Crosswalk emphasis program stings drivers twice

There are various ways to get stung in the late summer and early fall, but we never thought it would be through our local law department.

Here’s the scenario: My husband was driving our 2005 Explorer down Division Avenue past Farmin-Stidwell Elementary at 20 mph on a quiet Thursday afternoon … actually about 12:55 p.m. All students were safely inside the buildings.

A woman dressed in black was standing on the crossing “corner.” Neither foot was in the crosswalk. Suddenly we are “pulled over” and charged with passing a plainclothes officer who intended to cross the street and going through flashing lights. There are some small lights high on a pole there. My husband said he saw them but since they were amber he assumed it was permissable to “proceed with caution.” Not so!

He was charged, as above, and given the choice to pay $80 and go to court or pay $60 and attend driver education class for four hours on Saturday morning, thereby avoiding having our the ticket go on his record. He agreed to the driver education class.

In our opinion, if Sandpoint Police are going to be giving tickets for people not stopping for flashing lights, those lights should  be red. Furthermore, how did we know if the pedestrian was just standing on the corner since she did not have either foot off the curb? Does this sound like a “sting” operation, or what?

We  have a son who is an Alaska state trooper and support our local law enforcement and, obviously want to prevent car/pedestrian accidents, but think the law should decide whether amber lights mean “proceed with caution” or stop. Check your Idaho driver’s manual, and you decide.

Stung once, but not twice.

SONYA NORDGAARDEN

Sandpoint