Atlanta Forward readers weighed in on last week’s columns about the frustrating snarl in Atlanta’s traffic court and what the city is doing to fix it. Here are select comments from our blog under the writers’ chosen screen names.
MrLiberty: If traffic tickets actually had something to do with safety and not just something to do with raising revenue, the situation would likely take care of itself. This mechanism is all about maximizing revenue while minimizing cost so nothing worthwhile would be done. If roads were privately owned, operated and maintained, prudent punishments would be imposed on drivers that would balance both safety and customer satisfaction. The top-down totalitarian approach by government is exactly what one should expect from a government-run operation.
Redweather: Despite promises by the Reed administration to fix the problem, this is how traffic courts work in metro Atlanta. Maximum inconvenience seems to be the mission. The same thing goes on in DeKalb County.
Sawb: The answer is pretty simple: Outsource the process. Currently, bureaucrats with lifelong employment are attempting to supervise employees who also have jobs for life, and no one has any real motivation to improve. I realize the actual judges probably would have to remain government workers, but the rest of the process could be handled by a private company that has an actual incentive to improve.
Mangler: On the flip side, should you find yourself having to go to court for any reason, your hearing date will be so far past the date of the incident that they will likely dismiss it, just like Mr. Herman's. I had a ticket that I challenged in mid-2008, and the hearing wasn't until late 2011, over three years later. It can kind of work both ways.
Bernie: Sadly, this is how Atlanta city government has functioned for a very long time. The politicians are not concerned, nor do they care about the inefficiency, abuse and waste of time of voting residents, citizens, visitors who must appear in traffic court or any other city department. It's an ingrained M.O. that seems unbreakable. These politicians do not go to traffic court or venture in that vicinity for fear of being bombarded with questions from the many attending residents, as to why things are managed and run so inefficiently.
Styymy: Honestly, traffic court is like this in almost every state. It's like that in Florida, Chicago, Maryland, Virginia Philadelphia, etc. — all places I've lived. Georgia is nothing special. These issues were around long before Mayor Reed, and will be around long after he's gone.
Shamehia: Nearly everything about Atlanta — government, courts, schools, libraries, tax collection, water, sanitation, transportation, law enforcement, jail — is dysfunctional and has been for years, so why is any of this remotely surprising? We are Detroit South.
