[cabo35]

I went to Wal-Mart this morning and took note of the road and signs in question after reading this thread. The signs are much bigger than 8X10 paper and appear to be in compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices that most states abide by. You can check it out if you are going to contest the ticket to verify your suspicion to the contrary. The signs appear to be state of the art, complete with blinking amber lights powered by solar panels on top. They blink only during the times specified reducing the speed limit to 20 mph in the school zones. It appears to be what I believe in police jargon is a "selective enforcement" zone. Any number of reasons could have initiated enforcement in this obviously targeted area.

In the words of the Sgt. from the Hill Street Blues, "Hey, let's be careful out there." Do you remember his name?

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Dear Little Old Lady from Pittsburgh,

This is the first time I have heard of profiling older people. Live and learn.

I never thought of the police by schools, during session, as a money maker for the area. I always viewed it as protecting the children.

Pittsburgh is a large city with numerous schools - I would think you would be aware of the law - slower speed limit in school zones, when school is in session. I do not think all city schools have curb cuts in Pittsburgh.

We live in a rural area and it is only the newcomers who are not aware that the police are vigilant in school safety zone areas - I should rephrase that - from newcomers to people who do not obey signs.

We had a Traffic Police man killed, (a senior citizen) directing traffic as the cars and buses were leaving the school, not to long ago. He was killed because a senior citizen did not follow his instructions - he was told to stop. Because the driver of the vehicle did not stop a younger driver swerved so that this speeder would not hit him.

In the process, the student killed the traffic cop.

Due to the driver of the vehicle who did not follow the law many lives will never be the same, the family of the police man who was killed, the young driver of the car and his passengers, and all the people who cared for the traffic cop in this rural community.

I think now you will drive more carefully. Not only in TV, but anywhere.

Please be careful when you turn, in TV, that there are no senior citizens who are driving golf carts - in the golf cart lane. If it wasn't for the excellent reflexes and brakes of the person who was driving a golf cart, a scene we observed) another person would have either been killed or seriously injured due to a driver who wasn't following the rules.

Hyacinth Bucket

[nyclicker]

Up here in New York almost every police unit has radar. Buy a radar detector, they work, Doesn't mean you must speed but at least it will warn you and you can check how fast you are moving.

[Hancle704]

Just a few questions and an observation. Why did they decide to place the Charter Schools along what the Planners should have known would become one of the busiest roads in the area? Has anyone ever seen a school-bound student walking alongside or, crossing CR 466? Makes one wonder what were they thinking during the development planning stage? Must have been the same lack of foresight that has now created traffic nighmares on Morse Blvd between CR 466 and Hwys 27/441.

It will get worse as more folks move into TV and other commercial tennants move into this growing market, so please slow down, you are retired.

[Barbi]

This is better than taxes --- it's voluntary funding

[captain1202]

All right with the "holier than thou" you non-speeders. Consider traffic laws for what they REALLY are....revenue enhancement. Localities and the state police make the most of it to load up their coffers. Who really travels 55, 60, or 65 on the interstate? Not many folks I have seen. Travel those speeds and you get run down, often by a state trooper rushing to a doughnut stop.

If they were really SERIOUS about having you slow down for the school district, They would place a LARGE sign in an obvious place with a prominent yellow flashing light and speed warning.

Not sure about Florida, but in Massachusetts, all traffic control signs must be approved by the State Highway Dept. If the sign is not approved, the sign cannot be enforced, legally. Many towns simply post signs hoping no one will challenge them and 99.9% of people don't because they are not aware of the issue. If you are taken to court you can ask for them to produce the approval letter from the state for the sign, if they can't provide it..case dismissed.

I also wonder about the enforceability of various signs on private property, stop signs in a mall parking lot, for example, for all the reasons above.

Again. not condoning reckless driving, just a little enforcement sanity.

NOTE TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS: These revenues help keep your property taxes down, don;t complain too loudly.

[SteveZ]

Rt 466 is an interesting road. As with most 4-lane divided highways, people tend to ignore the posted speed limit signs, warning signs, etc. and "drive according to the conditions." In other words, the tendency is to go as fast as the car and traffic will allow without swerving or screaching tires.

When one speeds on unfamiliar roads, or is not especially alert in a strange area for local hazards, be thankful that all one may end up with is a ticket.

