Many drivers with only one occupant are evading the toll on Katy Freeway by taking the HOV lane. They are doing this to avoid being caught by EZ-Tag cameras that record the other lanes. In light of this action, Harris County Precinct Five has started sting operations to foil the efforts of law-breakers.
According to Channel 11 News, police said, “Approximately 200 cars cheated the system (in over one hour).”
Sting operations are not new to the Katy Freeway. During the summer, police officers took to what they referred as an “Educational Campaign” to enforce a law that has been in affect since 2006, to make motorists move over one lane when officers have pulled someone over on the shoulder of the road.
Maybe these officers have spent too much time sitting in traffic or listening to the same CD on repeat, but people are upset. The battle cry is always, “Why don’t cops do something more beneficial with their time?”
There seems to be a wide range of violent crimes that cops need to be putting a halt to, but there they are on the side of the road stopping people who are just trying to get home.
What they are really upset about is that cops were doing their jobs, and the complainers were breaking the law.
The next time anyone gets stopped, don’t complain about the cops. Own up to the fact that the only person who was not doing what they’re suppose to was the person breaking the law.
It’s not the fault of the cops; people on the road have become inconsiderate of the basic rules for drivers. And when officers come out to do these sting operations, it’s only because the pre-existing problem has reached a point where they can no longer look the other way.
It would be nice for cops to put a majority of their efforts into mainly violent crimes. But this won’t happen until people start to respect the laws that are in place. It is because of the actions of other motorist that you’re spending endless hours sitting in the car. It’s not the cops who are trying to ensure that you can get back home safely
