In June of last year, the Getting There column chronicled the amazing driving career of Bruce C. Bereano, the jolly good felon and back-slapping State House lobbyist turned anti-speed camera crusader.
Bereano (right) had ample motivation for his advocacy because he had amassed a hoard of at least 22 traffic tickets since 1996 -- most of them for speeding. Last year's column gave due credit to Bereano for beating the rap on many of those tickets. And even when he did pay a fine, he often caught breaks from judges.
A little more than a year later, neither sanctions nor leniency appear to have influenced Bereano's driving habits. So far this year, he's collected two speeding tickets and one for driving without a seatbelt.
Court records show Bereano pleaded guilty June 11 to an April 3 speeding violation in which he was clocked at 70 in a 50-mph zone in Queen Anne's County. For some reason, the judge cut him a break and convicted him of going only 59 mph -- reducing his fine to a laughable $60.
Bereano was so chastened by that punishment that he went almost a weekk without being cited for speeding again. This time he was charged with going 88 mph in a 65-mph zone of Interstate 97 in Anne Arundel County. At least he picked the right county. Anne Arundel District Couty judges are notorious cream puffs when it comes to Bereano -- having twice before overlooked his driving record and given him probation before judgment on speeding violations. Trial is set for Sept. 1.
Sun photo
Bereano recently added to his ticket trove by collecting one for driving without a seat belt on Somerset County. Funny thing, that was the day of the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfied. It was the second year in a row Bereano has received a ticket after that annual event.
Here, for those who are interested, is last year's column about Bereano's daredevil driving. It will remain a subject of humor until someone gets killed: