Costly right turn
My wife and I just returned from a wonderful car trip through Florida, visiting St. Augustine, Miami, Key West, Sarasota and Fort Myers.
During this trip we probably spent a couple of thousand dollars. We were still in the afterglow of the trip when we returned home to find a notice from Florida City that we had “failed to fully stop before a right turn on red.”
The fine for this heinous crime is a non-negotiable $158. If a police officer had observed this offense in person we would probably have received, at worst, a warning.
I hope that Florida City and the state, which shares the payment, enjoy the money; but Floridians should keep in mind the effect this experience has on our — and others’ — eagerness to return.
Daniel Steinbock,
Toledo, Ohio
This story was originally published March 4, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Costly right turn."