Nelson said Hanna's ticket breezed through four separate "fail-safe" points where the error should have been caught. He added that the ticket was issued as a result of human error, not a flaw in the speed camera technology.
The director said his office's policy on ambiguous tickets is "when in doubt, throw it out," but he acknowledged that didn't happen in Hanna's case. He agreed that his office compounded the error by failing to answer Hanna's letter, adding he has since increased the staff handling such correspondence.
Despite her experience, Hanna did not come away as an opponent of speed cameras. She thinks they have the potential to do far more good than harm.
But Hanna believes that there needs to be a way for motorists to challenge the facts of the case without being forced to travel halfway across the state.
Nelson said such a system is already in place and that people in Hanna's predicament need not jump through all the hoops she did. He said motorists outside Montgomery who believe they have been wrongly cited can call 866-818-3844 and get their tickets voided if there is any doubt of their accuracy.
"I would rather throw every one of them out that is in question," Nelson said.
My take: Montgomery has the right policies in place. But it can't permit such basic errors because speed camera opponents are ready to pounce on any imperfections to obstruct this life-saving program.
'Northeast Passage'
From time to time, a reader asks me to send copies of previous columns describing a "Northeast Passage" that bypasses the tolls and tribulations of Interstate 95 heading to the Northeast. With Thanksgiving nigh, here is a description of that low-hassle route, an especially attractive option for those traveling to northern New Jersey, the northern New York suburbs and New England:
From Baltimore, take Interstate 83 north to York, Pa. In York, take Eixt 19, Market Street east, and go straight on North Hills Road for about a mile and a half. Then take a right onto U.S. 30. Head east on 30 to Lancaster, where you pick up U.S. 222 heading northeast toward Reading. Stay on 222 as it bypasses Reading. (Most of the route from 83 to Reading is divided highway of near-interstate quality.)
North of Reading, 222 turns into a stop-and-go, three-lane highway for a relatively short stretch. (Plan a pit stop in Moselem Springs.) Just before Allentown, take Pennsylvania Route 100 north about 2 miles to Interstate 78. Take I-78 east to Interstate 287 in New Jersey. That is your jumping-off point for virtually any destination in northern Jersey and points beyond.
Tolls to I-78 and I-287 heading north: $0. Return trip: $1. Bypassing Delaware: Priceless.
