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Bernard is a county deputy working traffic control on a holiday weekend. He's found a great spot just around a curve on U. S. 301 in East Georgia. The area has a reputation as a speed trap, and Bernard is making sure the tourists are not disappointed.

He's using binoculars to check out the travelers. A Nissan Altima from New York going 51mph in a 55 mph zone. Here comes a sporty thing - a Pontiac Grand AM with Massachusetts plates. He's doing 53 mph. It's Friday afternoon, and traffic is fairly heavy, but everybody's driving right at or just under the speed limit.

"This stretch of 301 is always a racetrack on weekends," Bernard is thinking. "Why's everybody crawling along like this?"

Traffic continues to move like this. Bernard is growing weary from lack of action. Frustrated, he pulls out of his spot and patrols along the northbound highway.

Suddenly Bernard comes upon an unusual sight. There's a 12- year- old boy standing just off the shoulder of the road on the southbound side. The kid is holding up a cardboard sign that says: "Speed Trap Ahead."

"Would you just look at that!" Bernard mutters to himself. "No wonder!" The deputy makes a U- turn on the grassy median, pops on his blue lights, and pulls off onto the shoulder where the boy is. The kid's first instinct is to run, but the deputy knows the kid's name.

"Billy! Get in my patrol car right this minute! And bring that stupid sign with you. Your daddy's gonna wear your butt out when I tell him about this."

Taking the boy home, Deputy Bernard comes up on a second boy several miles further down the road. He's holding a sign with a different message - and there's a mop bucket on the edge of the road.

"That's Eddy, my partner," says little Billy. Eddy's sign reads: "Thank You For Your Tips."

CallTheCops@sc.rr.com