The Villages can be lulling, in that folk are so relaxed here they can tend to let down their guard, especially on the highways. Strict enforcement of traffic laws in the most sensistive of locations (especially school zones) not only should be expected, but praised.

Don't get me wrong, I'm probably a lot more lead-footed than I should be. Every once in a while I have found myself being asked for license and registration due to having pressed my luck a little too much. I don't even want to guess how many times I qualified for a ticket yet never got one, so I can't really complain when the law-of-averages catches up with me.

The bottom line is, if you don't know the roads and the local hazards, take more care and be more observant, otherwise the result is obvious.

[Sidney Lanier]

I guess I am one of those nonspeeders described in an earlier post as "holier than thou." I don't see it that way. When I follow local speed limits, or when I set the cruise control on 70 mph on the Turnpike, it's not so much being "holier than thou" as it is the peace of mind that comes from not having to worry that the flashing lights in my rear-view mirror are for me. I taught all our kids to drive and urged them NOT to use a radar detector but rather to drive in such a way that they do not NEED one! Yes, of course traffic ticketing serves as a revenue raiser too, but no matter what the explanation (or excuse!), it's a lot easier--and certainly less stressful--to follow the rules than have to be concerned about them constantly. IMHO....

[chelsea24]

I love the Sumter County Sheriff's Office! When we were moving in, the mover's didn't want to unload the truck until they had the cash. (Also wanted my husband to meet them at some weight station, which sounded goofy to me.) Anyway, they wouldn't unload the truck, so I called the Sheriff. And boy did he handle it! He called their boss and the boss was also rude to the Deputy, so he hung up on the boss then told the two cocky men that if they didn't unload the truck NOW they were both going to be held for Grand Theft. Boy, did they unload in a hurry, and nothing was broken! He, of course, had already checked to make sure my husband had the cash, which he did. I can't say enough about how much I Love the Sumter County Sheriff's Dept.!

[gfmucci]

Originally Posted by captain1202

All right with the "holier than thou" you non-speeders.* Consider traffic laws for what they REALLY are....revenue enhancement.** Travel those speeds and you get run down, often by a state trooper rushing to a doughnut stop. NOTE TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS:* These revenues help keep your property taxes down, don;t complain too loudly.*

Wow!* This post sounds like Captain has had bad experiences with the law.* In my 35 years working for local government (not in law enforcement), fines and forfeitures do NOT keep property taxes down.* They barely pay for the processing costs for the police reports and court costs that are generated by each ticket, unless it is a podunk small community that really abuses their authority which is very rare.* As for donuts, if only police are the donut hounds the shops would all fold from lack of sales volume.

[Beltlady]

Originally Posted by filament

It is time to warn all the snow birds about the profiling of out of state cars, esp. the upscale cars like the Acruas and the Lexius' ... these are the ones they love.

I am glad i had such a good response to my first post. I'm back and plan to do something about the injustice of that school situation. There isn't even a cut curb on the 466 bypass of the school.. No tell me... daaaa...This is their cash cow

It's their buffalo not a cow. :

[Frangyomory]

Personally I wish there were more police checking traffic every day. The speed limit is 35 in most roads and now Morse is down to 30. Unfortunately, people who visit the Villages for short vacations and even some residents, apparently don't know their "numbers" because they constantly go over the posted limit.

This is a no whining zone so if you are caught SPEEDING, pay up and shut up!!!

The school zone is just two blocks from our home and I saw the signs the first time I drove to the "new" Wal-Mart. When school is in session, the light is flashing.

No excuses. If you do the crime....do the time....pay the fine.....for goodness sake, stop griping and stop speeding!!! Where are you going in such a hurry anyway!!!

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Barb1191

HB

[Frangyomory]

Unfortunately, here in the Villages we do have some folks who keep driving long after they should give up their license. Some folks who never drove now drive golf carts and they can be a hazard. I've seen it all and it never ceases to worry me.

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by captain1202

All right with the "holier than thou" you non-speeders.

How dare you!!!! (as you shift the blame from yourself to somebody else) Since when is observing the speed limit being "holier than thou." Since when can you pick and chose which laws you wish to observe or violate. The speed limit is the law and it is placed there your your protection and mine. If you exeed the speed limit, you deserve a ticket. If you speed you have no regard for the life and safety of my family and me. I hope the police write a thousand tickets. There are over two million people in prision today who decided they were above the law.