I am going to be busy for the next few days and won’t be able to post as frequently as I usually do, so I thought I would get in as much news as possible until mid-week.
The first issue that caught my attention as I was reading my newsfeeds on my blog involved some people in Meriden who took it upon themselves to post their own “speed limit” or “slow down” signs because of a heavy volume of cars that take it upon themselves to drive extremely fast past schools and in neighborhoods with a large amount of children.
The Record-Journal had photos of the signs, which are hand made and quite large telling people in plain English to slow down. Apparently, this speeding past school zones and in neighborhoods with many children playing is an issue in parts of Wallingford also.

Click here to see a new variation of speed limit signs

I contacted the Meriden and Wallingford Town Halls. I told them about the sign you see above in Cheshire which has had a positive effect on drivers and residents alike. These signs were put up by the late Chief Gary Walberg and I am so happy to see that the Public Safety Commission has taken it upon themselves to continue this “tradition” in Cheshire. I think it really makes our town stand out and sends a message in a very nice way. Because, let’s face it, no one wants to speed when they see children or think there may be children in the area.

These signs started when I had seen an article in a national magazine about a family in a mid-Western state who were concerned about people speeding through their neighborhoods. They came up with this idea, but their wording on the signs were somewhat different. I brought the article to Chief Walberg and he did look into it, telling me that the signs these people had put up were copyrighted.
So, to the late Chief’s credit, he came up with his own special wording. Instead of “love” he had the heart symbol put it. It really stands out, I think and sends a positive message. So you see the bottom line is that two people on opposite ends of the spectrum, so to speak, got together for the good of the community and the result is what you see above. I know Cheshire got a grant to pay for these signs, hopefully, Meriden and Wallingford will be able to do the same.

Now, speaking of speeding, I have another report from a long time Cheshire resident: L.N. that he received a speeding ticket of all things, a few weeks ago for ALLEGEDLY traveling 52 in a 40 mph zone on YES, HERE WE GO AGAIN–ACADEMY ROAD.

Now look, I know people speed. We all do it. We are in a hurry, we are not thinking. EVERYONE GOES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT–no, oops that is not true, my husband doesn’t believe it or not. My husband goes so slow that I literally get sick in the car because my brain can’t process motion that slow. He is horrible he is so slow. He backs up traffic where ever he goes for God’s sake.

Well, Mr. L.N. who has also lived in Cheshire for well over 50 years, according to people who know him, is the same way. He drives SLOW. He obeys the speed limit. So, for a person in his fifties to get a motor vehicle moving violation ticket FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, says volumes, doesn’t it.

Now I don’t know what happened down at the CPD, but ever since there seemed to be a change in the Traffic Department, from Lt. Deegan to Lt. Mazzini, there seems to be an increase in the volume of tickets being given out. I already told these people right to their face, I don’t like it. I don’t like people being made targets so someone can benefit from it.

No one takes food from my table-NO ONE. This issue with my husband who also received a ticket but it was nolled for allegedly going right through a stop sign at the intersection of Carriage Drive and Rt.68/70  is also known as yes, you guessed it, Academy Road!!  Do you see a “pattern” here?

I have had people contact me and claim they were not speeding or stopped at the light or whatever, and believe me, when they told me their story, a few of them I actually told they deserved the ticket.

This was not the case with my husband, for THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, and with Mr. L.N. First of all, Mr. L.N., as I mentioned above, has NEVER in his 50 some odd years living in Cheshire, gotten a ticket for any motor vehicle violation, which in this town is an outright miracle!! So he must be a great driver, and he is!!

Number two: the officer, who I am familiar with, followed Mr. L.N. from Academy Road to the front of the Cheshire Public Library, before he pulled Mr. L.N. over. When Mr. L.N. asked why he pulled him over in front of the library, when the “alleged” speeding violation occurred several miles away, the officer said he waited to pull him over to see if he was “intoxicated”!!!

First of all, if the officer was so “sure” Mr. L.N. was speeding (at 52 in a 40) why did the officer follow Mr. L.N, for SEVERAL MILES and then tell him he followed him so long to SEE if he was intoxicated!! If Mr. L.N. was zipping in his car in the center of town SO FAST, why wasn’t he pulled over RIGHT THEN AND THERE!! WHY FOLLOW FOR SEVERAL MILES AND THEN SAY WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTOXICATED!!
Just like my husband, he was pulled over one half mile away from the so called, stop sign violation and then asked “didn’t you see my car?” If he went THROUGH this stop sign, wouldn’t the first words out of the officers mouth have been, “didn’t you SEE THE STOP SIGN”???

This is what happens when pressure is put on people to perform!! I know. I saw it in the car business. Plain and simple. Justify your existence, or you are OUT!!

