On my way to a client there is a construction zone with a daily speed trap, well, I suppose the better term might be “Construction Zone Traffic Enforcement Area,” that seems like shooting fish in a barrel for the police as I would say three out of the five days a week the police have already pulled someone over and are writing a ticket for, I’m assuming, speeding through the work zone. The thing is that it isn’t that crazy a work zone, just a simple crossover for some bridge reconstruction, reducing the traffic to one lane in each direction, at a reasonable 35 miles per hour, down from 45 MPH. However, I can see how people easily blow through it, as it does come off a traffic light, is at the bottom of hill, and totally lends itself to a perfect place for the police to sit, at the end of the construction zone by some traffic barricades, just picking off the speeding cars with a flick of a radar gun.
As I drive past every day, very much aware of the 35 MPH on my speedometer, it tends to always, for whatever reason, remind me of the only speeding ticket I ever received, years and years ago on a trip back to Chicago from my old homestead in Ohio, when I was ticketed by aircraft doing about 65 in a 55. The highway patrol had a nice set-up going, with I’m assuming an airplane overhead radioing down to the patrolmen on the ground, who, as cars were approaching a work zone and naturally slowing down, had men on the side of the road pretty much just pointing at every other car and directing them to pull over to the side of the road and get their comeuppance. I would say they had to have about 1,000 cars pulled over (okay, probably about 10), and it sucks bad enough getting a ticket, but it sucks even worse sitting there, waiting and watching officers just go from car to car, ticket book in hand, and knowing you really have no shot at getting out of your penalty for not obeying the speed limit. When the officer got to my car I was very congenial, already had my license and registration ready, nicely thanked the man for my “reminder” to follow the traffic laws, and drove away trying desperately to learn my lesson for the next four hours driving in my car.
With that is today’s daily plight: Have you ever gotten caught in a speed trap?
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!