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SECTION c I New, legislation Aim s sfe r road by JII Mclntosh c=.,-n r~t Qg1ift n This weekend's the big one, and like most households we've been buygtigready for it. The sortbread8l made, the tree is decorated, and we spend every waking mohient telling Max the cat not te chew on it. I even got over te the mall and teld Santa what I wanted. He said the parfume was ne problem, but he wasn't tee sure if hne could fit the '36 Packard dewn the chimney. It's net such an odd request. Although they mako extravagant gifts, cars have shown up on Christmas and birthdays for more than a century. I case you're stili wondering what te buy that epecial somoone, think about what the rich and famous do whon it's timo te go eh ,ing. was lntroducod on Bing Creeby's first television show, which was sponsored by Ford. Crosby and guests Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra were ail givon new Edsels by the company. The handle on Clooney's came off in hor hand, and an ombarrassed Henry Ford II immodiately tradod hie own for hors. When the Netherlands were liberated in World War II, Goneral Patton was given Queen Wilhelna's 1926 RelIe Royce. After his doath it was found still crated in a warehouse; ho had nover driven it. Posslbly the largost gift ever rofused was Volkswagen. After World War Il, the British -- who thought it worthless -- tried te give it te the Amoricans, who turned it down. The first production Essex was given te Orville Wright, following a ceromony in whlch Ainlia Earhart christened one by breaking a bottle of aviation fuel over tho rad. The firet Ford Model A was toat-driven by Henry Ford before ho approved it for mass production. It was later rofitted with a now body and given te Thomas Edison. The first Model A officiaily sold was bought by Douglas Fairbanks, whe gave the car te hie wife Mary Pickford for a Christmas p rosent. Another Ford gift, not quite as popular as Pickford's present, was tho Grand Cross of the Supremo Ordor of tho German Eagle. The highest award given te a foreignor by tho Third Reich, it was presented te Henry Ford by two German consuls along with personal congratulations frem Hitler, in rocognition of his "car for tho masses." Despite considorablo public outcry, Ford did net return it. Tho one nilionth Nash was givon in 1934, as a publicity etunt, te tho owner of tho oldest Nash etili in the possession of its originai owner. Tho winner, who was ne relation, was Dr. E. Nash of Colorado who etill had his 1919 teuring car. And finaily, here'e one that I think oven Santa might find hard te tep. When Honry Ford II got married, his father Edsel Ford gave hlm a huge homo and ehares in Ford worth $3.2 million as a wedding gift. The Ontario legislature recently approved threo pieces of legislation intended te improve the safety and officiency of the province's roads and highways. The legislation' -- which includes graduated licensing for new drivers, an integrated safety program, and new dimensions for trucks and inter-city buses -- now neods only te ho proclaimed te becorne law. Graduating lioensing creates a new, two-lovel licensing system lasting a minimum of 20 menthe. Due te begin in spring, 1994, it By Glen Konorowski Bob Rae and hie government recently passed legislation that will forever change the way I feel about governments. Bill C47 will allow the govern- ment te violate your civil rights for the sake of money. Their plan is te allow police the right te use photo radar te literally cash in on speeders. Unlike other forms of surveil- lance cameras that catch the criminal in the act, photo radar catches the crpedng and net the driver. The owner will ho responsible for the car's actions and the owner has te spond time and money te prove hie/lier in- nocence in court. T'he person guilty of the speding offence isn't the one who will ho neces- sarily punished for the crime. Drop your car at the local garage for a tune-up. Your mechanic takes the car for a test drive on a route you often take. In testing the car ho inadver- tently speede and gete caught by photo radar. A few days later you head off te the cottage for your vacation and when you arrive home two weeks later y ou have a ticket. Since you haven't reeponded ensures that now drivers of al ages gain practical exporience gradually in low-risk conditions before obtaining fuI driving privileges. Integrated safety is an oight- point program that features, among others, a centralized database, magnetic stripo drivor's licenses, and photo radar. Photo radar is intended te, help reduce speeding, and the sovority of resulting accidenta, on highways. A six-month pilot project, béginning in April 1994, will assess the offectiveneas of photo radar. within 15 days, a conviction is' entered against you. You're guilty and you have ne idea who id it. Can you imagine trying te, remembor where you were three or more weeks earlier? If ne one owns up te the ticket, you as the owner of the car are stuck pay- inf1now someene who stered his car over the winter in a ware- heuse. Since the car was the last te ho stered, it was close te the door. Employees of the ware- house used the car ail wintor for quick rides here and there. Upon renewing tho licence plates, ho was stuck paying udeao dollars in fines With photo radar this case soenarie could ceet tle owner thousande of dol- lars. Don't our laws state that wo muet ho caught doing the crime, and -are net juet gilty by asso- ciation (owning the car in this case). Bob Rae féels that because y ou are a car owner yeu are te, blame for speding. 0f course, tho government's excuse for using photo radar is safety iNme and time again it has been proven that speeding is net the maj or cause of deaths on our roada. Drunk driving is the Ministry- of Transportation information on locations where speeding is a factor in collisions will help the OPP determine the placement of the cameras. New dimens ions for trucks and inter-city buses are exeted te= imrohe efeciency of these indsre in Ontario, making them more competitivo and bringing the province's regulations into lino with those ini other North American jurisdictions. The longer trucks will also have improved safety features. ma .or cause of deaths. Wose who can afford te pay the tickets won't have te worry much. One doesn~t accumulate demerit points fromn radar-deri- ved tickets, one simply pays the ticket -- a real deterrent. Botter educated and prepared drivers reduce accidents. I arn al in faveur of everyone _geing te a compulsoiy driving school over five or six years. Only here wo can we correct the bad habits we ail acquire by first driving with- eut supervision. With the introduction of photo radar in British Columbia, that province has doubled their revenue derived from speeding tickets. In an Ontario test soenarie, a photo radar set up on Hiehway 403 generated $4,300 in Just20 minutes. Now can you 500 why our cash-starved govern- ment is interested in photo radar. Ask Bob Rae or Durhamn Centre MPP Drunimond White what real Waety issues photo radar addresses. Will you lot a government take away your con- stitutional n ghts. Just remember Big Brother Bob will be set up by April watching eut. for your 'saety.' :o Volkswagen Ime. 1425 Dundas St. East, Whitby O:shawa/WVhîtby 668-9383 Toronto/Ajax/Pickering 686-6410 TOLL FREE 1-800-263-2676 Experience the Owazsco Feeling. Proven to serve you BESTFsince 1972. An "I CARE" and OML Service AwarI Winner ri Hl2 Owasco Canadian Car & Camper Rentai Ltd. B ffyMAffiUSed wùh Owsco Volswagen & AuInc. CrOWASM 1425 Dundas St. E., Whitby, Ontaio, Canada LIN 2K65 X Telephone: (905) 668-9383 (Whitby Line) (905) 686-6410 (Toronto Line) 35 MINUTES Fax (905) 668-9734 EAST FROM Ontario< Toil Free 1-800-263-2676 TORONTO Traveling Canada* the USA and E--urope the Owasco Way! Page 18, WNhy Free Press, Wednesay, Doembor 22. 1993 Big Brother Bob If everyone would lightjust one candie, what a brighter world this would be. Warmest wishesfrom ail of us a. .. Owasc o9 4 ">~ ,ýC nIrHil 7ý77117 14, ý ; >