In today's paper there is a huge article about the new traffic cameras that have been installed around our fair city. It seems a few people hate these things and have some every interesting "excuses" and reactions to getting a ticket. One gentleman said he would never spend money in our city again because HE ran a redlight and got caught. That is absolutely fantastic logic, "I will only shop in a city where I can break the law." What a jackass. I am all for these cameras and hope they put one up every 3.5 feet on the roads around town. I am, in fact, for anything that will start enforcing traffic violations since cops seem to be too busy to do that anymore.
I have mentioned previously, and will continue, that I am tired of crappy overly aggressive drivers. People around here want to go 45+ in a 30 mph zone and ride my bumper and flip me off when I obey the law. Last Wednesday I was going 60 in a 55 when I moved into the EMPTY left hand lane to allow someone to merge easily onto I-140 towards the airport. Three seconds later a AAA flatbed with a red Jeep Liberty on the back got right on my bumper and started flashing his lights and hitting his horn. I had both of my children in the car and was NOT pleased. When I moved over he promptly sped up to between 85 and 90 so I called him in to AAA. They said I was the second person to complain about said idiot.
I have decided to employ a new tactic against the speed demon and cell phone idiots I see everywhere. I am going to start collecting their license plates and car make and model and mail it to the police once a week. Additionally, I am going to do the same in my neighborhood where people often speed past my home, 25 mph speed limit or less, at 45+ mph. The police might throw this in the trash, so I will post it on the web as well. If you feel this violates your privacy in some way, please jump off a cliff for me. I do not care about your privacy when you endanger my children.
6 comments:
One problem I have with red light cameras is, I have a constitutional right to face my accuser in a court of law. With a red light camera, I have no such right. I'm no lawyer, but I wonder if this argument could hold up in a court of law?
Red light camera implementation is also supposedly for public safety. Even though thousands of studies have proven this to be false. They have, in fact, proven to make intersections more dangerous. Longer yellow lights and delayed light changes have been proven to be more effective in the reduction of crashes, yet red light cameras still exist. Why is that?
Because red light cameras are nothing more than a government revenue source disguised as public safety (similar to the "it's for the kids" argument). Another way to fleece the tax payers. Another waste of our tax dollars (now we pay police officers for not doing their job). And an expansion of the government and Big Brother.
I am among those who despise red light cameras. I also despise the present posted speed limits. The speed limit on interstates should be no less than 80 mph.
Here are some links which show the effects of traffic light cameras. All show an increase in citation revenue and a decrease in public safety.
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/04/430.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301844_pf.html
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/2194/
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060405/1345216.shtml
You may face your accuser with these cameras and they even have a nice appeals process. Your citation comes with a court date where you can argue your case, plus they post a fifteen second video of your offense on the web for your review. Additionally, the number of crashes at these intersectins is down as of now so we'll see if this is a better implementation. I also don't see why it's ok for an officer to issue the citation and not in this fashion. Seems like since we don't have to pay the camera benefits and retirement packages this could actually be cheaper. Unless you are saying running red lights is something that just shouldn't be enforced, like speeding, which is ignorant.
No one I know can safely pilot a vehicle at 80 mph unless the vehicle and conditions are ideal. If you lose a tire at 80 that's bad news for you AND those around you plus going 80 does not save you any time in getting where you are going. On 100 mile trip you will only arrive seventeen minutes earlier than someone going 65. See:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/csgtsd.html
Also fuel economy is affected greatly by speed:
"every mile that you drive at a speed over 55 MPH, your fuel economy actually goes down by two percent. In other words, you'll get about half the mileage driving at 70 MPH compared to 50 MPH! That's why aerodynamics has become so important in the last 15 years, and why all of our cars now look like jelly beans.
Here's another rule of thumb, from the EPA: Every 5 MPH you drive over 60 MPH you're paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas. "
Even if it were 80 the law is posted and should be obeyed. Just because you might be prudent in how you would drive if that law didn't exist there are plenty of examples everyday of people who would not be. These laws exist because there are stupid people out there who drive drunk, drive too fast, and endanger others because they do not care about anyone other than themselves. The person driving that truck behind me could absolutely not have stopped his vehicle under control if my car or his had malfunctioned. See my July fourth post where had the gentleman been obeying the law he would probably be alive today. At the very least his family could have had an open casket instead of seeing their loved one with the majority of his face torn off.
Furthermore Paul writes in Romans chapter 13 about obeying the laws of those appointed over you. The only exception would be if this contradicted God's laws.
I do wish the cops would do this instead of a camera, but if they won't/can't then this is fine with me. Who cares if they get your money if you are breaking the law? Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. I also don't know how much they charge for these tickets, but do know they do NOT go on your driving record. Also if there is a known penalty for an offense and you commit that offense then it's hardly fleecing unless they are charging outrageous amounts. They won't get my money because I don't run red lights or drive over the speed limit.
If you think this is bad I can direct you to a town in West Virginia that is an absolute pleasure to drive through. One mile over the limit and you will be nailed.
If I break the law, then I pay my fine. I'm not disputing that. What I am disputing is the erosion of our constitutional rights. I may not face my accuser because my accuser has no face. Where does it end once you open the door? First its red light cameras, and next its used to monitor who frequents local GOP meetings.
Crashes may be down, but as I said before numerous studies have shown that over the life of these cameras they do nothing to decrease wrecks, and in fact increase rear end crashes.
If these cameras reduced the number of police officers on the street then you would have a valid point, but since the size of the police force will stay the same, if not increase, you do not. So now our tax dollars go to the purchase, upkeep, upgrade and monitoring of the cameras as well as to the police force who should be out doing the job that a camera is. So we are paying for the same service twice.
You do know someone who can pilot safely at 80mph. Me:) Also surely you know some pilots from your days in the service. They regularly pilot vehicles at astronomical speeds. Regardless, if you loose a tire at 45 mph, you're screwed. The only time it would be good to loose a tire would be when you are slowing down to stop.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the 80mph thing. It's common knowledge that law enforcement officials allow drivers to go 10 mph over the speed limit without repercussion and I, as a general rule, adhere to that.
The fleecing doesn't come from fines incurred from the citation, It comes from the wanton use of our tax dollars on needless cameras. I do render to Caesar when I pay my taxes. I render way more to Caesar than I should. That's why this gripes me so much. It's disfunctional, ineffective government at its best. If they want to increase government revenue then just say that. Don't disguise it by saying it's for public safety.
Police force size has been steadily decreasing for years. I also do not trust your ability behind the wheel as you dying or killing me in a car crash is not a progressive thing, it happens once and immediately.
I stand by the cameras and hope they go up everywhere. I also hope people quit thinking they're good drivers because they go fast.
i like to give these cameras the finger as I run the red light.....
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