Photo Radar... I also need advice (live, license, cars)

[chandlerguy]

Originally Posted by thegirlinaz

I hate how MANY people here are so rude and say "that's what you get for speeding" and "don't ever let anyone drive your car". Everyone does one or the other at some point in their life, period. Don't tell me you have never gone over the speed limit before and act like you are so perfect. I'm not telling everyone to go speed or anything.. I am just saying that you shouldn't be so critical to others.

There are people like that in every tyrannical government. Those people don't care about civil rights until the jack-booted thugs tear their home up.

[chandlerguy]

Originally Posted by keroppi78

Hey Kevin:
So, I am the original person who posted this. And, I ended up sending in my ticket with my husband's name on it b/c I read too many things on the internet and got scared. They resent the ticket in my husband's name and he went to traffic school. It was about 5-6 hours, he went on Sat., and we had to pay the class fee, and it was dismissed. No points. I guess I could have not given out his name and seen what happened, but reading on the internet scared me. It's always better to be safe than sorry!

Thanks for paying your fine by ratting on your husband. Arizona is deep in debt so we need more sheeple to pay these things in order to help balance the budget. As long as you pay your fines I pay less taxes. It's a win for me and a loss for you.

[tijlover]

This has what I've intuited about Phoenix all along, moving violation fines are a great source of revenue for the city/county. And it's not just Phoenix hungering for that kind of revenue to help balance their budgets. It can be any city U.S.A. Up here in Las Vegas, 13 years now without a single speeding ticket, and now with the city hurting for revenue, I see more and more people being pulled over by the police, and this is what drove me out of Phoenix 13 years ago was the vigilancy of the police. So my days of freedom here may be numbered.

[chandlerguy]

Originally Posted by joninaz

I drive around wearing a Janet Napolitano mask.

Apparently they send the tickets to her, but she now has a big stamp marked "IMMUNE - Department of Homeland Security"

It also gets me into various clubs without standing in line or paying a cover. Especially the Goth dance clubs. She rocks!

Dammit that Janet!

[TMP-AZ]

I am always suprised by how outraged people get that people abide by the speed limits and get in their way.
I have no issue driving 10 miles over the speed limit when the situation allows it, but I have to say, every day i see more and more "aggressive driving" in the Phoenix area. And i am talking about city streets more than Freeways and Highways. I have been in a 40 zone many times, and had some hooligan in a lifted pickup truck come zooming past me swerving around traffic at 60 mph and endagering people. Thats just one example.

For all the people who are pro this type of driving (it seems alot of you might be), imagine if that person ran a red light, or timed his overtaking maneoveur incorrectly, and killed someone very close to you. Would you forgive him his speeding and reckless driving as you are doing so here?

I know you will most likely berate me, or call me a communist/liberal or whatever non-conservative damning word there is, but I would like you to know, that I agree, speed cameras should not be on the highways etc, but that they were put there for a reason.
I grow tired of hearing every day on the radio or on the news how someone has been killed or a family has been killed, or paralysed/injured etc because someone was driving like a d*$k.

People who condone this type of driving are the issue, not the people who dont drive recklessly.
Arizona has a ridiculously high accident and road death rate. Are we proud of that? And the more we drive like idiots, the more cameras and police there will be on the streets.

[jgunn72]

Originally Posted by TMP-AZ

I am always suprised by how outraged people get that people abide by the speed limits and get in their way.
I have no issue driving 10 miles over the speed limit when the situation allows it, but I have to say, every day i see more and more "aggressive driving" in the Phoenix area. And i am talking about city streets more than Freeways and Highways. I have been in a 40 zone many times, and had some hooligan in a lifted pickup truck come zooming past me swerving around traffic at 60 mph and endagering people. Thats just one example.

For all the people who are pro this type of driving (it seems alot of you might be), imagine if that person ran a red light, or timed his overtaking maneoveur incorrectly, and killed someone very close to you. Would you forgive him his speeding and reckless driving as you are doing so here?

I know you will most likely berate me, or call me a communist/liberal or whatever non-conservative damning word there is, but I would like you to know, that I agree, speed cameras should not be on the highways etc, but that they were put there for a reason.
I grow tired of hearing every day on the radio or on the news how someone has been killed or a family has been killed, or paralysed/injured etc because someone was driving like a d*$k.

People who condone this type of driving are the issue, not the people who dont drive recklessly.
Arizona has a ridiculously high accident and road death rate. Are we proud of that? And the more we drive like idiots, the more cameras and police there will be on the streets.

Counterpoints:

Most of the aggressive driving I see these days is BECAUSE of the cameras. You have idiots driving 10MPH UNDER the speed limit (usually N I17 where the speed limit is 65) in ALL lanes (which there is a law against BTW) and thus are causing people actually wanting to drive the speed limit (remember cameras are set to 11MPH so 75 is the ACTUAL speed limit) to play pole position and make 10 lane changes per mile and cut everyone and their mother off with dangerous maneuvers. Pre cameras everyone drove around the same speed even if it might have been a few miles over the limit and all was good then. Those were the days and I long for that safety again. Speed per se doesn't kill but speed DIFFERENTIAL sure does.

