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Text The Times.

Text The Times.

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Here’s what everyone is talking about this week:

Even though I probably qualify for Mensa, there is no way in the world I could solve Friday’s crossword puzzle. I doubt HAL could… [Editor’s Note: It’s not often we get “2001: A Space Odyssey” references here in Text the Times, so well done, sir or ma’am.

I didn’t think Friday’s puzzle was THAT hard. I will admit, I stumbled right out of the box on the very first clue, though. I was so sure that 1-Across “Doe’s Mate” was “BUCK” that when it didn’t work with any of the other answers, I originally thought the puzzle was screwed up (again!), but then I realized it was “STAG” and after that, I managed to get it done. Now, I will say, we are using a new service, and I don’t really have a handle on what level of difficulty these new puzzles are supposed to have, but I like a challenge! I don’t know if I qualify for Mensa, but my Mom tells me I’m pretty smart]

*** Point/Counterpoint: I read both articles and enjoyed both arguments. Maybe I am wrong but my personal definition of a Speed Trap would be if the policemen somehow altered the speed zone making it less that what it was when you entered it, now most drivers generally travel between 7 to 10 miles over the posted limit and you will never have to worry about a Speed Trap because they don’t exist, by law one mile over is speeding so if you choose to speed through that little run down Town showing disregard for the posted speed quit complaining about it and drive the speed limit. Also I grew up in Earle and now live in Marion however I drive there at least twice a week never have received a ticket because I observed the posted speed limit when I enter the city limits which is 45, however the majority of the commercial truck and farmers hauling grain are usually traveling between 65 to 70 miles per hour how does that translate into a speed trap when you are 20 to 25 miles over the limit. Just my thought on the issue.

[Editor’s Note: Hey, it’s “Point/Counterpoint” not “Point/Counterpoint/Rebuttal”… totally kidding, I’m glad you sent this in, and you raise some good points. What we’re calling a “speed trap” doesn’t necessarily meet the requirements to call it that.

In the legal sense, a “speed trap” is an area of road in which hidden police detect vehicles exceeding a speed limit, typically by radar.

That’s not really what this is. It’s more like a quarter- mile “speed bump” that forces you to slow down for a short stretch. What usually happens is someone sees the lower speed limit and they don’t start slowing down until the pass the sign, and of course there’s a policeman with his radar gun waiting right there and there’s going to, just by the laws of physics going, be a period where you’re in between 55 and 45. Of course, like you say, the driver here is probably actually going around 60, so getting down to 45 is going to take a while, so they’re probably getting tagged for something like 52 in a 45, and then hollering “speed trap” and such. In a lot of places you’ll see “Reduced Speed Ahead” signs before the speed limit change, and with those, you really only have yourself to blame if you don’t start slowing down ahead of time. I will say that I do enough speeding (nothing crazy, usually 5 to 10 mph over, depending where I am) that I really don’t complain when I get pulled over, probably once every for or five years. And I will even say, of those times, I think I’ve ever only actually gotten three speeding ticket, and I’ve been driving since 1990. I guess it’s really true, what they say, “It’s only speeding if you get caught!” And inconvenient or not, you’re right. If you’re speeding, you’re speeding]

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