How to slow down neighborhood speeders

It seems residents of Durham, NC have come up with a novel way to slow down idiots speeding through their suburbs.

A group of Durham residents taking aim at speeders with the threat of a paintball gun said Tuesday that they are "amazed and gratified at the reaction."

The group, Angry Neighbors With Paintball Guns, posted signs at strategic locations throughout the city, warning motorists to slow down or risk being shot at with a paintball gun.

The group does not say if the signs are meant to serve only as an attention-grabber or if it plans to shoot paintballs at vehicles.

There's more at the link.

It's not a bad idea from one perspective, but it's a horrible idea from others. I mean, consider this:

• What happens if the paintballs distract a driver, and as a result he/she swerves and hits another car, or a pedestrian?
• What happens if the driver's window is down, and the paintballs cause serious injury (e.g. damage to an eye or eardrum)?
• What happens if it's dark, the driver can't see that he's being targeted by paintballs, and fires back with his legally carried weapon? He has the right to self-defense, after all.

I'm not sure the members of this group have thought this one all the way through . . .

Peter