People who hate the speed cameras... (homes, school, tax)

[HX_Guy]

I've got a question...

If each speed camera was replaced by a live police officer, would you be ok with that? Do you really feel that it's unfair that you can't fight the ticket in court?

This is just me...but I have a feeling people use that excuse because they know the city could never deploy that many cops to just traffic duty, and even if they do, they know that officers let you slide every now and then, but that still doesn't change the fact that you were speeding. I feel I can speak on this because I've had literally 15+ speeding tickets in my years of driving...and I've been let off quite a few times, but the times I haven't, I've never once been able to win in court aside from the office not showing up on one occasion.

I'm not trying to justify the cameras, I think they are a pain in the ass...but I do think it's 100% the driver's fault. I mean it's simple, if you don't go over 10 MPH above the speed limit, then you won't get caught. Pretty cut and dry. It's not like they don't give you any leeway, they give about a 20% above the limit leeway. (And I don't believe when people say they got caught going 7 MPH...I'd have to see the citation to believe that. Going by your own judgment of course you're going to be bias)

[Finger Laker]

I've personally seen the things malfunction.

There are documented cases of where they've caught malfunction on a pretty wide scale.

I've seen flashes go off in rush hour gridlock.

I hate how bright the flashes are. They are blinding even if you are on the other side of the highway. People who live 3 miles from the freeway complain about seeing them pop from their homes. I swear it feels like my heart stops everytime one of them goes off.

I hate how hard they go to try and curb due process and make it near impossible to defend yourself.

I hate how the main beneficiary is a private firm and they have such a large say in setting rules/regulations for public policy

I hate how there is no discretion and no full picture

I hate how they try to bill this as public safety when it removes police from the road - police who could be catching drunk drivers, cars falling apart, overpacked pickups, people swerving between lanes, and other real dangers to safety

I hate how it screws up my commute with people jamming on their brakes (which is also pretty dangerous)

I hate how this is essentially a tax imposed without any public input

However, most importantly what I hate that we as a populace allow our elected officials to completely mismanage the budget, spend recklessly for projects, not put boom money aside for a bust period and then just bend over backwards as they devise another invasive last ditch money making scheme

For the record this comes from someone who is 100% ticket free, electronic, person or otherwise

[Ponderosa]

I'd like to see the effort put into mobile camera vans instead of stationary cameras. I do think more enforcement of traffic laws (including speeding) is in the interest of public safety. I'd like to see real efforts in residential and school areas instead of the freeways.

As for using stop and ticket - having cops stop and encounter is dangerous to the cops and the people on the road, causes traffic jams, and takes way too much time away from the cops day.

[Finger Laker]

quit lying to yourself that this is about public safety

let's hold our elected officials to a higher standard instead of just laying down as the railroad the system against us to cover for their own mistakes

the politic of fear is ridiculous

[Ponderosa]

I'm not "lying" to myself. Enforcing traffic laws saves lives. I do believe it could be done more effectively (in terms of safety) by enforcing laws in areas other than the freeways. Aside from that I am all in favor of raising money by sticking it to addicts and people who don't want to obey the law. You shouldn't get to pick and choose which ones you want to follow or break. And if you do, well we should trap you and fine your a$$ any we can.

[Finger Laker]

and our basic freedoms shouldn't be infringed on because some bureaucrat can't tell their shwance from a speed camera

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

and our basic freedoms shouldn't be infringed on because some bureaucrat can't tell their shwance from a speed camera

It's a schwanz - German word for tail. The gov who signed off on it does not have a schwanz.

[RCR]

I feel sorry for the person who feels speeding on the freeway is part of their basic freedom.....

[Finger Laker]

however access to the court system, being able to defend myself against a person, having a voice in my government, etc are a part of my basic freedoms

you guy are probably the same ones who praise the patriot act and all these other intrusions for our safety with the underlying goal of controlling the populace and masking the governments own inabilities

this isn't about speeding - never was and most peoples objections aren't about catching speeders - which goes back to the original post in this thread

we oppose it not because we love speeders - we oppose it because of the way this entire thing was put together and the fact that is sets a precedent that there is no accountability in government and that the people can be manipulated to the governments devices

[Vinny536]

i would be thrilled if each camera was replaced with an officer that works only on commission he earns from writing tickets.

Speeding cameras do not enforce traffic laws. they just bring in money. Lets say right now i get drunk and take a spin down the 101 passed a traffic camera at 90 mph. i'll get a ticket in 2 weeks. but that will be too late because i may have already buried my vehicle into yours killing both of us. If there was an officer he could have stopped me and got me off the road, saving your life. what is truly better for our society?


i despise the traffic cameras. especially the day i seen someone run a red and get flashed, in front of an officer who did nothing since the automated system took care of it for him. Cameras are not making our roadways safer, officers would.