If you hate red light cameras, read this..

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by wludavid
And the contractor gets a cut of every fine collected. If that's not a conflict of interest, I don't know what is.

Here in Scottsdale every intersection with the camera's were busy making money for almost a year. Then they snapped a photo of the wrong person.

They got pissed and started measuring the time between green and red and found that at the lights with a camera the time had been decreased by something like .5 of a second. In other words they decreased the time between the green and red to "catch" more red light runners. Whether the city or contractor changed the timing has never come out.

A class action suit was filed and every person who got a ticket was dropped from day one and all monies refunded.

Personally I do not like the camera's and feel that they need to be stopped. If there is not an officer there who see's an infraction I do not feel that any ticket can or should be issued. Too much "big brother" and not something we need.

[hytem]

I've gotten one of these tickets, and I paid it. What I didn't like is there was no warning sign posted near the intersection saying there was electronic surveillance. There should be a warning sign, or it is downright Big Brotherish. Many state politicians wouldn't know what that means anyways.

I wouldn't be against them if there was a law saying they had to put up a warning sign. One advantage is they take a clear picture showing you are wrong. I had a cop pull me over and tell me I had gone through a red light, and he was just trying to fill his Friday quota. Full of baloney. I was mad enough to go to court with him, and told him so, but I had to be traveling soon so I let it go.

Electronic is better. It doesn't lie or bend the truth. But they have to put warning signs up, or it looks like they are just trying to steal your money.

[84porsche]

While I have not received a red light camera ticket, I really don't like the thought of them. I try to stop before the light turns red as we all do or most of us. However at times we are faced with a choice, stop suddenly and possibly get rear-ended by a guy following too closely or punch it so to speak and hope we clear the intersection before the light turns red.

I hope the lawsuit succeeds just because I think cameras should only be used for keeping the flow of traffic moving and certaintly not as a revenue tool. On my way to work now, they have a speed post that radars every car going by and the cops sit there in the driveway of the local cemetary next to the sign and wait and nail the cars driving by.

I respect law enforcement but speed laws belong only in school zones and residential or areas with pedestrians. I think freeways and open roads, should follow procedure as they do in Europe and some parts of the East Coast allowing the left lane for passing only. I sat behind a Corvette going 15 mph in a 45 a few minutes ago and he had a couple 1,000 feet in front of him and he was yakking away on his stupid phone. This idiot should have gotten a ticket for stupidity.

[m21sniper]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
I'm curious. How many of you were for the NSA wiretap program and are against red light cameras?

I'm against both.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Ditto.

FWIW I've "been told" that it's pretty easy to go up to red light cameras in the middle of the night with a can of black spray paint and cover up the lenses.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
FWIW I've "been told" that it's pretty easy to go up to red light cameras in the middle of the night with a can of black spray paint and cover up the lenses.

Here in Sacramento, they have them mounted pretty high off the ground.

Might make a good paintball target, though.

[legion]

Originally posted by widebody911
Might make a good paintball target, though.

Paintballs (for the sport) are made out of gelatin, fish oil, and food coloring. They will wash off next time it rains.

You have to get the paintballs used by ranchers/forestry services. They have enamel shells with oil-based paint on the inside.

[john70t]

How long before the cameras have optical character recognition?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by legion
Paintballs (for the sport) are made out of gelatin, fish oil, and food coloring. They will wash off next time it rains.

The cameras I've seen are in boxes with 'visors' on them, so the paint might last longer than you think.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by john70t
How long before the cameras have optical character recognition?

They don't need it; they'd just transmit the image wirelessly to a box with the OCR s/w, and then it does an "INSERT into BIGBROTHER.traffic LOC=X, TIME=y, PLATE=Z;"

[thrown_hammer]

I think red light cameras should have sniper rifles on them. Pop…problem solved. Or they should employ a micro EMP within the intersection.

If people got shot or fried their cars computer by running a red light they would take priority away from make up application and phone conversation, and give priority back to driving their car.

[Noney]

My response to this is always the same:

If you get a ticket in the mail with a picture of your car violating a traffic law, simply write a check for the appropriate amount, take a picture of the check, and mail the picture to the correct address.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally posted by widebody911
...Might make a good paintball target, though.

Paintballs?, if you're up for doing that, ever heard of a .22? I'm kidding I'm kidding......

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally posted by Noney
My response to this is always the same:

If you get a ticket in the mail with a picture of your car violating a traffic law, simply write a check for the appropriate amount, take a picture of the check, and mail the picture to the correct address.

Wasn't there a case where a guy did that and the police mailed him a picture of a pair of handcuffs?

[legion]

I think someone should report a plot to hide explosives in them.

[Noney]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Wasn't there a case where a guy did that and the police mailed him a picture of a pair of handcuffs?

HA! Very funny. I wasn't aware the police dept. had a sense of humor.....?