Dear editor,The next time I am stopped at the 'usual' roadblock at the intersection of Regent Road and Saratoga Road (in the Saratoga Beach area), I am going to politely ask the officer if the RCMP has considered the possibility that a once-laudable practice is now bordering on harassment of the local residents and businesses.The situation with the RCMP and its enforcement of the new drinking and driving regulations has gone over the top.It is now far beyond simply an effort to get drinkers and their vehicles off the road. What began as a worthwhile enterprise seems to have turned into a practice that alienates law-abiding residents they are supposedly protecting.Locals do not need to be stopped on their way to and from the grocery store where they go to pick up a loaf of bread. And certainly not at noon! Locals should not be forced to lie to the officer at the roadblock because they are fearful that the one beer they had while fishing might result in a 72-hour suspension and a large fine.The businesses and resorts in the area should not actually lose clients because word is out that the RCMP target the area. The local pub, a former social gathering place, is often a very, very empty and lonely place these days. I'd hate to think that after many decades of operation the goal was to have it close completely. Fortunately the golf course is in no danger, as it has already closed! I would like to believe that these were outcomes the provincial government had not foreseen.If the new regulations have, in fact, reduced drinking-related auto accidents and injury — bravo! That is something we all support!But let's be a little sensible and try to not create other problems at the same time. Use a little common sense, please.The RCMP is already losing the public relations battle. Let's not run roughshod over those who pose no threat in an effort to appear to be protecting the citizens.Neil H. Ross,Black Creek