Anyone have experience w/ Photoblocker

[Mule]

They just installed cameras on some red lights locally & I was thinking of buying some of this,
http://www.photoblocker.com/

Anyone have experience with it?

[old man neri]

No experience with it but I am going to make two wild guesses;

1) It's illegal
2) It doesn't work anyways.


Just don't burn the red light.

[MBAtarga]

Mythbusters tested and said it doesn't work.

[Gogar]

keep your money and stop running red lights. Works EVERY TIME.

[RickM]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

Mythbusters tested and said it doesn't work.

They didn't test these: http://www.ghostplates.com/

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Gogar

keep your money and stop running red lights. Works EVERY TIME.

I smelled this coming. If the choice is to stop & get run into, or go & save an accident, I'd rather not have to pay $125 for the privilege.

[old man neri]

Originally Posted by Mule

I smelled this coming. If the choice is to stop & get run into, or go & save an accident, I'd rather not have to pay $125 for the privilege.

So you run red lights to prevent accidents? Could you elaborate on this please, I have having difficulties understanding.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I've been told that shooting a red light camera with a paintball gun seems to work pretty well too.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by old man neri

So you run red lights to prevent accidents? Could you elaborate on this please, I have having difficulties understanding.

I believe Mules point was, that these cameras cause alot of accidents. In my area the number of rear end collisions has risen steeply. Because of people panicking and slamming on the brakes where these cameras are located.
These is one intersection with a camera, near where I work. At least one rear ender a week. Even the local councilman was fighting to get it removed.

[adrian jaye]

uh uhhh,

I can understand the reasoning behind trying to get round speed traps etc, but jumping a red light FOR WHAT EVER REASON is wrong.

Are you a member of the emergency services? NO ?

When you approach traffic lights you must approch with care, if your driving that fast, you should be on a track.

Anyone wanting to defeat of jump a red light or give some lame a$$ excuse for red light cemeras or otherwse is a totall MORON

Maybe you or the OP might think twice if there car was writte of by somone jumping a light or worse yet somone is killed

Loosers !

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I believe Mules point was, that these cameras cause alot of accidents. In my area the number of rear end collisions has risen steeply. Because of people panicking and slamming on the brakes where these cameras are located.
These is one intersection with a camera, near where I work. At least one rear ender a week. Even the local councilman was fighting to get it removed.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by adrian jaye

uh uhhh,

I can understand the reasoning behind trying to get round speed traps etc, but jumping a red light FOR WHAT EVER REASON is wrong.

Are you a member of the emergency services? NO ? :

Yes I am. I do not advocate running a red light by any means. I have seen the consequences. What I meant, is people panicking and and slamming on the brakes prematurely. The yellow light period varys greatly around here. In NJ is is pretty long. In NYC it is very short.

[sammyg2]

Come on Adrian, don't beat around the bush. Let us know how you really feel

[Noah930]

I've taken photos of a license plate that's been sprayed with the stuff. Didn't work. At least by the camera I used. Still could make out the letters/numbers. No FHE with the real red-light cameras, though.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I believe Mules point was, that these cameras cause alot of accidents. In my area the number of rear end collisions has risen steeply. Because of people panicking and slamming on the brakes where these cameras are located.
These is one intersection with a camera, near where I work. At least one rear ender a week. Even the local councilman was fighting to get it removed.

Well said Vinman. I believe that the increase in the # of rear end collisions near these lights will eventually lead to their downfall. It's all about the revenue. After all, who cares if lives & property are jeopardized, as long as the municipality can make $$$$.

[baldman]

So let me see if I got this right....

You need to find something to hide your plate from red light cameras because other people are following you too close? If they are that close, then the picture of your car will show them on your butt. Take that to the court and say "I tried to stop, but this guy would have hit me - look how close he is!"

As for the "red light cameras cause accidents" people - that means there are two idiots in play. One who almost ran the original red light and the one behind him who isn't paying attention to either the light or the person in front AND following to close to stop?

