After a long but pleasant flight from Washington, D.C., my husband and I arrived at Hailey's airport full of happiness and expectations of a wonderful 12-day vacation in this incredible part of our country. Our expectations were dashed two blocks out of the airport when my husband noticed a flashing police vehicle. As we were new in town and traveling the ambient speed in the right lane, we were shocked to learn we were speeding at 37 mph. The officer took our license and registration and said he'd "cut us some slack" as he knew we had come from the airport and were unaware that this major four-lane highway had a 25 mph limit.
We expected a warning and a "welcome to Hailey, but be informed that this is a tourist town and safety is our first concern." That would have been a great way to start our vacation. But then the officer slapped us with a $75 ticket and told my husband he was driving with a DWP on his license and he was lucky not to be arrested. A call back home showed the DWP was a mistake and when I called the Hailey Police Department they also confirmed their dispatch had made a mistake.
When I asked Assistant Chief Stellars if our ticket instead of a warning was prompted by this mistake, he noted that although 80 percent of their traffic stops were given warnings, he wouldn't undermine his officer's call. In retrospect, the whole incident caused anxiety and sent us a clear message—you are not welcome in this town. We get the message, we'll stay out and consequently, businesses and restaurants will not be receiving any of our vacation dollars.
Barbara Graham
Highland, Md.
