Red light cameras coming to my town...

[Goose]

My local paper says that red light cameras will be installed at some intersections in my town. :mad: Although some of these intersections can be avoided with detours, this isn't the point of my rant.

This situation just doesn't pass the smell test for me. While the local authorities are (of course) playing up the public safety angle, the cameras look like, at best, a real conflict of interest. The company that is leasing the cameras to the town charges ~$5,000 per camera, per month to the town. The interesting part of the arrangement is that the fee to the town is waived if the cameras issue tickets beyond this amount each month. Each ticket will be $120 and are issued by the camera company "on behalf of" the town.

To me, this looks like nothing more than a revenue stream. The camera company is clearly motivated to issue as many tickets as they can, since they pocket a portion of the proceeds. At $120 per ticket, thirty days is plenty of time to make well beyond five grand.

How about this example:

What if you're waiting in the intersection to make a left turn. Oncoming traffic doesn't let up until the light goes yellow/red before you can make your turn. What's to prevent the camera from snapping your picture and claiming that you ran the light?

Time to look into those photo-blocking plate covers...

[silver_vios]

What if you're waiting in the intersection to make a left turn. Oncoming traffic doesn't let up until the light goes yellow/red before you can make your turn. What's to prevent the camera from snapping your picture and claiming that you ran the light?

Time to look into those photo-blocking plate covers...

I've been in that exact situation and not gotten a ticket. What's preventing them is one person with a camera in their car that could sue them for millions if they wrongfully give a ticket.

And pretty much anything on your plate is illegal. I'd be more worried about a cop pulling me over for that than getting a red light ticket

[Loren]

FYI, saw a news report on red-light cameras here in the Tampa area last week. (the big news was that the city is posting videos on YouTube of "the worst offenders", people blatantly running lights, near-miss accidents, that sort of thing) They flat out said that they only ticket for right-turn-on-red violations if the car is clearly going more than 15 mph. In other words, if you do a roll-through right-turn and the light's red, they're not gonna bust you for it. But, if you do a fly-through at 20 mph on yellow-that-just-turned-red... you might get a ticket.

YMMV. But, I would expect most cities using cameras are only ticketing for the "sure thing". Don't blatantly run a red light and you won't get a ticket.

If the local laws in your area allow "right turn on red after stop", they can't have a system that's going to ticket you for doing so.

How about this example:

What if you're waiting in the intersection to make a left turn. Oncoming traffic doesn't let up until the light goes yellow/red before you can make your turn. What's to prevent the camera from snapping your picture and claiming that you ran the light?

If you're already in the intersection when the light turns red, you won't be ticketed.

[sqcomp]

Yeah...I don't run reds. I slow to a stop at yellow. Yellow doesn't mean speed up.

[Slick]

^^ the he'll it doesn't. Yellow is still green by any dictionary :P

[tomato]

I got caught changing lanes (crossing a solid white line) at a red light. There was nobody behind me in either lane so I figured I'd change lane since I was in the wrong lane, and boom the camera goes off. Still waiting for my spanking :frown:

[yaris-me]

If enough people call in or write to their council member or legislator, they back down quick and eliminate it. It has happen in Hawaii and California.

[fmicle]

If enough people call in or write to their council member or legislator, they back down quick and eliminate it. It has happen in Hawaii and California.

So, following the same reasoning, you think that if enough people write to their council to eliminate taxes and all sorts of fees, they will? Think again! :wink:

[nemelek]

King of suprising the first time I saw one of the cameras go off. They have a big flash of light so the camera takes a high speed picture.

In all, the camera is probably a good thing. Some of the worse accidents I've seen happen when someone has run a red light.

[Cosmonaut]

I got caught changing lanes (crossing a solid white line) at a red light. There was nobody behind me in either lane so I figured I'd change lane since I was in the wrong lane, and boom the camera goes off. Still waiting for my spanking :frown:

i dont think youll get one. i come in fast and brake at the last moment never run reds and always get flashed. it seems if "youre going fast enough at a specific point" the cams take a pic anyways.

[tomato]

I think the camera went off because it detected movement when there shouldn't have been (light was already red). We'll see.. If I disappear from the board for a while, you'll know the cops got me :wink: (I've actually been waiting for this ticket for a while :iono:) Hope you're right. These red light fines are *hefty*

[cali yaris]

So, following the same reasoning, you think that if enough people write to their council to eliminate taxes and all sorts of fees, they will?

Yes, it actually does work that way. The keyword is "enough".

I can't stand people who complain but do absolutely nothing to invoke change.

[why?]

time to do what the brits did to the speed cameras: destroy them. Get some good practice at a shooting range, and then go on a hunt and destroy spree.

if every single camera is destroyed after being put up, along with anti camera write ins and demonstrations, they will stop using them.

[JumpmanYaris]

if every single camera is destroyed after being put up, along with anti camera write ins and demonstrations, they will stop using them.

But if you get caught= big time $ in fines+ jail

[squall_x]

I got caught changing lanes (crossing a solid white line) at a red light. There was nobody behind me in either lane so I figured I'd change lane since I was in the wrong lane, and boom the camera goes off. Still waiting for my spanking :frown:

From what I was told by a traffic school teacher they have to get a pic of you crossing the white line on the RED light, then you crusing the middle of the intersection on the RED light. So from the pictures that I saw from him they take about 3 pictures of you crossing the RED light to give you a ticket.

This was a teacher from LA so don't know if this applies to you up there.

[tomato]

Yeah, I didn't cross the line going into the intersection, so if they were looking for a red light penalty, there was none. But I did cross over a solid white line to change lane.