If someone wants to run a red light mid cycle and kill someone they will do it whether or not there is a camera in the intersection. Red light cameras are good for generating revenue for those who miss the light by 1 nano second and for increasing rear end accidents at intersections.

The cameras WERE put there for a reason. To try and raise revenue for the state of Arizona. No more, no less.

I guess you could assume that every accident that kills someone that you hear about on the radio was caused by a reckless speeding driver but studies have shown that speed causes 3-5% of accidents so you would be wrong. BTW, I also have heard lots of fatalities lately on the news. I thought the cameras were supposed to bring the fatality rate down? Sounds like they aren't working very well except to bring the state more money.

It seems there is an assumption that if you are against cameras, you condone reckless driving. That is a common fallacious argument called a straw man. Most people hate the cameras for the obvious cash grab they are and they are not about safety. Having the cameras record you 24/7 speeding or not for 90 days is total fascist anti privacy BS that any patriotic American should be against.

Arizona (specifically Phoenix) IS NOT a dangerous city to drive in. In fact, in a recent pre camera study, phoenix was the SAFEST city to drive in with a population over 1 million. No other 1 mill+ city even came close! So much for them deploying the cameras for safety reasons. It's all about the money and the cameras will be banned in Arizona soon like they were recently in Mississippi and soon will be in Montana. There is too much public outcry against cameras for them to last.


Traffic Accidents in Phoenix

[travelintom]

I just got my first ticket in 15 years. Red light camera snapped me making a left from Scottsdale Road to go west on Thomas. The mailed "ticket" has the photos and invites me to a website with the video. The camera says it was a 3.1 second yellow and that I was going 19mph.

I replayed the video a dozen times. My rear wheels only hit the "Piezo" kick plate an instant (maybe 0.1 second) after it turned red. I was well past the crosswalk but the camera puts an "imaginary" line an inch ahead of my front pumper; presumably the intersection prolongation line (connection of curb lines). A real photo finish shot but taken from the rear and not parallel to the prolongation. I believe if you saw the video you'd sympathize with me.

My options are:
A. Pay a $204 fine and then also pay to go to traffic school as required by state law and have it on my driving record.
B. Go to traffic school for $189.00 ( Scottsdale gets $95 of this, Arizona gets $65) and take no points on my record.
C. Go to court and if found guilty, subject to A plus the 81% fees charged under ARS 12-115.01/02.

I'm spitting mad and my wife is even madder...at me. Were to I sign the petition to get this matter to the ballot?

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by travelintom

I just got my first ticket in 15 years. Red light camera snapped me making a left from Scottsdale Road to go west on Thomas. The mailed "ticket" has the photos and invites me to a website with the video. The camera says it was a 3.1 second yellow and that I was going 19mph.

I replayed the video a dozen times. My rear wheels only hit the "Piezo" kick plate an instant (maybe 0.1 second) after it turned red. I was well past the crosswalk but the camera puts an "imaginary" line an inch ahead of my front pumper; presumably the intersection prolongation line (connection of curb lines). A real photo finish shot but taken from the rear and not parallel to the prolongation. I believe if you saw the video you'd sympathize with me.

My options are:
A. Pay a $204 fine and then also pay to go to traffic school as required by state law and have it on my driving record.
B. Go to traffic school for $189.00 ( Scottsdale gets $95 of this, Arizona gets $65) and take no points on my record.
C. Go to court and if found guilty, subject to A plus the 81% fees charged under ARS 12-115.01/02.

I'm spitting mad and my wife is even madder...at me. Were to I sign the petition to get this matter to the ballot?

Completely ignore the ticket, do not respond to it in any way or you are screwed. My advice is to toss it in the trash. As long as you do not acknowledge receipt of it you will get out of it. I have done this dozens of times and succeeded on every time. They will send a process server out 3 times at the most. After this, it will be dismissed. Please read this link....

Only idiots pay photo radar tickets


http://nevercoldcall.typepad.com/sco...diots_pay.html

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

Completely ignore the ticket, do not respond to it in any way or you are screwed. My advice is to toss it in the trash.

Ah - bad advice. Scottsdales Red Light Cameras are NOT THE SAME as the photo speed radar.

If you do not respond, Scottsdale will issue a bench warrant. It will (unlike the speed cameras) go on your record.

DON'T IGNORE THE RED LIGHT TICKET.

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by Greatday

Ah - bad advice. Scottsdales Red Light Cameras are NOT THE SAME as the photo speed radar.

If you do not respond, Scottsdale will issue a bench warrant. It will (unlike the speed cameras) go on your record.

DON'T IGNORE THE RED LIGHT TICKET.

The only thing I am for is the redlight camera but even their operation and timings could be faulty or unfair so I do sympathize with those who get flashed for under a second tardiness but the bottomline is, as Greatday mentioned, if you got flashed for redlight in Scottsdale, you cannot/should not ignore it otherwise there will be consequences.

In short, imho, option B is probably the best one.