Beware!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gazza Bradford]

A few months ago I warned everyone I knew to beware about the traffic police. Well, yesterday I paid two fines totaling 140E for 'offenses' committed at 00.34 & 1.50am respectively. Speed kills and it's our duty to keep our speed down but it's the duty of the Police to protect our lives as citizens and serve the public.

I was caught on camera doing 97km on the LZ2 passing Los Lirios where the speed changes to a cheeky 80 just before the Conil / La Geria turning and 80 leaving Costa Teguise where at the end of the dual carriageway the speed changes from 100? to 80 and then to 60 within 30 or so meters. Both roads in fact are dual carriageways.

My point being, is this just? Is this saving lives?

There are no people on either of these roads at that time of night or ever to be truthful as they are main roads not pedestrian areas. At 00.34 and 1.50am there's hardly any traffic let alone people. It's the injustice of it all. Rather than save lives these controls have been set up as a license to print fines and gain income from a public that's already bailed out banks who failed us and a public that's seen its public funds bled dry by corrupt politicians. Now they're are targeting us, the drivers. We're an easy way of making quick bucks. Both the above 'offenses' have little to do with saving lives and everything to do with generating cash. Not for the first time on this beautiful island I feel ripped off.

If the cash generated were to be used to make the junction leaving Costa Teguise safer then I would gladly pay 140E to make sure that I never have to see another dead body at the side of the road ( I've seen two this year already ). The hippocracy of it all can be seen as you leave the 60 slip road exiting Costa Teguise in the direction of Arrecife. There are two Shell garages facing each other, the incline entering the one on the left has a speed limit of 60. How can it be possible that this is so?

Further more, dual carriageways in Puerto del Carmen far away from pedestrians have speed limits of 40 and 50kmh yet cyclists can weave their way down the main strip at similar speeds? Who's more dangerous? Words fail me. For the record I've never once had a speeding ticket before yesterday in over twenty years of driving throughout Europe. In my immediate family 3 out of 5 have had speeding fines this year and one of them doesn't drive:)

They are after us, be warned!!!