U.S. woman ordered to wear ‘idiot’ sign after driving on sidewalk to avoid stopping f

SLM

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Mar 5, 2011
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U.S. woman ordered to wear ‘idiot’ sign after driving on sidewalk to avoid stopping for school bus

U.S. woman ordered to wear ‘idiot’ sign after driving on sidewalk to avoid stopping for school bus | World | News | National Post

CLEVELAND — A woman caught on camera driving on a sidewalk to avoid a Cleveland school bus that was unloading children will have to stand at an intersection wearing a sign warning about idiots.

Court records show a Cleveland Municipal Court judge on Monday ordered 32-year-old Shena Hardin to stand at an intersection for two days next week. She will have to wear a sign saying: “Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.”

The judge ordered her to wear the sign from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. both days.

Hardin’s license was suspended for 30 days and she was ordered to pay $250 in court costs.

Messages seeking comment were left at a telephone listing for Hardin and at her attorney’s office.

On the one hand, I can see where some are saying that it's not effective to 'humiliate someone' into better behaviour. And ordinarily I'd typically side with the two wrongs don't make a right point of view. But I think in certain cases, and this seems to be one of them since it's been repetitive enough on her part that they were able to film it, publicly naming and perhaps shaming someone may be the only way to get through to her.

Clearly she's only concerned about herself, hence the driving on the sidewalk to avoid stopping for a school bus (and she is an idiot for doing that by the way), so maybe the only "penalty" that will really drive the point home is one where it hits her where it counts the most for her, her concern for herself. An added benefit might be that publicizing this woman and her little stunts will make the general public more likely to recognize her should she misbehave again. If she's not going to concern herself with the rules set up to protect the safety of children, maybe she's self involved enough to be aware that others may be watching her. Maybe. Who knows.

Honestly I would have removed her license for a longer period, fined her a larger amount and made her do community service work while wearing her sign.

But that's just my opinion.
 

JLM

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On the one hand, I can see where some are saying that it's not effective to 'humiliate someone' into better behaviour. And ordinarily I'd typically side with the two wrongs don't make a right point of view. But I think in certain cases, and this seems to be one of them since it's been repetitive enough on her part that they were able to film it, publicly naming and perhaps shaming someone may be the only way to get through to her.

Clearly she's only concerned about herself, hence the driving on the sidewalk to avoid stopping for a school bus (and she is an idiot for doing that by the way), so maybe the only "penalty" that will really drive the point home is one where it hits her where it counts the most for her, her concern for herself. An added benefit might be that publicizing this woman and her little stunts will make the general public more likely to recognize her should she misbehave again. If she's not going to concern herself with the rules set up to protect the safety of children, maybe she's self involved enough to be aware that others may be watching her. Maybe. Who knows.

Honestly I would have removed her license for a longer period, fined her a larger amount and made her do community service work while wearing her sign.

But that's just my opinion.

Good points S.L.M. but on the other hand, can someone so abjectly stupid be humiliated?
 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
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It could be that the way the law is written she can only be charged with relatively minor offences so the judge decided to be creative-certainly the rest of her penalty amounts to SFA.
 

SLM

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Mar 5, 2011
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Good points S.L.M. but on the other hand, can someone so abjectly stupid be humiliated?

I actually rather doubt that she'll feel the 'shame', were she inclined to be ashamed of that behaviour she like would not have done it in the first place. But she may be hyper aware that other people are watching her after this and that could possibly make her change her behaviour. But who really knows?
 

JLM

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I actually rather doubt that she'll feel the 'shame', were she inclined to be ashamed of that behaviour she like would not have done it in the first place. But she may be hyper aware that other people are watching her after this and that could possibly make her change her behaviour. But who really knows?

