In his Aug. 27 column, Andy Thomas stated that the Pinehurst police have quotas for ticketing traffic offenses. Two years ago, there were 1,200 tickets issued; last year, 3,600.

The mayor explained that the extraordinary increase was part of a federal funding requirement. Andy said he was the "victim" of one of the $100 fines for a seat belt violation. It's called guilty, not victim.

Andy's information, whether correct or not, makes for a good segue to my concern. At 3,600 the average is close to 10 a day. Are that many tickets being issued in Pinehurst?

I hope the quota for 2008 is higher, and I wish the Pinehurst police would get serious about speeders on Burning Tree Road and other double-yellow-lined streets. I am familiar with the aggressive drivers and estimate that 30 to 40 percent of drivers using Burning Tree Road exceed the 35 mph limit. And as the speed of cars, trucks and motorcycles goes up, so does the noise.

I left a message on the village Web site, and the police chief said he would increase patrols, but I haven't seen any evidence. It is also evident that Burning Tree Road is now an alternate to Linden Road to get to N.C. 5. And, of course, since it is "thru traffic," I doubt the drivers care that it is a residential community.

I see the Pinehurst police driving on Burning Tree Road, but I've never seen one positioned to take on speeders seriously. I guess that would be called a "speed trap." A few hefty speeding tickets on an ongoing basis would demonstrate that the mayor and chief care about our residential community and our safety. Isn't this a part of the aesthetic beauty of Pinehurst?

Thomas Brown

Pinehurst