’ I had to wonder?

As the roller-coaster slowly clinked and clanked its way up to the summit, I began to become more nervous in anticipation of the outrageous ride and wild descent that was surely soon to follow.  I worried, what if there were reinforcements afoot to aid this section of code of which I had not discovered and what if these same reinforcements were lying in wait to ambush me –  as if a trap?  I began to wonder if I were in fact the reluctant hunter as I had believed or if I was soon to become but another of this ‘code’s’ endless prey?  Nevertheless, I further entrenched my resolve to not go on the offensive until I could out-fox the system into displaying more of this ‘law’s’ weakness to me.  At which point, I would unleash my assault. 

As the coaster came to rest and sat on top of the high peak, all were in anticipation to see who would be the first to squeal in fear.  I remember turning away to collect myself for a moment and, for a split second at least, enjoy the view from the summit as well.  I again quickly reviewed my weaponry.  Red button exposed?  Check!  I thought, “I’m ready as I’ll ever be and…,  here we go…,’ I was thinking to myself. 

“Wait until the g-forces really start to multiply at which point the arrogance of this ‘law’ will surely further expose its own weaknesses,” I continued to repeat to myself.  At that unknown and most intense point of the ride – and probably not a moment before – I was convinced I would have my best shot to forever rid the citizenry of this menace – especially given how it is currently written, interpreted, and enforced. 

But the roller coaster didn’t go!  For what seemed like forever…, we sat at the peak waiting for the free-fall to begin.  But it didn’t move forward.

I remember waiting in eager anticipation.  Then, all of a sudden, it was if something changed.  I wasn’t really sure what was happening, but it was if the system had somehow become wise to my plans and it had not anticipated the carnage that could potentially follow the battle which was about to be had.  I mean…, surely the ‘section of the code’ had the power and  ability to return fire and fight back and possibly even overwhelm me and my stealth plans.  But I was sure that I had an invincible argument. 

However, again, it was if the system suddenly realized the damage I possibly could do to the enforcement of this ‘law’ and the hole that would be left in its books. That is to say, while in the end this ‘law’ could just as likely laid waste to me and my plans, it was almost just as likely, if not more likely, that it would be this ‘law’ that would be the casualty of the legal battle that was on the verge of raging.   And one thing of which we can all rest-assured, once set in motion, I had no intentions of stopping the carnage until this ‘law’ had become of less worth than the paper upon which it was enacted.  Either way, it would be a fairly good bet that this ‘law’ would likely be unrecognizable to its present form after the carnage.  Surely, only a shell would remain of what this ‘section of the code’ had historically represented to the system, and maybe the system didn’t like the thought of it all.  

And with that, all of a sudden, the roller coaster apparently disengaged and the machine clinked and clanked its way backwards from the peak and returned to the boarding platform.  At which point, the system assured me of my restitution – which is not the worst of possible endings, of course.  And the system then told me to “get out” and "leave."

Now, somewhat frustratingly, I had no battle to fight on this ‘law.’  As it remains then, I may no longer have standing to fight the battle anyhow, even if I had desired to do so.  One could liken it all to the oxygen being removed from a fire.  Like…, being all dressed-up for a big to-do only to have the happening cancelled at the last moment. 

I was well-prepared and heavily-armed with weighty precedents to fight the battle – which was to transpire on-board the speeding coaster as it whipped through space and time.  However, the system suddenly seemed to realize – or maybe it knew all along – that its best offensive against me was its own denial of any issue between us.  That…, or maybe it possibly came to like or respect me, and/or maybe it merely chose to be nice to me instead.  Either way, I suppose I will probably never really know for sure.

But should the reader of this blog find yourself or a friend in a similar situation where you are pitted against this ‘law’ or ‘section of the code,’ feel free to contact me.  ‘Cause, I might feel inclined to carry through with my plans of removing that ‘law’ from the public concern.

AVT  (beginning of April, 2013)

See:

Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville, 405 U.S. 156, 92 S.Ct. 839 (1972).

V C Section 22400 Minimum Speed Law

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22400.htm
(or:  https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/vctop/vc/d11/c7/a2/22400  )

Tool - The Pot.   (cool tune and kind’a bizarre unofficial video:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2F_hGwD26g

 

(Note of May 14, 2022.  Try to see the infamous unofficial Tool video here, while it lasts anyhow. https://www.pinkbike.com/video/154728/  It’s worth a look.  Maybe search my other blog entries for some thoughts on copyright laws too. )   : )