Persecution
To the Editor:
Last Friday evening, after several spirited games of pool and exactly three beers at Cuzz’s Bar, I decided to relocate to the River House to see what the competition was like over there.
Getting into my car and “buckling up,” I pulled out onto Main Street and headed towards the River House.
I failed to signal my right turn onto Ferry Street and I was immediately swathed in those adorable red and blue lights of Officer McKittrick’s patrol car.
Using my failure to signal my turn gave Officer McKittrick “probable cause” to stop me.
I was in no way acting erratically nor did I appear in any way to be under any kind of influence.
This should have been a judgment call and a more experienced officer probably would have given me a warning or a citation for my transgression and sent me on my way.
Not so with Officer McKittrick.
He had seen me come out of Cuzz’s and he w s sure I was drunk.
It has become common practice for Vevay’s finest to note what cars are parked in front of the bars and to pull them over when they leave. This “trolling for the point 08” seems to be a way for these officers to relieve their boredom.
While Officer McKittrick was trying to get me to do the “dog and pony” show on Ferry Street, no less than three speeding 18 wheelers came roaring through the light on Main Street.
How long has it been since anyone has seen a Vevay Police Officer pull over one of these speeding behemoths.
They are apparently exempt from probable cause because they didn’t just come out of a bar.
Bars are a legal business and bar patrons should be treated no differently than CVS patrons or Friendship Bank patrons.
Why then is this “trolling for the point 08” allowed by our police chief and our town council? This is not protecting and serving or anything remotely connected to real police work.
It is selective persecution and the chief and the town council should put a stop to it.
Steve Bladen
Tapps Ridge