Speed cameras not a welcome addition

Opening our mail on Oct. 8, we found a form from Latham, N.Y., Violations Processing Unit for the City of Cedar Rapids. Certainly not a welcome to the fine City of Five Seasons, that is for sure.

It showed our vehicle on a certain date supposedly speeding in Interstate 380 north. It had a picture of our plate, and it was most certainly our vehicle. We were coming for our grandson's baptism.

We most likely were speeding, and yes, it is against the law, and yes, we will pay the civil penalty that was imposed. We have little or no recourse here for proving otherwise. We have no way to prove when/if these cameras/units were calibrated, etc.

If this had been a stop by law enforcement, we would have checked our speedometer, would have known the exact circumstances at that time and may have even received a warning. But we only know that a machine clocked us speeding.

We will continue to travel to the Cedar Rapids area as our grandchildren and children live there, but it will be some time before we drop any money into your community.

Tim and Cindy Miller

Newton