Hazmat, Big Brother and Freedom

I just got back last night from 3 days in Atlanta doing Hazmat training. Learned a few interesting things and a butt-load of not-so-interesting things. I learned that the DOT pretty much throws these regulations together without too much thought. A lot of them are very illogical, as our instructor pointed out numerous times, usually when a student would ask, "Why?" Some of the nonsense comes from international compliance, such as the thousands of UN codes, named UN because they are United Nations code numbers for hazardous materials. I have a feeling Ron Paul would like to get a hold of the DOT. Our instructor, Marc Kleinman, showed us examples of code referring back to itself in an endless loop of bureaucracy. If that's not an example of the inefficiency of big government, nothing is.

On my way home, I got another seatbelt ticket. I lectured the officer for 45 minutes on civil liberties. I told him I once wore my seatbelt, but I don't anymore, because of the unconstitutional law forcing me to wear it. When he asked me why I didn't just wear it for my own safety, I said "Live Free or Die". I told him the story of my truck being stolen, and how making officers peek into people's private vehicles to see if they are wearing seatbelts keeps real crime from being stopped. He told me he smoked, and he said he agreed that something you do to your own body should be your business. By the end, he was agreeing with me and even shook my hand as he left. I still got the ticket, though. lol.