Don't get me wrong. I can definitely relate to your side of it. I'm not an expert on the stats, but I've seen a couple of documentaries on the European way vs. the American way of persuing traffic violators. Per the domcumentary, moving violations at intersections dropped drastically after the incorporation of "big brother cameras".
Living in a congested area, Houston, I see tons of red light runners everyday. It is pretty common and expected to see at least 4 cars go through a light that has already turned red. IMO I think it would be a good idea to crack down on some of these people that choose to disreguard rules and regulations.

 

Yea, lets make it a political discussion now!

 

Damn, those pics are really unflattering to the Z! Little fatty....

I drove by a police van hidden on the side of the road about a month ago. Just past the van was a sign saying "You have just pasted a photo-radar". I was doing like 35mph in a 25 because I had to pass someone to make a turn. I still haven't gotten a ticket but my heart raced as I muttered "oh ****".

 

i don't like the cameras either... to bad it's just the start of things to come! i don't like them because I like to street race and go way beyond the speed limit when i feel its safe. is it wrong, yes, but i do it anyway. do i run red lights, hell no! i never look forward to getting T-boned in a intersection.

i didn't realize the spary on sheild was a scam...

Zquicksilver

 

I hate these....

The first one I got was a snapshot of me and a buddy saying our favorite 4 letter word. Say Cheeeese!

Cheeeeeeese!

BTW you can fight these. I know a few people here in San Diego that called Mr. Ticket(local traffic lawyer) and didn't pay a fine. Its a $300 ticket inlcuding court fees.

 

Not trying to pick on you MrGraphics, but isn't driving a priviledge, not a right?

 

oooohhhh, please don't start thinking like that! that's the GOV. brain washing you vo7848, fight it, don't let them in. you need to remember that WE THE PEOPLE own this great country... not the gov.

Zquicksilver

 

lol

 

This is a semi - political conversation - mostly to convice our thread hero to "get up stand up, stand up for his rights".

OK, driving is a privlidge because the Constitution doesn't say its a right.
The Consitution also doesn't say its a right for me to shop at Target, cut my grass, play baseball . . .

Oh yeah, it does. I have the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happyness." And driving the Z definitely makes me happy.

I also saw a documentary about those cameras. In this case, they tested them to show how ineffective they are. In this case, they simulated a brutal mugging on a corner where there was a known camera. No police showed up.

Then, a few hours later, they had a full on special effects guy create a "predator" style costume. Police showed up within 1.5 minutes of the "creature" appearing on the same corner.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

 

the ticket was $100...i sent the check in the mail, i don't have the time or the energy to fight this..even though that road had heavy construction on it at the time, making driving through there a nightmare...the citation was dated over a month ago...i honestly don't remeber why i went through the light..i wouldn't run a light that was "that" red (if you can rate the redness of a light)...

i'll just be extra careful in that intersection, i was told there are 2 such intersections in out entire city...lucky me getting caught in one of them

 

Not in my state and they have a really simple way of getting their money. When registration time comes around (every 2 years) , you can not re-register your car if you have not paid the fine.

Does not matter if 50% fought - they make way too much money off of this dangerous scam.
Read an article recently that in my state, they include an estimate of the revenue generated from these things when doing the yearly budget forecast.

The shame of the whole thing is that we get the shaft because numerous studies have shown that red light camera interesections are the most dangerous.
Daily commuters know where all the red light cameras are on their way to work so as soon as the light turns yellow, you jam on the brakes and bingo that nice white car in the picture here gets rear ended.

I know because it happened to a nice black car that I was in.

 

My red-light ticket was $341, and I fought it, and won. Those flarking bastages can go flark themselves as far as I'm concerned. Flarking 0.2 second grace period my donkey.

-Chicken (thinks red-light cameras are 100% nothing more than a revenue scam)

 

Send them back a photo of the money they are expecting from you.

-LamaZ

 

+1. LMAO

 

yah, i've actually heard of that before...that's funny as hell!!!
i know i should fight it..but i just paid it...like i said, don't have the time..if i spend the same amount of time working that i will have to put aside to pay this worthless thing..i could make five times more $$$!

 

I read about that when a guy sent in a photo of his check. So the cops sent him a photo of a pair of handcuffs and a prison cell.

 

ahum...WRONG! Yes, you do have to confront your accusor that is why when the cops don't show, your case gets thrown out. Essentaly, the picture IS the accusor or the agent of the "computerized system" therefor it will be held up in court.

I sense that you haven't hug enough trees lately so you have some anger in you about America. Driving is not a right! People so often forget the meaning of a right vs. a privilege. Think about it, if everyone drives with common sense we wouldn't have so many damn laws and cameras. Look, if you are quilty, just get off the donky and cowboy up, stop shaving your european *****, and take some responsibility.

Ever thought that the people who pay their tickets are not just "rolling over" but are acutally being responsibile citizen who willing to "stand up" and admit wrong doing?

 

I love this country - I hate the elitist 5% who think they know whats best for everyone, and jam it down our throat. I hate how they use fear and the disquise of security to lull people into thinking they can't live their life for themselves - all in the aim for control. And cameras watching our every move is just that.

Ask yourself this - how is it possible that all the members of congress, house of republicans, our President, can create a career in politics, ammassing millions without fundamental corruption? How can a president become a multi-millionaire in office when he is only paid 300,000 a year?

I think I am being a stellar citizen by fighting to protect my fundamental rights not to be spied on - something our founding fathers risked everything for and died for . . . and what our boys are overseas fighting for . . .

 

As annoying as those cameras may be, they can be a damn good deterrent to people who ALWAYS run the red light and cause accidents.

Case in point: State Farm Insurance classified the 2 WORST intersections in PA to be in a section called Northeast Philly (relatively suburban-like) where, in both cases, you've got 6 lanes going North, 6 going South AND Traffic merging into ANY of the 12 lanes from East and West...a true nightmare...and the cause of MANY accidents and deaths.

Now...State Farm said this YEARS ago....Philly JUST installed the cams early this year.

BTW...check out the State Farm website for the WORST intersections in your area...that's where the cameras will be installed, no doubt.

 

Kinda sorta but not really. The laws in many (most?) states have been clarified to provide for photo-ticketing of a vehicle's owner. The precident for this is that you are responsible for your vehicle regardless of whether you are driving it or not. For instance what if your car is unoccupied and it rolls down a hill and smashes into someone's house? Or if you loan you car to someone and they kill someone you can be sued too as it is your property that was used to do the damage.