Saturday morning cops.

   8a.m. Sat. I'm taking my daughter to work. We're enjoying a nice conversation and a leisurely drive through campus where the streets are for once empty because most of the kids have gone home(?) for the holidays and besides they aren't up that early. What a pleasure to be able to actually enjoy the beauty of the campus without fear that 50-100 college kids, old enough to know better, will dart out into the road at a moments notice. Actually "dart" is way too active a statement, this should be "meander" out into the roadway like a stoned flock of sheep, focused only on their ipod, cell phone or whatever. 

   Sorry, I got distracted. This is a sore and hot topic for me. Forget school zones and crossing guards at elementary schools, any five year old knows how to cross a street better than these college kids, we need crossing guards on campus.

   Anyway, so a bored campus police officer pulls me over because I didn't use my turn signal when pulling into a parking lot off of a deserted street. Now I deserved it, but..... (A) What takes you so long back there in your cop car? and (B) was the coffee klotch with the three other bored campus officers who drove by really necessary?

When you finally came up with my ticket and then asked if I had any questions (damn right I do but I'm not stupid enough to actually ask them and give you something else to fill out your morning and brag about back at the station (do campus cops have a station?) when you bust me for being uncooperative and surly (of course I'm surly, it's 8 a.m. and I need a cup of coffee!) I wanted to ask, "Do you ever hand out tickets to the multitudes of pedestrians committing traffic violations and creating hazardous driving conditions? If you really wanted to fill your quota, make some money in fines, AND improve the quality and safety of everyone on campus, I'd suggest that. One day a month (bring a couple of extra ticket books) and you could meet your quota, bring in a ton of fines, and stop a lot of accidents. I bet within one semester the problems would be virtually erased.