Florence Lambert: Can’t pay ticket? Then don’t break the law
Re “A traffic fine shouldn’t ruin your life.” (Page 8A, April 13): My first reaction to this egregious editorial was, “Who in the heck is on this editorial board?” My second reaction was “Are you kidding me?”
If you don’t want a ticket, don’t “roll a stop sign or drive 75 in a 65” zone. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your financial status is.
Court appearances are booked in advance; make arrangements. Not appearing in court is against the law. What is so difficult for members of the editorial board to understand about that?
To write that because you’re poor, pity should be taken on you for breaking the law twice is beyond ridiculous. I live on a fixed income. I don’t want to spend any of my money on traffic fines. However, I am astute enough to understand that if I get cited for rolling through that stop sign or speeding, I deserve the citation. This editorial view scoffs at these infractions as if they are minor inconveniences. Use your Merced Sun-Star resources and check out how many accidents/deaths are caused by running stop signs and speeding.
How dare you write this Editorial. It’s a slap in the face of every citizen who obeys traffic laws.
Florence Lambert, Merced
This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Florence Lambert: Can’t pay ticket? Then don’t break the law."