MSD

Eariler tonight, on the way from school, I had an unpleasant experience with one of CT's finest (this one was not so fine.) As I approached a common speed trap area in the right lane (slow lane,) I slowed down from 55-60 to under 55 since the 15th and 30th of every month (28th in Feb) are quota days. Sure enough, I looked to the right and saw a silver Crown Vic getitng on the highway. I punched the gas for a second to give him room to merge, and he responded with his own token of gratitude that left no doubt as to whether he had filled his quota. As I set my cruise control to exactly 55, he flipped on his high beams and proceeded to tailgate me. I'm positive that it was an unmarked car and that I just hadn't seen the light bar, becuase as I began climbing the hill after exit 42 (the speed trap zone,) the rest of traffic dropped back as they slowed to about 45 to avoid passing the State Trooper.

Net reuslt: this asshole tailgated me with high beams on for a few miles, and held up traffic at ten mph below the speed limit all because our state PD wanted him to have written more tickets in the past two weeks than he did.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I don't agree with the existance of speed limits in the first place, I feel that speeding and seat belt violations are illegitimate sources of revenue, and I know that the alleged no-quota system is bullshit because 1: on the 15th and 30th of every month the h ighways fill with state troopers who have no intention of hiding the fact that they're out to write as many tickets as possible, and 2: because the son of a state trooper told me that it's a lie.

These guys need to be assigned to work on real crimes, not be sent out to perform the demeaning task of highway patrol. I've talked to these guys, they're good cops and good people. It's an insult to them and to us to make them write out tickets anywhere other than consturction and school zones, all of which can be handled by a few officers assigned to thsoe spots at the proper times.