LITTLE ROCK — An e-mail has poured in from a reader who wonders about those signs which read: "School zone. 25 miles per hour when children are present."
Specifically, she is concerned about such a sign in a 55 mph zone on Arkansas 157 in White County.
"So does the 25 mph apply during all school hours? Or if no children are seen in the vicinity is 55 mph the speed limit? Children are very seldom visible in the area because the playgrounds are behind the school and not visible from the road. Also the school drop-off and pick-up point is out of the view of drivers."
Let's look at Arkansas Code 27-51-212, "Speed limit near schools."
It says thou shalt not "operate a motor vehicle in excess of twenty-five (25) miles per hour when passing a school building or school zone during school hours when children are present and outside thebuilding."
There's more: "This speed limit shall not be applicable upon the freeways and interstate highways of this state or to school zones adequately protected by a steel fence limiting access to and egress from safety crossings."
We called Bill Sadler of the Arkansas State Police.
Sadler said several things.
What are school hours? Maybe they include Friday night football. Note the part about "and outside the building." Could be in front. Could be in back.
Don't forget that police officers may exercise their discretion, Sadler said, and if such discretion is exercised, that's why there are courts and judges.
His bottom line: "Why not take the time to be cautious?"
Another reader poured out her heart on the matter of the build-up to the big Komen race last weekend. This reader was headed east on Interstate 630 after working the graveyard shift at her hospital.
She now vents:
"Proud that so many people were taking part in the Race, I tried not to get irritated as they practically pushed me off the road. After all, I was only going 70 mph. In a 60 mph zone.
Since the middle and right lanes were congested with people planning to exit, I stayed in the far left lane, thinking I would be out of the way. But I had headlights flashed at me and scowling faces glaring at me as if I was committing some terrible crime by going only 10 mph over the limit."
The Mahatma plans to stay out of this one, except to remind himself that patience is a virtue, and that when headedto a place where lots of other people are going, it never hurts to leave a few minutes early.
Grinding on, a UALR professor emeritus of philosophy and religious studies wants to know the source for last week's observation that the wheels of justice grind slowly, but exceedingly fine.
Richard Frothingham says he consulted The Oxford Book of Quotations and wondered if perhaps the reference was to Longfellow's translation of the 17th-century German poet Friedrich von Logau.
To wit: "Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small/ Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all."
That was not exactly our source, although we bow to no man in our admiration for Herr Logau.
Our source was a lawyer named Leroy, who uttered to The Mahatma that quote about the wheels of justice. It's been some years ago, but the quote remains stuck in whatever is left of our mind.
Purge your soul at mahatma@arkansasonline.com.
Arkansas, Pages 13 on 10/27/2007