A vape shop’s billboard warns drivers of a speed trap. Police approve.

Linndale, Ohio, vape shop billboard warns drivers of speed trap - The Washington Post

For years, a village’s speed cameras have prompted debate and frustration among Ohio residents. But an unlikely hero has stepped in to look out for drivers: a vape shop.

Planet of the Vapes, which has about 10 stores throughout Ohio, mounted a billboard on that road roughly 18 months ago to alert drivers to one of the upcoming speed cameras.

“THIS IS A STRICT 25 MPH ZONE,” the black-and-white billboard warns. “A reminder courtesy of Planet of the Vapes.”

Kari Pearson, a sales and marketing director for the company, said she thinks the billboard has helped residents avoid pricey tickets. Speeders are often fined about $100.

“It’s more of a money grab in what it’s doing,” Pearson said. “It’s not really trying to keep you safe. It’s more trying to take the money from the community, who really don’t have the money or the means to pay for a ticket.”

Across social media, Ohio residents have thanked Planet of the Vapes for the warning. While there was a drop in speeding camera tickets last year, Linndale’s small police department hasn’t complained.

Chief Timothy Franczak said in a statement that he supports the message because it has helped reduce the number of speeding drivers.

“We welcome any assistance both public and private that would aid us in reducing speed violators,” Franczak said. “… I respect [their] rights to Freedom of Speech and applaud them in [their] effort to help reduce speed violators in our community.”

Last year, 17,300 speeding camera tickets were issued in Linndale — 3,319 fewer than in 2021, according to reports from the Parma Municipal Court. Still, those tickets in 2022 accounted for nearly all of Linndale’s yearly civil violations.

Linndale has made more than $3.5 million off speed camera tickets since 2020, according to WKYC. The cameras, which are partially obscured by trees, have prompted a lawmaker to introduce bills that would prevent Linndale from setting speed traps.

“In 2017, nearly 95 [percent] of the total revenue from Linndale Village just outside of Cleveland came from the issuance of fines, licenses and permits generated via traffic camera tickets,” state Rep. Tom Patton (R) said in a statement last year. “This is clearly an unjust use and abuse of municipal local authority.”

Linndale isn’t the first town to face controversy for its use of speed cameras. In 1995, Missouri passed a law that prevented Macks Creek from collecting most of its revenue from speeding tickets. That same year, AAA accused two Florida cities of issuing traffic citations for profit and tabbed them “traffic traps” — labels AAA removed in July 2018 after the cities changed their practices.

Planet of the Vapes said it was inspired to act after some of its employees were caught speeding by the cameras while commuting to and from work.

In early 2022, the company erected a billboard atop an underpass on the village’s main street. Pearson said customers have visited the vape shops to thank them for the warning.

Pearson said Planet of the Vapes has billboards that advertise the company, but the Linndale billboard’s popularity has also attracted business to its shops. Pearson said even police officers have complimented the billboard. She said she believes the public warning has helped law enforcement focus on more pressing issues.

“If it wasn’t for our community and the support that they give us, we would not be here,” Pearson said. “It’s about them. So giving them some support and help when we can, we thought it’d be a really unique way to reach out personally to them.”

Pearson said Planet of the Vapes is now considering purchasing the space on the opposite side of the billboard, so drivers will be warned from both directions.

“I don’t see any foreseeable future of taking it down,” Pearson said. “As long as we can hold it, I’m sure we will.”

Franczak said that’s fine with him. The billboard will even assist his three children, who recently started driving, he said.

“The billboard is great!” he said in his statement.