The Quaker Hill residents were out in force Tuesday night, anxious to solve a serious problem: speeders, drunken speeders, lost speeders and the worst of all - lost, drunken speeders.

They come from New London on the way to Montville and Norwich and the other way, too. They come from everywhere, on the way to the casinos. Oh, yeah, some of them live in Quaker Hill on the way to and from work and play.

On Tuesday it was mostly residents of Old Norwich Road. Old Colchester Road was also represented, as were a few of the side streets. And they were right. Cars race down Old Norwich or Old Colchester roads.

The people offered up a lot of suggestions that, combined, might be rather effective in slowing down the people who have a genuine interest in slowing down. Surely there are those who want to drive somewhere close to the speed limit. But the deterrents are many.

As police officer Dave Anderson told me, cars today are not conducive to driving slowly. He's right. The tires are better and suspension systems are much improved. Tires don't squeal on sharp turns like they used to. Power steering, power, anti-lock breaks, better headlights and higher sightlines in the sport utility vehicles, which seem to dominate the traffic in recent decades - and are generally less stable than sedans - all contribute to the ability, the temptation and the confidence to drive faster than the law allows.

So for those who get caught up in the pleasure that is the power of their own machines, perhaps posting the speed limits on those "grellowscent" signs will help. That's that unbelievably brash color that seems to be a blend of fluorescent green and fluorescent yellow.

The electronic signs that tell the drivers how fast they're going is another good idea. It compels the driver to check the speedometer. Heck, even willful speeders will appreciate those signs. Generally they are placed on the same pole as a speed limit sign to let the citizen know where they stand and make the necessary adjustments. More important, they can collect traffic data to be used to determine the most efficient enforcement patterns.

But here's what I think is the real deal.

First people who take Old Norwich Road as a shortcut are lying to themselves. They expect it to be shorter, in time and distance. Well the road winds more than the alternative, Route 32, so it probably isn't shorter. It has a lower speed limit so it is surely isn't faster. So those trying to take the short way have go faster to justify their decision.

Equally irrational, the reason many people go "the back way" is because if they go 70 mph on 32 where the speed limit is 40 mph, they might get caught. So if they go the back way they can speed without getting caught. These are just born cheaters, who would sacrifice time for the sake of breaking the law. They would rather go 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, than go 50 in a 40 mph zone on Route 32.

Finally, unfortunately, the region has grown such that perhaps, Old Norwich Road is no longer the Sunday drive it used to be. Old Norwich to Old Colchester is the most direct route to part of Montville, which is also growing fast.

Community growth has become all about cul-de-sacs. Developments are nowadays little jigsaw puzzles off the main drag. And the main drags are where drivers go fast, on their way to the cul-de-sacs. The sad truth is, these days, roads like Old Norwich are main drags. Avenues.

Sure, the community will continue to fight the problem, and I'm sure they will make headway. They are smart and they are vigilant. But eventually, I'm afraid, they will lose the battle to those ageless warriors, time and growth. They have been challenged by many, and alas, they are undefeated.

This is the opinion of Chuck Potter