"Prison Talk"

During the recent "Blizzard" in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) (of course) declared a ban on non essential automobile traffic from 4:00 pm of Friday. Subject to discretion, anyone caught on the roads after 4:00 pm was subject to a $500.00 fine or a year in jail for violating this edict. Now, I understand that during a snow event it is easier to clear the roads with fewer cars on the road BUT, are these fines perhaps a little extreme? On Cape Cod in Dennis Port at 4:00 pm Friday there was maybe 1/4 inch of snow, (I may be exaggerating because there could have been 1/8 inch of snow).

I wonder how many people are now going through the court system due to this driving ban, how many people are getting hauled off to prison, and how many thousands of dollars in fines were assessed?

I can almost picture the conversations of the newly imprisoned trouble maker car driving defiers as they talk with their fellow prison inmates. "So, what you in for dude?, armed robbery?, killin' somebody?, pushin' smack?, pimpin' some ho's?" And you have to reply,"Ah, no, I was driving after 4:00 pm. on Cape Cod through about a quarter inch of snow and this state policeman arrested me for some sort of Gubernatorial decree about some sort of traffic ban. I thought this guy was joking with me so I asked him if he was crazy. My car radio wasn't  working and nobody at the Cape Cod tunnel where I work told me anything about this driving ban. Besides, how was I supposed to get home from work?, walk the 25 miles from my job in Sandwich to Dennis? The trooper wasn't amused so here I am stuck in prison costing the public probably $50,000 for my year sentence. Oh well, at least I'll get 3 meals a day and a free place to stay. Sucks for my family though as I'll lose my job and they'll all have to go on welfare. How about you? What brings you to this prison place?" "Well, the veteran  prisoner replies, I got caught removing some damn tag from my mattress and my cellmate got caught for compulsive littering AND j-walking".

Now, what do you think? Does the punishment fit the crime? Is Massachusetts safer with a few less drivers on the road? Well, maybe every one's commute to and from work will be slightly easier with these criminal drivers off the roads but to me I don't think we need a Governor who has to try to intimidate the whole state with a driving ban particularly parts of the state like Cape Cod where at the time of the ban there really wasn't any snow to speak of at the start of the 4:00 pm ban.