I Can’t Drive 65.1!

Here in San Diego, there’s been a big push to crack down on speeding over the last few weeks. “Zero Tolerance,” they say. It’s to make us safer, right? The California Highway Patrol, the County Sheriff, and local police are every-freaking-where. I haven’t seen this level of police presence on the freeways since, well, never (not even during two Super Bowls, presidential visits, or after 9-11? -ed I guess by “never” I meant, well, never ever. – bob)

So what spurred the change? An inkling comes today from a new initiative from the state to crack down on cars registered out of state. Apparently, California is asking you to snitch on people because we’re losing “millions of dollars in revenue a year.”

Wasn’t the mission of the California Highway Patrol to be primarily responsible for keeping the highways safe, not revenue generation. We knew that this was bogus, but now the Highway Patrol has actually come out and said it. The state needs the cash and the CHP is going to collect it.

I can’t help but wonder if “Zero Tolerance” for speeders was undertaken along those same lines of thought. But that would be cynical of me, wouldn’t it? (maybe a secret war waged by the ninnies of the Anti-Destination League? – ed Or an evil fuel conservation cabal! Oh, wait, that’s a good thing. Crap. – bob)

Your conspiratorial pal,

bob