To the editor:

I’d like to share my interesting encounter with a Lawrence Police officer on Monday evening while running on Inverness Drive for exercise as I always do. As I’m running on the left side of Inverness against traffic approaching the golf course heading toward 15th Street, an officer pulls over and stops his car to tell me that I need to be on the sidewalk.

On the left side of this portion of Inverness there is no sidewalk, but I was about to reconnect with a sidewalk 20 feet in front of me. When I told the officer that there was no sidewalk on this side of the street and that sidewalks are cracked and uneven at times, he proceeded to get out of his vehicle. While standing right in front of me with very close proximity, he rudely asked me what part of the statement I did not understand. I looked at his name badge and replied, “So, your name is …” and I used his name. He stated in response that he was going to give me a citation.

I received a ticket of $102 with a violation stating “pedestrian on highway.” I didn’t realize that Inverness was a highway and that when a sidewalk wasn’t available on a specific side of the street that it was illegal to run by the curb safely against traffic.

Needless to say, it turned out to be an unenjoyable run while having to finish the last mile and a half back to my house in the dark. To all you runners out there, watch out. You could be next!

Heather Kollenberg,

Lawrence