Speeding worse than drug taking? Public opinion.

[Guybrush]

HertsBiker said:

I was amazed when discussing drugs with my work colleagues, who have smoked pot, taken cocaine, heroin, extasy (sp?), speed, and other illegal and dangerous drugs...... Said my 'speeding' is worse.

We've lost. The soppy speed kills message has got to them, and drugs are okay now. Apparently.

In my life, I never had a smash due to excess mph. My colleagues have taken properly bad stuff,.yet how do they imagine they are less criminal then me?

Help me understand please.

The fact that the opinion of drug-taking fools is so expressed, says all you need to know. They are fools in every way.

[BJG1]

Guybrush said:

The fact that the opinion of drug-taking fools is so expressed, says all you need to know. They are fools in every way.

Drink much?

[Robb F]

Leptons said:

Utter bullst. How else would the producer support himself? Entire communities rely on it.

Again, you cannot claim taking drugs is bad because it supports crime, because it supports crime because it is illegal.

eddy02 said:

Why is it trolling when someone voices an opinion,I thought that was forums were all about.
I would not dream of trying to wind people up on purpose,anything for a quiet life for me but I do have an opinion.

Because your opinion is ridiculous. You obviously thought you were going to be the king of a big anti-drug circle jerk, but now you see no one agrees with you, you've melted and started playing the 'it's just my opinion' card. If you're going to have such extreme views at least have some balls and stick with them.

[elephantstone]

From someone who has experience from both i would definitely say drugs are worse.

I have done most drugs (bar the heroins, cracks etcs) and although i seem to have got away with it (for now) health wise. The regrets while on drugs.. Cheating on girlfriends, upsetting parents, missing work and getting into debt are not fun.

I should say i am a good boy nowadays, was more late teens/early 20's...

Now the speeding.. I think there is a time and place. Speeding through a built up area i would not ever do. Getting into triple figures on a quiet sunday night blast home on the motorway which i mightve done last night is far safer and less destructive than getting off your tits on 3day benders.

All in my opinion ofcourse and some might have been added in for dramatic purposes

[WaferThinHam]

Why does it matter if they take drugs. If they do it, and they're not hurting anyone else leave them to it. If they're caught robbing a granny to feed their habit, throw the book at them.

The same with speeding. If you throw your car into a bus stop at 120 throw the book at them, otherwise no problem.

[BJG1]

elephantstone said:

From someone who has experience from both i would definitely say drugs are worse.

I have done most drugs (bar the heroins, cracks etcs) and although i seem to have got away with it (for now) health wise. The regrets while on drugs.. Cheating on girlfriends, upsetting parents, missing work and getting into debt are not fun.

I should say i am a good boy nowadays, was more late teens/early 20's...

Now the speeding.. I think there is a time and place. Speeding through a built up area i would not ever do. Getting into triple figures on a quiet sunday night blast home on the motorway which i mightve done last night is far safer and less destructive than getting off your tits on 3day benders.

All in my opinion ofcourse and some might have been added in for dramatic purposes

Seems a little bit of an unbalanced argument. You sound like a sensible speeder and a stupid drug-taker, hardly a fair comparison

[Snowboy]

WaferThinHam said:

Why does it matter if they take drugs. If they do it, and they're not hurting anyone else leave them to it. If they're caught robbing a granny to feed their habit, throw the book at them.

The same with speeding. If you throw your car into a bus stop at 120 throw the book at them, otherwise no problem.

There is an argument about prevention which is quite sensible.

120mph is like being totally off your head.
Fine in private, dangerous in public.
You get arrested for speeding, you get arrested for drunk and disorderly.

Imo, the punishment should reflect the following, in order.
Immediate risk to others.
Immediate risk to self.
Longer term risk to others.
Longer term risk to self.

Generally speaking, speeding ticks the first two options, but drug taking ticks the second and fourth.

In the case of an addict stealing for drugs money the third could be ticked; but at that point we'd be comparing drug addicts with thieving joyriders.

[kambites]

I think I'd reorder that to:

Immediate risk to others.
Longer term risk to others.
Immediate risk to self.
Longer term risk to self.

[hairyben]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Most people are mindless sheep with no ability to think for themselves, they follow what ever rhetoric is spoon feed to them.

Most people are lazy/scared and like to have boundaries set for them, I think this applies to most people.

Religions, government, and anyone else wanting power/control over people find the easiest means to that is banning things and bogeymen figures, what those things are is irrelevant, so long as someone can not do bad thing x and feel good/secure about themselves

It's interesting watch people get heated over say homophobia or racism, then spieling mindlessly on bankers/rich/posh/big corp/speeders/smokers, and not realising the similarities, only their own immediate environment is different. (those examples are chosen purely because they reflect the current environmentally not-allowable/allowable hate-figures in Britain today)

[santona1937]

In my day, like a few others here I was what would be considered as a heavy ( daily) drug user ( Speed, Coke, LSD, Pot, Hash, 8 balls, barbies, bennies). I was certainly addicted , by any measure. I stopped illegal drug use many, many, many years ago. IMHO the answer to this has to be very nuanced. ( AS long as we are not talking driving under the influence)

Private use of even "soft" drugs while not immediately harmful to society does have a vicious supply chain as long as it remains illegal. This supply chain supports all manner of horrendous activities, including the forced sex trade, war, child prostitution, etc etc.
Occasional speeding under the right conditions ( no other road users, road conditions, etc) is not immediately harmful to society, but can be habit forming to the point where the speeding occurs in not ideal conditions.

[BJG1]

santona1937 said:

Private use of even "soft" drugs while not immediately harmful to society does have a vicious supply chain as long as it remains illegal. This supply chain supports all manner of horrendous activities, including the forced sex trade, war, child prostitution, etc etc.
Occasional speeding under the right conditions ( no other road users, road conditions, etc) is not immediately harmful to society, but can be habit forming to the point where the speeding occurs in not ideal conditions.

I take the same approach to buying my drugs as I do to buying the chicken I eat. Always ethically sourced.

[Catatafish]

As always, there isn't one right answer. The consequences always vary, depending on circumstances.

In one instance someone speeds in a street and runs a kid down, whilst some teenagers drive stoned at 20mph down a deserted back road. Speed was worse than drugs in this case.

In another someone drives at 120mph on an empty motorway whilst someone dies of a smack overdose. Drugs were bad this time.

Shouldn't have to state the bleedin' obvious.

[elephantstone]

BJG1 said:

Seems a little bit of an unbalanced argument. You sound like a sensible speeder and a stupid drug-taker, hardly a fair comparison

Now you say that, i agree with you. I suppose i did get up to some silly things while on drugs, they are drugs after all.

[BJG1]

elephantstone said:

Now you say that, i agree with you. I suppose i did get up to some silly things while on drugs, they are drugs after all.

I see people speeding dangerously regularly. Usually 18 year olds in baseball caps in 30mph limits. They're very dangerous but they're also a small minority. The same is true of drug use

[elephantstone]

BJG1 said:

elephantstone said:

Now you say that, i agree with you. I suppose i did get up to some silly things while on drugs, they are drugs after all.

I see people speeding dangerously regularly. Usually 18 year olds in baseball caps in 30mph limits. They're very dangerous but they're also a small minority. The same is true of drug use

True. Was just giving my experience of drug use, however fun it was i did some silly things.