We were on a three-day tour of the Olympic Peninsula. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and the people were friendly. One day, we decided to visit Port Townsend and Jefferson County. We were driving on a main road (bypass to town) when a police officer going in the opposite direction recorded us on radar at a speed of 48 miles per hour.

The speed limit on that particular bypass road was 25 miles per hour. I explained to the officer that it was a downhill grade and my automobile picked up speed without me realizing it.

The officer cited us at 23 miles per hour over the speed limit; the fine was $259, the highest possible amount.

We were very upset at this officer giving us this harsh fine. We think he should have given us a warning; after all, it was our first time visiting this town. We are tourists, not criminals.

We decided not to visit the town.

At a coffee shop on the way out, we shared our experience with the owner. She shared a similar experience where she was unjustly fined for speeding in her own town. She was so sympathetic to our situation that she gave us free coffee and cookies.

At dinner in Port Angeles, a person asked us where we were from. During our conversation, we warned this person about our experience in Port Townsend. He shared similar situations and told us that he has friends that avoid the town because of its unfriendliness.

The intention of this letter is to warn people who are visiting Port Townsend that a lot of the roads there are posted at 25 miles an hour and it’s heavily enforced.

PETER J. BAGLIONI

Wakefield, Massachusetts