Welcome to St.Paul

Some cities choose to welcome visitors with a sign saying Welcome to New Haven,we’re an All-American city.

St. Paul, Minnesota welcomes visitors who cross their city limits with a police officer standing in the middle of the street pointing a laser gun at motorists.

When asked, officials of the St. Paul police department say their greeting to the “other” city isn’t about increasing the city coffers but rather a deep abiding commitment to safety.

I’m not buying it. Completely.

If it looks like a money making scheme and it acts like a money making scheme then chances are it is a money making scheme. Just how much money St.Paul is earning from this meet, greet and tag policy is not known.

The city, according to the sources I chatted with, doesn’t’ have a database indicating which speed traps racked in the most amount of money.

Instead everything is lumped into one bit category. How convenient.

I just contributed $150 to city of St .Paul coffers. My speeding ticket was actually for $168 but by agreeing not to take it to court and risking a “guilty” verdict, I am avoiding having my insurance company notified of the violation .

As long as I don’t get another speeding ticket in 12 months it will never go on my record. If history is any indication, I won’t get another speeding ticket until 2044. Let’s just say if I’m lucky enough to make it to 2044 the only motorized vehicle I'll be commandeering will most likely be a motorized scooter.

I did hesitate in accepting the city’s generous offer to keep this unpleasantry off my driving record. In many ways, it felt like I was being bought off.By accepting their offer of not telling my insurance company there is now no public record of my complaint against the city’s policy of positioning a speed trap right at the city limit.

Here is how I was ticketed.

Usually to get to St.Paul I just take I-94. But on this particular morning I took the scenic route. For several years the Ford Ave bridge had been under repair. Now there's a beautiful four lane bridge spanning the mighty Mississippi and joining Minneapolis and St.Paul. As I was driving on the new bridge ,which just begs to be ridden at about 40 -45 miles an hour, I saw something in the distance.

I actually sped up a bit so I could see what it was. It was the police officer tagging my speed. He was standing in the middle of the street. The 30 mile an hour speed limit sign was parallel to his position.

Was I speeding? Absolutely.

Was I aware that I was speeding. No.

Was there a posted speed limit sign as I got on the bridge? No.

As I told Sr. Commander Gregory Pye of the St.Paul Police Department I wouldn't have had an issue getting ticketed if the police office had been a block past the speed limit sign.

Pye asked, " You really didn't know the speed limit was 30?"

"How would I know that? There isn't a speed limit posted when you enter the bridge."

Then Officer Pye shared this little factoid which anyone who has ever gotten a speeding ticket knows. If the speed limit isn't posted assume it's 30 MPH.

Senior Commander Pye said that traffic safety is one of the top priorities of the citizens of St.Paul. I applaud that.

And, if I had been barreling down a neighborhood street, I wouldn't have an issue. However, having the policeman in the middle of the street is #1 dangerous. #2 distracting.

If I wasn't so intrigued by what was in the middle of the road, I may have seen the speed limit sign at then end of the bridge and would have slowed down to be in compliance.

My challenge to Senior Commander Pye is this: If the goal is really to get people to pay attention to the speed limit rather than add money to the city's general fund, why not post a speed limit sign at the beginning of the bridge not at the end of it.?

If the city doesn't want to do that, then have the policeman tag people a block after they've had a chance to see the speed limit sign. Make it fair. Tagging people at the city limits before they have even seen a speed limit sign feels slimy.

Senior Commander Pye didn't make any promises but he did say it would take my suggestion under consideration.