Audio By Carbonatix
There’s a little-known shortcut to get from downtown Phoenix to Tempe during rush hour. Some of those in the know call it cheating. We tell those people to pipe down because it’s our preferred way home from work.
The shortcut goes directly through Sky Harbor International Airport and allows you to bypass the parking lot that I-10 becomes between the hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Phoenix Police Sergeant Tommy Thompson tells New Times the cops are hip to the shortcut and that police have come up with a sneaky method of busting speeders: dress officers up as grounds crew and arm them with radar guns.
“There’s no law against [the shortcut],” he says. “But we’ve got people using the airport as a freeway…they’ve got to slow down.”
The disguised officers monitor the roads leading into the airport. When they see someone
speeding, they call to another officer waiting down the road in a police
cruiser to issue the ticket.
Not exactly the most glamorous undercover assignment for a cop but it’s certainly sneaky.
Thompson says that yesterday they busted a guy doin’ 73 MPH through the airport. He says the department will probably continue to use this method.
So, if you’re speeding through the airport, keep your eyes peeled for a baggage handler with a radar gun.