Yep...............for a day or two anyway. :)
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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Yep...............for a day or two anyway. :)

That would be the reason why, were I in charge, she'd have had a stiffer fine, a longer suspension and community service work along with the sign. To really drive the point home. :)
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
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..and Jesus did say unto the towns folk, "Behold, when thou hast found thine own neighbor to be in conflict with the laws, give em a little bit of street justice"

Luke 12 I believe.

That was Cool Hand Luke 12, I believe.

That would be the reason why, were I in charge, she'd have had a stiffer fine, a longer suspension and community service work along with the sign. To really drive the point home. :)


The public shaming? I don't think it'll achieve the desired result. Yoinking
her DL for more than 30 days & more than a $250 fine would be a start
though. Vehicle seizure for a minimum of 90 days, & a real fine on top
of that, & a DL suspension that meets or exceeds the vehicle impounding
time would be the place to start. Money talks, and a real inconvenience
for her stupidity would (I'm assuming) make a much more lasting impression
than wearing a sign in public for a short duration daily.
 

shadowshiv

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May 29, 2007
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U.S. woman ordered to wear ‘idiot’ sign after driving on sidewalk to avoid stopping for school bus

U.S. woman ordered to wear ‘idiot’ sign after driving on sidewalk to avoid stopping for school bus | World | News | National Post

CLEVELAND — A woman caught on camera driving on a sidewalk to avoid a Cleveland school bus that was unloading children will have to stand at an intersection wearing a sign warning about idiots.

Court records show a Cleveland Municipal Court judge on Monday ordered 32-year-old Shena Hardin to stand at an intersection for two days next week. She will have to wear a sign saying: “Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.”

The judge ordered her to wear the sign from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. both days.

Hardin’s license was suspended for 30 days and she was ordered to pay $250 in court costs.

Messages seeking comment were left at a telephone listing for Hardin and at her attorney’s office.

I was quite elated when I saw the police car pull out behind her car and turn on it's lights. What she did was beyond idiotic...it could potentially have killed children!

And if she does this again(if her behaviour is any indication, there is a chance she could), then she should be given a stint in jail. I wonder if she'll break out a smile then.
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
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What is the deal with the guy wearing a sign? I read the entire article and could not find anything on him.

Shena Hardin, left, stands with radio personality Archie Berwick, as she holds up a sign while serving a highly public sentence Wednesday.

Caption on the photo. I presume he's stating that he too drives on the sidewalk in order to avoid stopping for the school bus.
 

JLM

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Caption on the photo. I presume he's stating that he too drives on the sidewalk in order to avoid stopping for the school bus.

Yep, between the two of them their combined I.Q. must be soaring around 7. If it's possible he'd be stupider than her.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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This is kind of stupid. Whats next? Putting people in stocks or making them wear a scarlet letter?

Im all for the fine and suspending her license but this sign business is just weird.
 

JLM

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This is kind of stupid. Whats next? Putting people in stocks or making them wear a scarlet letter?

Im all for the fine and suspending her license but this sign business is just weird.

I think it would work well for SOME people. It also makes for public awareness.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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Fine... Throw the book at her for the myriad of laws that she broke on the multiple occasions that were recorded.

Add it all up and perhaps she'll do a few years in jail.

Is that the solution you might support?

I would. It'd be far more effective in changing the person.

I think it would work well for SOME people. It also makes for public awareness.

It looks like its not going to work on her. The public was already aware. They have seen her do it multiple times.
 

JLM

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I would. It'd be far more effective in changing the person.



It looks like its not going to work on her. The public was already aware. They have seen her do it multiple times.

What CAN you do to a person with an I.Q. of 4? Implant a chip that disables any vehicle she gets into?
 

WLDB

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Jun 24, 2011
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What CAN you do to a person with an I.Q. of 4? Implant a chip that disables any vehicle she gets into?

Take away her license permanently if she keeps causing trouble. If she continues to drive after that then some time in prison.

There are a lot of people out there who shouldnt have a driver's license. At times it seems like the majority of people on the road are bad drivers. I wish the law was a bit harder on them.