The Triumph of Bullshit

Optical illusion helps create fake speed bumps

The 3-D markings are appealing because, at $60 to $80 each, they cost a fraction of real speed bumps (which can run $1,000 to $1,500) and require little maintenance, said Richard Simon, deputy regional administrator for the highway safety administration.

On one of three streets tested in the Phoenix trial, the percentage of drivers who obeyed the 25 mph speed limit nearly doubled. But the effect wore off after a few months.

“Initially they were great,” said the Phoenix Police traffic coordinator, Officer Terry Sills. “Until people found out what they were.”

What they needed to do is paint some and put up a few real ones, and let the drivers gamble about whether ruining their car is worth the speeding. It wouldn’t save them as much money as going all-paint, but it sure beats their secondary plan of adding more police officers. They could even put up a police department-sponsored shocks & struts shops on each end of the street.

No Country for Raising Arizona

(Insert funny caption about Bea Arthur missing this photo shoot.)

Can prison food be unconstitutionally bad?

Nutraloaf (sometimes called Nutri-loaf, sometimes just “the loaf”) is served in state prisons around the country. It’s not part of the regular menu but is prescribed for inmates who have misbehaved in various ways—usually by proving untrustworthy with their utensils. The loaf provides a full day’s nutrients, and it’s finger food—no fork necessary.

Hmm… I’ll pass.