I was pulled over the other night on the Natchez Trace (federal parkway) in a portion that runs through Ridgeland, Mississippi. I was on my way home to the adjoining county, and before I got out of Ridgeland I saw two more motorists pulled over by city police.

One of my infractions (aside from going 50 in a 40) was driving with expired license plate. I actually had renewed, but my son had put the new license sticker on his mother's vehicle instead of mine. The lady at our local tax collector's office (which handles license plates and stickers) said that a lot of people had suddenly been coming in to get new stickers after having been pulled over in Ridgeland.

The point is, we're seeing a middleclass suburb of Mississippi's largest city turning into a speed trap. The two tickets I received totaled nearly $400.

This is a town with a sick (maybe dying) mall and vacant store fronts in the surrounding shopping areas, so it's making up for the the sales tax shortfall with ticket revenue.

The young officer who pulled me over -- on a quota now, I suspect -- said, "have a nice night" as he was walking away.

My response: "That's not going to happen now."

After I pay that ticket, I will have spent my last dollar in Ridgeland. This little 'burb will fleece you before you even have a chance to make it to the stores.

Pardon me for venting.