HOV scofflaws | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Re "Express-lane enforcement blitz: Utah troopers find easy pickings" (Tribune, Aug. 17):

"They will tell their friends what happened, and word will spread," Trooper Emery Calkins said as he lamely explained why he spent a whole day pulling over violators in the carpool lane and only giving them warnings instead of $100 tickets. Yeah, the word they will spread is that the Utah Highway Patrol doesn't treat carpool-lane lawbreakers as seriously as it treats speeders.

I can't believe UHP is implementing such a silly policy. Apparently, the only reason it is policing carpool lanes at all is because Utah could otherwise lose federal money. Without the feds' pressure, they wouldn't be doing anything.

The Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law, but on our freeways, I want equal prosecution under the law: HOV-lane lawbreakers should be treated just like speeders — with tickets!

I wish our Legislature would let troopers pull over and ticket people just for talking on their cellphones while driving. That'd make a big difference in safety.

Ian Murphy

Park City