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Recently Got New Transportation Job!

Started by ipeters61, June 18, 2018, 10:35:59 PM

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ipeters61

Wasn't sure where else to put this, but I haven't been on the forum in a few years and decided to log back in today.

I have an academic background in economics and applied statistics, so I don't really have any proper training related to transportation.  However, three months ago I got my first job in transportation!  I work at the Delaware Office of Highway Safety as their Data Analyst.

I truly do love my job and am so glad that I can spend my days talking about roads.  Tomorrow, I am off to my first actual "away" meeting to talk about pedestrian safety...admittedly an area where Delaware really needs help.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on my posts on the AARoads Forum are my own and do not represent official positions of my employer.
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hbelkins

Quote from: ipeters61 on June 18, 2018, 10:35:59 PM
Wasn't sure where else to put this, but I haven't been on the forum in a few years and decided to log back in today.

I have an academic background in economics and applied statistics, so I don't really have any proper training related to transportation.  However, three months ago I got my first job in transportation!  I work at the Delaware Office of Highway Safety as their Data Analyst.

I truly do love my job and am so glad that I can spend my days talking about roads.  Tomorrow, I am off to my first actual "away" meeting to talk about pedestrian safety...admittedly an area where Delaware really needs help.

Is Shailen Bhatt still the head of Delaware's DOT? That guy's a real piece of work. He had a brief stint as an administrator in KYTC's Bowling Green district office and was not exactly Mr. Popularity.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

ipeters61

Quote from: hbelkins on June 19, 2018, 12:38:27 AM

Is Shailen Bhatt still the head of Delaware's DOT? That guy's a real piece of work. He had a brief stint as an administrator in KYTC's Bowling Green district office and was not exactly Mr. Popularity.
I only deal with a small subset of DelDOT people, but a quick Google suggests that he's the executive director of Colorado DOT/CDOT.  Not sure who's actually in charge now.  OHS is a subset of the Department of Public Safety - departmentwise we're closer to State Police (we're more about education and enforcement) than DelDOT, but I spend my whole day working with DelDOT systems and files.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on my posts on the AARoads Forum are my own and do not represent official positions of my employer.
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hbelkins

Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 07:08:23 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 19, 2018, 12:38:27 AM

Is Shailen Bhatt still the head of Delaware's DOT? That guy's a real piece of work. He had a brief stint as an administrator in KYTC's Bowling Green district office and was not exactly Mr. Popularity.
I only deal with a small subset of DelDOT people, but a quick Google suggests that he's the executive director of Colorado DOT/CDOT.  Not sure who's actually in charge now.  OHS is a subset of the Department of Public Safety - departmentwise we're closer to State Police (we're more about education and enforcement) than DelDOT, but I spend my whole day working with DelDOT systems and files.

No wonder Colorado legalized weed. You'd have to be high to deal with him.

Kentucky's Office of Highway Safety is in the Transportation Cabinet. I work pretty closely with several people in that office. I wish we were more involved in the education aspect of it, however. Our NHTSA representative is all about enforcement and doesn't care for the education side much at all.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

ipeters61

Quote from: hbelkins on June 19, 2018, 07:25:10 PM
Kentucky's Office of Highway Safety is in the Transportation Cabinet. I work pretty closely with several people in that office. I wish we were more involved in the education aspect of it, however. Our NHTSA representative is all about enforcement and doesn't care for the education side much at all.
Well as it turns out, we actually share a NHTSA district, as far as I can tell.

Enforcement is funny, I was on my way to a conference with my boss today and we were talking about speeding.  Reading all the crash reports all day just makes you paranoid.  Another issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on my posts on the AARoads Forum are my own and do not represent official positions of my employer.
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hbelkins

Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 08:41:31 PM

Enforcement is funny, I was on my way to a conference with my boss today and we were talking about speeding.  Reading all the crash reports all day just makes you paranoid.  Another issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:

Because of some Kentucky court case, law enforcement agencies are now required to make public when and where roadblocks will be conducted. Nothing too specific, just something along the lines of a list of locations. They typically do this through press releases and social media posts.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

abefroman329

Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 08:41:31 PMAnother issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:

I have no idea if this is apocryphal, but I heard stories in GA about cops setting up signs just after a particular intersection reading "DUI Checkpoint Ahead" and setting up the actual checkpoint on the road all the drunks would turn onto in order to avoid the checkpoint they thought was ahead.

kkt

Quote from: abefroman329 on June 20, 2018, 11:39:17 AM
Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 08:41:31 PMAnother issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:

I have no idea if this is apocryphal, but I heard stories in GA about cops setting up signs just after a particular intersection reading "DUI Checkpoint Ahead" and setting up the actual checkpoint on the road all the drunks would turn onto in order to avoid the checkpoint they thought was ahead.

That sounds like a good way to get a conviction overturned on appeal...

ipeters61

Quote from: kkt on June 20, 2018, 12:12:17 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 20, 2018, 11:39:17 AM
Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 08:41:31 PMAnother issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:

I have no idea if this is apocryphal, but I heard stories in GA about cops setting up signs just after a particular intersection reading "DUI Checkpoint Ahead" and setting up the actual checkpoint on the road all the drunks would turn onto in order to avoid the checkpoint they thought was ahead.

That sounds like a good way to get a conviction overturned on appeal...
I guess that would be ambiguous enough, I mean technically there is a DUI checkpoint ahead for some of the traffic (i.e. those who are turning).
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on my posts on the AARoads Forum are my own and do not represent official positions of my employer.
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abefroman329

Quote from: ipeters61 on June 20, 2018, 12:32:08 PM
Quote from: kkt on June 20, 2018, 12:12:17 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 20, 2018, 11:39:17 AM
Quote from: ipeters61 on June 19, 2018, 08:41:31 PMAnother issue is how some members of the public perceive things like DUI checkpoints.  I remember reading Facebook comments (I know, bad idea) on an article about a police chief where someone said something along the lines of "DUI checkpoints are stupid, I just know to avoid them."  Glad to know there are so many brilliant people on the roads...  :confused:

I have no idea if this is apocryphal, but I heard stories in GA about cops setting up signs just after a particular intersection reading "DUI Checkpoint Ahead" and setting up the actual checkpoint on the road all the drunks would turn onto in order to avoid the checkpoint they thought was ahead.

That sounds like a good way to get a conviction overturned on appeal...
I guess that would be ambiguous enough, I mean technically there is a DUI checkpoint ahead for some of the traffic (i.e. those who are turning).
I don't know if LEOs in GA are required to announce DUI checkpoints, though.  In fact, I know they weren't as recently as 1998 or 1999, because I drove through one (completely sober) without my driver's license and ended up with a "driving without license in possession" ticket that left me $12 poorer.



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