Keep in mind, this all occurred around 11 p.m. at night. So, like my son who was also pulled over at 1 a.m. a few years ago for having his “highbeams ” on (which is not illegal as long as it is within a certain distance of the upcoming vehicle) and Mr. L.N., who was “allegedly doing 52 in a 40  on the Academy Road section near Cheshire Academy–this is tactically impossible!!!

People driving late at night in Cheshire apparently are thought to be intoxicated I guess!! That seems to be the excuse. That was the excuse with my son, who happened to be coming out of work, and this seems to be the excuse with Mr. L.N.

Some developer will be receiving the Police Logs REAL SOON. I hope they see the real Cheshire when they read through them. Can you imagine people trying to come to that Lifestyle Center and leaving late at night? NO I CANNOT!! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN HERE UNLESS SOME PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDSET FAST!!

It may already be too late. Take a good look at all the business that have closed and are still closing in this town and ask yourselves why? This has been going on at a fairly steady rate for the past two years and the economy is only partially responsible. If you are honest, you know why!! Just read the comment in the last post “DRAMA” by a Cheshire resident and you will understand.

Go out and catch the real speeders and violators. There are plenty of them-out late at night too. Not just someone to be able to put a notch on your employee file. I have friends who received tickets and they deserved them!! Again in this instance, this is not the case. “Oh we wanted to see if you were intoxicated” FINE!! HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO DRIVE BEHIND SOMEONE TO DETERMINE THIS?? NOT SEVERAL MILES!!!

Now I will be running a few videos from people who claim that traffic tickets are illegal unless damage can be proven by the plaintiff, (in most cases, the Police, or courts) which represent the Government. And, as some of the speakers in the “Featured Video” have stated, the Governments job is to protect peoples rights.

So, here is the topic you may discuss: is it ok to go over the speed limit, not fully stop at a stop sign after you have seen it is safe, not wear your seat belt or talk on the phone (who is being injured by doing that)?

Are traffic tickets just a SCAM by the Government to raise money and keep people down? These days, if you get convicted of a traffic offense, it probably will affect you getting employment or even credit.

Why?  To keep people out of the loop. Too many opportunity seekers, not enough opportunities. Get It?

If there are NO injuries: what is the problem? Shouldn’t a ticket only be given out only if actual injuries or God forbid a death occurrs.

So what if Mr. L.N. WAS going 52 in a 40 if NO OTHER CARS WERE ON THE ROAD AND THE ROADWAY WAS CLEAR? As someone says in the forum I have a link to below: if there was no harm: there is no foul. What do you think? Is this too far fetched? An excuse to do what you want? Or is there some points in this argument? Is law enforcement just a revenue maker? Or as I have heard before, do even minor motor vehicle stops end up in many instances in the arrest of wanted criminals. If that is the case, then would these criminals ever be caught if they did not drive that particular day? Is that the ONLY way to catch criminals? I hope not!!

Click here for some different points of view on this subject matter

This is why I go out of town to shop and if I am in town, I ride my new moped!! It only goes 25 (ahem, well) nevermind.  It is yellow. A few people called to tell me they have seen me on it. I wear a white helmet and with my sunglasses,  I swear I look like a traffic cop!! My close friends remember my old blue Tomos moped. I drove that moped for 28 years!! I bought it in 1979 people!! It finally bit the dust two years ago. I hemmed and hawed about getting another one because they ARE expensive, but I saved my money over the past two years, and went out and got another one this past weekend. This moped, like my old one, gets around 100 miles to the 1.5 gallon. GREAT!!

And unlike my old moped which just had a saddle seat, this one has a banana seat and will actually carry a passenger!! My old moped was really a moped, (motorized bicycle). It had bicycle pedals.  It was really heavy because it was all metal. There were no mirrors, no signals, it was real small. It was a real adventure riding that machine, because if you rode it for more than 20 minutes straight, it would overheat and shut off.

Now that I am thinking about it the old moped probably overheated because I fooled around with the carbuerator and jetted it out. The thing went like 55 miles per hour. One day, It stalled and I went flying into a forsythia bush in Easton. OUCH!! You were supposed to be able to pedal this “MOPED” but the weight made it impossible.

I remember riding my old moped one day from Bridgeport to Redding when it overheated and would not start. I had to call a friend to come pick me up!! Also, the ride was so bumpy and the vibration was, well, when you would get off of the moped after a ride, your entire genital area was numb!!

This new moped is nice and smooth. I like it!! So hopefully I will see you around town.

P.S. I will be adding a few new photos to “Cheshire: Then and Now” so be patient.

Goodbye for now.