If people followed laws, hide-and-seek stings wouldn’t be needed
This letter is in response to Dennis Gregory’s letter on Dec. 30 whining about the unfairness of police clandestine road stops. Everyone who gets behind the wheel of a car knows that proper use of a seat belt or they shouldn’t be behind the wheel.
If everyone followed the law, police wouldn’t have to set up hide-and-seek stings.
Dennis Gregory said, “I got in my car in Hilo and groggily drove around the corner to the local convenience store.” Really? Groggily drove? Sounds to me like he should not have been driving at all. Sounds like he was a danger to everyone on the road that Sunday morning. If he forgot to put on his seat belt properly, that is on him, not the police.
He goes on to say that he was stopped again in Kailua-Kona by another police sting by West Hawaii Today. Really? Again? It seems to me that he has a hard time learning a lesson — the hard and expensive way.
Why is all of this the police department’s fault? I do not think that issuing tickets for misuse or non-use of a seat belt is being a “Keystone Cop, bumbling or like Gilligan’s Island” at all, and I believe that most sensible people do not think that the police are letting bank robbers, muggers, drunk drivers, wife beaters or any other criminals get away with crimes while giving out seat belt tickets.
As for the “tourist lady” sitting on the Kailua-Kona seawall drinking, no matter her age, she should have known better. Where did she think she was? Mardi Gras?
Gregory’s whole letter was another whining diatribe about our men in blue who, by in large, protect and serve all and deserve, at the very least, our respect.
Grow up. Put your seat belt on properly and save yourself some money.
Sally Inkster
Kealakekua
Speeders should be ticketed
Complaint letters accusing the police of issuing speeding tickets on the new Saddle Road instead of “educating” drivers of the law only demonstrate how deeply the “stupid gene” has penetrated our species.
The responding letter by Leningrad Elarionoff printed on New Year’s Day was beautifully written and well said. I applaud police officers who have to deal daily with the idiots in our society.
Kris Lockard
Waikoloa