The way things are going lately (the State is broke) I was sure I'd get something in the mail with some kind of fine attached to it. So far so good, and it's been at least a couple of months :iono:

[fmicle]

Yes, it actually does work that way. The keyword is "enough".

I can't stand people who complain but do absolutely nothing to invoke change.

Just curious, do you think that, given an opportunity to vote on it, the people in this country would vote for paying taxes?

I'm not talking about accepting the taxes because that's how a state works, I'm talking about, if given the opportunity to choose "do you want to pay taxes or not?", I think most people would say no. If and only if we boil it down to that simple question...

[cali yaris]

Just curious, do you think that, given an opportunity to vote on it, the people in this country would vote for paying taxes?

Yes. As long as it's made clear to the person being asked, all of the services they would NOT get if there were no taxes at all.

I am happy to pay taxes. I just want more for my money and different priorities in how they are spent.

But you ignored my point about complaining.
What concrete and real action have you taken to create change?

[Black Yaris]

op, what cornfield on Ohio do you live in? We have had redlight and speed cameras here in toledo for some time. They really are not that bad, since there are signs posted at every camera... all you have to do is slow down and don't run the lights.

[sbergman27]

op, what cornfield on Ohio do you live in?
The OP makes a reasonable point. No need to launch a personal attack. As a traveler through many states and countless unfamiliar towns... these soulless automated systems give me pause.

-Steve

[Black Yaris]

The OP makes a reasonable point. No need to launch a personal attack. As a traveler through many states and countless unfamiliar towns... these soulless automated systems give me pause.

-Steve

personal attack? WTF?

look at the OP's location

Location: Ohio cornfields

I was simply asking where in Ohio he was

[sbergman27]

Yes. As long as it's made clear to the person being asked, all of the services they would NOT get if there were no taxes at all.

I am happy to pay taxes. I just want more for my money and different priorities in how they are spent.

I saw a cool bumper sticker the other day:

"What if schools had the money they needed and the Pentagon held bake sales to pay for bombs?"

Yeah, it was a big bumper sticker. :-)

-Steve

[sbergman27]

personal attack? WTF? look at the OP's location
Oops. My bad. I misinterpreted your post. Please accept my sincere apology.

-Steve

[Altitude]

Simple solution, obey the traffic laws and you'll have nothing to worry about. You should probably also check with your local laws as there are lots of places where it is illegal to move into the intersection while waiting to make a turn, you're supposed to wait behind the white line before proceeding when it's safe to do so.

As for voting to pay taxes, there are places where this is being done and my town (Colorado Springs) is one of them. We operate under a law known as TABOR (Tax Payers Bill Of Rights) where the city isn't allowed to institute new taxes without voter approval. One of the problems with this (and there are many) is that the people around here hate taxes and government and rarely vote for tax increases. Consequently the town is falling apart due to budget constraints. Our police and fire departments have been cut, we've sold our police helicopters, trashcans have been removed from the public spaces, the city won't be maintaining our abundant parks this summer, a large number of streetlights have been turned off, our streets are not getting repaired, major businesses have left over the years, on and on. Why? Because with the city facing budget shortfalls they asked for a property tax increase and the people voted it down.

It's a beautiful city to live in with the mountains and Pikes Peak as a backdrop but the infrastructure is crumbling. As a result I've actually decided I will be moving elsewhere in the state as soon as it is feasible. Be careful what you wish for.

[eht13]

Yes. As long as it's made clear to the person being asked, all of the services they would NOT get if there were no taxes at all.

I am happy to pay taxes. I just want more for my money and different priorities in how they are spent.

Very well said. :clap:

As for voting to pay taxes, there are places where this is being done and my town (Colorado Springs) is one of them. We operate under a law known as TABOR (Tax Payers Bill Of Rights) where the city isn't allowed to institute new taxes without voter approval. One of the problems with this (and there are many) is that the people around here hate taxes and government and rarely vote for tax increases. Consequently the town is falling apart due to budget constraints. Our police and fire departments have been cut, we've sold our police helicopters, trashcans have been removed from the public spaces, the city won't be maintaining our abundant parks this summer, a large number of streetlights have been turned off, our streets are not getting repaired, major businesses have left over the years, on and on. Why? Because with the city facing budget shortfalls they asked for a property tax increase and the people voted it down.

Good point. And I bet a lot of those people who voted against taxes are also complaining about the state of things now.

[sqcomp]

Of course they are. They're the types to criticize everything and offer no feasible solutions. It was always better 100 years ago is what I hear. Indeed, well...go back there then. There's always Afghanistan.

[Darb]

Dude, I lived in Montgomery County, MD. Redlight Camera Capital of the world (ask Kcalb Siray) and never got a ticket. You'll be fine.

[JBougie]

Tax money would go farther if they'd quit paying for stupid things. There's a list 4-miles long of stupid things tax dollars go toward. I'm happy to pay taxes for the things that I need to pay taxes for... that list is pretty damn short though.

Redlight cams bother me, just because I've never dealt with them so I am paranoid that I would wrongly get a ticket lol We don't have them in Minnesota, and I doubt we ever will.... but I would just advise being careful and don't downshift and haul ass through that yellow :)

[fmicle]

But you ignored my point about complaining.
What concrete and real action have you taken to create change?

Did I complain about something? :confused: I didn't feel like that remark was directed at me (as well) :smile: If I misunderstood that, I will address it :wink:

[yaris-me]

So, following the same reasoning, you think that if enough people write to their council to eliminate taxes and all sorts of fees, they will? Think again! :wink:

It's about re-election not taxing. You're following the wrong reasoning. Think again!:wink: