IF YOU RECIEVE THIS E-MAIL, IT'S ONLY AN URBAN MYTH

Dara Kam writes in today's Palm Beach Post that a number of Floridians have been receiving an e-mail warning them of sharply higher fines for such traffic violations as illegally driving in a car pool lane and improperly using a cellular phone. As a result, a number of reciepints have phone into the state motor vehicles office concerned about the potential huge hit on their bank accounts.

The truth is...the information distributed in the e-mail is false.

The message advises reciepints that they could be fined up to $1,068.50 for illegally driving in a car pool lane. In reality, the fine is just over one-tenth of that amount...$125.

And there was a proposed law this spring requiring the use of a headset hands-free device while using a cell phone, with the caveat that one could only be ticketed if pulled over for another offense. However, it didn't make it through the Legislature, so there is actually no such law, and therefore no $285 fine that can be issued.

So if you see such a message in your in box, disregard it. Just another urban myth at work.