Speed Traps

Years ago, I remember reading about a city in Ohio...New Rome, I think it was. They would cite drivers for "dusty license plates" and "obstructions in the windshield" (the "obstructions" were oil change stickers in the top corner). Of course, upon investigation, they found mucho corruption. THe town had 60 or so folks...and they employed a dozen part-time police officers.

If they want to enforce speeding to the letter, fine.

I'm not fine with the manufactured stuff, such as what they did in Ohio, and what I've seen in a town or two during my years. (A couple of Florida Panhandle towns from Dothan AL to the Panama City area have been known for this in years past...)

 

It is believed by many that police will give you a cushion of 5 to 10 mph over the speed limit. I heard this morning this is no longer true in most communities. The budgets are busted and they need more speeding tickets given out to help the budgets.

 

This makes more sense than just letting the situation persist and then having a kid run in front of you and the brakes come on for sure. A sure-fire situation for her driving "right up your....uh....differential"!

A test emergency is always preferable to the real thing.

I've done something similar; pull on the parking lights while simultaneously taking my foot off the gas pedal. Same results, as the tailgater has no time to determine that I haven't actually begun stopping.

 

So you listen to NPR as well. Yeah, it makes sense but only minutely sinse you have to wonder how much revenue can be obtained by tickets.

 

I am not sure how much is taken in through speeding tickets. It was reported in our newspaper that the first traffic camera resulted in $30,000 in fines the first month ... and the police said they ticketed only those where the photo showed a gross violation of running the red light.

 

Salty, I am seldom wrong, but often misunderstood. :laugh: