Overboard by Chip Dunham for August 17, 2022

And it’s off to the Rat … er … mouse race.

Good boy Louie. Speed traps should be illegal.

Po po grief

Louie is always for the little guy!

I was being tailgated by a car with guys in it drinking beer. Since it was a double lane they pulled over to pass me and threw some beer cans at me. At least they were empty. I knew up ahead was a police car waiting for speeders. I guess the driver behind the wheel had been fed up with me driving close to the speed limit—a bit over—and gunned it. I figured the cop would get him. Sure enough when I drove by the car had been pulled over. If the driver had been drinking too it would have been a DUI as well as speeding. What an idiot.

I got stopped once for signaling a speed trap by flashing my headlights. There was a cop in the oncoming traffic. Just got a warning, no ticket.

Good morning Crew!

I cheer Louie, but in the real world, speed limits matter. I’ll admit, on highways, I do about 5mph over. City streets, I’ll due the limit. ’Taint near fast enough for most. 10-30 over is typical.

One theory is most people can’t read, which is bigly sad. Another is that nobody gives a gorram, which is even sadder…

A speed trap is NOT a normal reduced speed zone. A trap is where the speed limit drops dramatically with a cop waiting to pick off anyone who hasn’t dropped to the new speed limit before passing the sign. They are illegal almost everywhere. Here on Oregon we have signs warning of a reduced speed zone ahead before one actually gets into the zone.

I was on the Ohio turnpike back when the speed limit had finally gone up from the 55mph. We were going through a small town that was still 55mph and before I realized it, a cop pulled us over for speeding. It was like the cop knew drivers wouldn’t know the limit was still 55 in that area. I told the judge, when I went back there to pay the fine, that there should be a warning. He did dismiss the fine but, I still had to take that day off work.

Thirty years or so ago a farmer noticed a speed cop hiding behind a billboard that was on his property. He had a new sign made for the billboard which basically told motorists to “Slow down, this is a speedtrap.” the police department sured him to remove it. The judge said that is was the farmer’s property and he could do whatever he wanted. And fined the police department the court costs and made them pay the farmer’s attorney fees.

Louie has the backs of the mice as usual. You’re a keeper, good sir! (But, we knew that already … )

Personally, I could write a book about all the crazy stuff I’ve seen on the roads.

Good Evening, Crew.