Fighting the red-light cameras

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

How is it entrapment? Entrapment means that law enforcement INDUCED you to commit the crime. Running a red light is a criminal act that the driver makes the only decision about. No one induced you to ignore the yellow/red light and go through it.

That's not what entrapment means.

I had to laugh, even though I felt like crying, when I was rear-ended because I stopped at a red light. The idiot behind me even told the officer that he thought I would run it, so he sped up and was looking for cross traffic and didn't see me stop. Red light runners KILL people everyday. Camera enforcement generates revenue because it catches ALL the violators and not just the few that an officer might see. I have no problem with them.

Slamming on your brakes causes deaths and serious injuries, that's no laughing matter.

It is entrapment because the citation is not legally enforced by an officer of the government. It is a private company making money on behalf of the city. It is a highly flawed system where not everyone who received a citation "ran a red light." Some were past the signal due to a traffic backup, hazardous rain conditions (you are a complete idiot to slam on your brakes to stop when you could spin out and seriously injure or kill others), or some made a right turn without coming to complete stop which is not illegal. The camera picture system violates my right to privacy, as my dad recently received a citation in which he is pictured picking his nose. In addition as others have said, the driver of the vehicle is not cited as in a real traffic stop just the vehicle's owner via license plate number. I hope this money machine is banned for good.

[TheShadow]

Sorry, but what I stated is, in fact, the definition of entrapment, look it up...

www.lectlaw.com/def/e024.htm

Where in my post did I say that I slammed on my brakes?? In fact I had slowed way down to make a right turn at a yellow light that turned red as I approached it, I stopped momentarily, as is required, and was plowed into from behind. What I laughed at was the idiot who hit me TOLD the officer that he was speeding up to try to make the yellow and then red light because he believed I would run the red light. Since I was already doing about 5 mph to negotiate the turn, I stopped, he sped up and basically rammed me into the intersection. The light was red before I reached the stop line, so he would have no business running through it even if I did. As I said I felt like crying, I could have been killed, and my new car was wrecked.

And, by the way, if the light is red you must come to a complete stop before turning right. Before giving legal opinions, maybe you should look them up. Especially before you call someone else a complete idiot.

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

Who said I slammed on my brakes?? I didn't. The light was yellow and I had my foot off the gas. I braked apparently while the guy was looking for cross traffic so he could run a light that was already yellow and then red as he approached an intersection with cars ahead of him in his lane. What made me laugh was that he admitted to the officer that he sped up to run the light because he thought I would run it.

And I'm sorry but what I stated, law enforcement inducing one to break the law, is the dictionary definition of entrapment. Look it up.

Entrapment or not, it is simply a very cost effective way for governmental entities to generate revenue, which is the crux of the matter. One would think though that the legislative bodies of governmental units would simply not enter into a contract without a 50 per cent division of "revenue generated." Equipment/operating costs should be borne by those companies which receive a ROI..........it is just a cost of doing business. Two-thirds of revenue generated plus amortization equals a nice ROI, too nice in the opinions of some/many.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

That's not what entrapment means.



Slamming on your brakes causes deaths and serious injuries, that's no laughing matter.

It is entrapment because the citation is not legally enforced by an officer of the government. It is a private company making money on behalf of the city. It is a highly flawed system where not everyone who received a citation "ran a red light." Some were past the signal due to a traffic backup, hazardous rain conditions (you are a complete idiot to slam on your brakes to stop when you could spin out and seriously injure or kill others), or some made a right turn without coming to complete stop which is not illegal. The camera picture system violates my right to privacy, as my dad recently received a citation in which he is pictured picking his nose. In addition as others have said, the driver of the vehicle is not cited as in a real traffic stop just the vehicle's owner via license plate number. I hope this money machine is banned for good.

Many drivers who refuse to get the tickets do slam on their brakes for the yellow. In the end it is still the guy following who is at fault (true in all rear end wrecks) but the reality is that a system that causes people to slam on their brakes because of camera tickets is dangerous. Studies have PROVEN that red light cameras cause these types of accidents. The cheapest and safest thing to do is avoid areas that have them. They are dangerous, they are a function of corrupt local government and they need to go.

[SFX]

I know somebody who got three camera tickets. Never paid any of them. They sent a threatening letter about it affecting his credit rating, he ignored that as well.

Nothing ever happened.

Don't know if it's true, but some people say if you go to court and ask to see your accuser, they Judge dismisses the ticket, because nobody is going to show up.

The tickets obviously will never result in a bench warrant, or a charge.

[SFX]

In other news, I've sat at red lights, where they have cameras, and people actually run the red light, (after it's been red for a while), and the camera doesn't take a picture, much less issue a ticket.

They only go off at the light change, to catch somebody who didn't make the yellow light.

Which makes them the dumbest things ever. They aren't there to stop red light runners, just to make money. Which is pure evil.