Final thoughts about tickets

This used to be the land of the free, but things sure are changing here and nationwide. I am all for safety and I really enjoy dining and shopping in a smoke-free environment. But I can live with a smoker passing me on the sidewalk.

It seems our local governments want to make headlines nationwide. The same goes for the current crackdown on all those bad drivers.

Some people complained that our law enforcement does not use turn signals. Why should they? Nobody will give them a citation and I have never seen one stopping for those red stop signs when they are just cruising around. As I understand it, if an off-duty officer gets stopped for an infraction, no citation is issued as professional courtesy.

I have driven extensively in Europe and the only place where I noticed a larger police presence than in our area was Palermo. In spite of that, while driving in France, Italy, Austria, Germany and a few other countries, including some stretches of the Autobahn which doesn't have a speed limit, I witnessed only one accident and rarely ever saw any law enforcement. Bruno Schmidt Calabasas