IMHO, people who run red lights are self centered a-holes who don't care if they cause accidents or injury to other people, so long as they aren't inconvenienced by having to *GASP* obey the law.

[Rick Lee]

I never ever run red lights, but these cameras have recently been banned in VA because, not only were they causing rear end collisions, it was discovered that the yellow lights had been shortened at these intersections precisely to catch more people and raise more money. BTW, when I'm alone at a red light on my bike, I do not weigh enough to trip the sensor under the pavement. I can sit there for several minutes waiting for a car to come up behind me to trip the sensor or I can ride through, which I do only when there's really no one around. Sometimes I can make a right on red and then another right. But if there's a no turn on red sign, I'm truly screwed. These cameras are just revenue raisers. If they cared about safety, they'd have the problem solved after a few days of having a cop at the intersection going after red light runners.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Mule

I smelled this coming. If the choice is to stop & get run into, or go & save an accident, I'd rather not have to pay $125 for the privilege.

For a change I need to agree with Mule.

I avoid accidents by trying to stay aware of not only what is in front of me but also what is on the sides and at intersections what is behind me.

What Mule is talking about is the guy behind you in the 1/2 Ton PU or delivery truck who is following too close or coming up too fast to stop in time and you have two choices, running the light or risk getting rear ended.

[baldman]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

it was discovered that the yellow lights had been shortened at these intersections precisely to catch more people and raise more money.

they had the same issue in San Diego. They found that the yellows were shortened, and that the deal with the company who installed the cameras involved a % of the total fines for the first couple years. Once that went public the times were recalculated.

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

BTW, when I'm alone at a red light on my bike, I do not weigh enough to trip the sensor under the pavement. I can sit there for several minutes waiting for a car to come up behind me to trip the sensor or I can ride through, which I do only when there's really no one around.

Agree there. There is one by my house that will not trip to turn left, but it is a side street so I could sit forever. I look both ways and then run it, but only after I have sat there for a minute or so. Funny side story... One morning there was a cop parked on the street behind me so I couldn't go. I sat there and sat there, then got a bright idea. I put the kickstand down, ran over to the curb, and pushed the crosswalk button. as I'm running back to the bike the cop started his car and pulled up next to me laughing and said "I wondered what you were going to do."

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

If they cared about safety, they'd have the problem solved after a few days of having a cop at the intersection going after red light runners.

They do this by me, but once the cops leave they start again.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by baldman

So let me see if I got this right....

You need to find something to hide your plate from red light cameras because other people are following you too close? If they are that close, then the picture of your car will show them on your butt. Take that to the court and say "I tried to stop, but this guy would have hit me - look how close he is!"

As for the "red light cameras cause accidents" people - that means there are two idiots in play. One who almost ran the original red light and the one behind him who isn't paying attention to either the light or the person in front AND following to close to stop?

IMHO, people who run red lights are self centered a-holes who don't care if they cause accidents or injury to other people, so long as they aren't inconvenienced by having to *GASP* obey the law.

Life must really be simple when everything in your world is either black or white. The problem with your "He would have hit me defense" is that it doesn't hold up in court. It could, but no guarantee. If you hit the brakes for a shortened (to increase revenue) yellow & get rear ended, you're still screwed.

[Noah930]

Funny side story... One morning there was a cop parked on the street behind me so I couldn't go. I sat there and sat there, then got a bright idea. I put the kickstand down, ran over to the curb, and pushed the crosswalk button. as I'm running back to the bike the cop started his car and pulled up next to me laughing and said "I wondered what you were going to do."

Most states have some sort of law that says if you believe that a signal light is malfunctioning (and you could argue that sitting there for 5 minutes constitutes malfunctioning), you are allowed to proceed through the intersection (against the light) when it is safe to do so. So, at 5 in the morning, when there's no other traffic around, I'll run the light. Having said that, if there was a cop sitting right there, I probably would have done as you did: hit the crosswalk button. I've done that before, too.