April 14, 2010

The other day I read in the Auto Club magazine that somebody complained because he was given a ticket (I think in Georgia) for failing to observe the Move-Over-Law.

Actually he did slow down at the sight of a police car parked on the shoulder but apparently didn't move over even though it was a three lane highway. According to the article he received a fine of $754 and three points on his license.

The person was driving with a New York State license and the points will not be put on his record. But the penalty must be paid.

To me this rule sounds just like the old speed traps that were all over the South. That was a cash machine for the communities and this is a cash machine for the state.

I checked it and there are forty-three states where this law applies. Fortunately it does not apply in New York State.

But I have never heard of this before until I read the article. The scary thing about it is that my wife and I do drive through other states but not being aware of such a rule can cost big bucks.

If I see somebody -police or work crews- on the shoulder I usually slow down but that seems to be not enough.

I don't know how one can educate himself of the traffic rules and regulations of all the states he plans to drive through.

About thirty years ago my wife and I were driving to Florida from New York. We were going down on I95. Somewhere in the South I got carried away by my own and the car's enthusiasm and was speeding.

Out of nowhere and out in the nowhere this state trooper shows up and stops me. It was sweltering hot outside. He asked me to sit in his car in the front passanger seat. His car was nice and cool. I'm sitting there scared, with his shotgun clamped to the dasboard and between my legs.

Before getting into his car I asked my wife not to come to my defense because I didn't trust her temper.

Shortly before our trip I saw the movie Cool Hand Luke and I already saw myself in a chaingang working on the side of a country road.

Being from the North and being Jewish didn't fill me with a lot of confidence.

But the trooper was very courteous. He gave me a summons for $65 and said I would get no points. I felt myself very lucky. Having points would have cost me a lot more than $65.

I paid him in cash. When I gave him the money he pulled out a roll of banknotes from his pocket to add mine to it. I had the impression that he was singlehandedly reducing that state's budget deficit.

But $65 was a lot better deal than $754 now.