I hate red light cams...In my area we have red light cameras too, surprisingly many of them are actually fake! The newspaper ran an article outing them on some of the fake cameras and they haven't changed them out to real ones to this day!
It is amazing the things they change in the name of safer streets. When all they teach you when you get a license is how to park.
I found a lovely camera ticket in my mailbox on Friday. 40km/h in a 30 zone (that's what, 26 in a 20 MPH?) My indiscretion will cost me the mighty sum of €15. Really I don't know why they bothered.
I was slightly annoyed as it's my first speeding ticket ever (I'm 28). And I used to speed like a banshee back in Canada.
I had a laugh when I was over in the U.K. They've been modifying their "speed camera ahead" warning signs by riviting the word "safety" over "speed". You're not fooling anyone, losers.
was in Danville,Va last weekend... saw lots of red light cameras, all were aimed at the front of the cars, as they approached the intersection.... taking pictures of the tag on the front of the car....
NC has tag on back only... does that mean I would have been safe running the lights? 
A city near me reduced the yellow time too much so they could issue more tickets, but one of the people cited figured the city had reduced the yellow light to under a "minimum" amount and got a lawyer. The city(San Carlos) lost I think 40,000$ in revenues because they had cited people for running red lights after the yellow was too short. They had to reimburse everyone cited.
The thing that really gets me is the tickets/cameras are issued by a private company, not the city. I don't know if you could use the presumption of innocence to get out of it. Is there a presumption of innocence if the only evidence against you is a photo?
benzbaron wrote: The thing that really gets me is the tickets/cameras are issued by a private company, not the city. I don't know if you could use the presumption of innocence to get out of it. Is there a presumption of innocence if the only evidence against you is a photo?
Thats the annoying part - its a civil fine, so there is no "presumption of innocence"
MrJoshua wrote: Am I the only one who has a desire to drop a gear and accelerate to see how fast I can register whenever I see one of these signs: SPEED LIMIT ........XX......... YOUR SPEED ____________
Ususally there's only two digits. I always try to light a third number if I can.
"But officer, I thought it was the scoreboard!"
Shawn
There used to be one on this down-hill section on I-83 in Maryland a few years back when they were rebuilding two small bridges and had to divert traffic. They were about a mile before the construction zone began. A buddy of mine had a pretty fast Mustang at the time and, well... that one could read triple-digits.
Funny thing about it... there was a cop behind him when he did it (he didn't know until he looked back after his little excursion) and oddly enough, the cop followed him off the next exit ramp (my friend's exit) and just turned around and got back onto the interstate again. He must have had a sense of humor.
wbjones wrote: was in Danville,Va last weekend... saw lots of red light cameras, all were aimed at the front of the cars, as they approached the intersection.... taking pictures of the tag on the front of the car.... NC has tag on back only... does that mean I would have been safe running the lights?
What are you guys looking at while you're driving? 
MrJoshua wrote: Am I the only one who has a desire to drop a gear and accelerate to see how fast I can register whenever I see one of these signs: SPEED LIMIT ........XX......... YOUR SPEED ____________
no, had a friend in high school that when he found them would try to make them read over 100 in a turbo diesel 300td. never got it above 70.
I was railing up MacArthur Blvd. in Washington DC on my DRZ 400 Supermoto rushing to get the Chinese takeaway home while it was still hot. I forgot about the unmarked cop car mounted speed cam that was generally set up there 'til it was ~way~ late. Still, being ever hopeful, and always riding it all the way in 'til it's good and crashed, I grabbed a huge handful of brake. I was on it as hard as I ever have on the street. I essentially stopped about even w/ the B pillar of the car when FLASH...the camera took a picture of where I'd have been had I not done a big stoppie.
This was a eureka moment. A Christmas miracle.
These mobile speed cams are not smart. Once the radar pings you and comes back it decides when it's going to take the image on the basis that you, oh ignorant dozing SUV operating somnambulist - aren't going to change velocity. So what did I do, despite the cooling Chinese dinner in my messenger bag?
A U-turn, back up the road, another U-turn, and a fast approach followed by another stoppie. FLASH!
I've yet to time it properly so I give someone else a ticket, but it's fun to try.
motomoron wrote: somnambulist
You, sir, are my linguistical hero.
MrJoshua wrote: Am I the only one who has a desire to drop a gear and accelerate to see how fast I can register whenever I see one of these signs: SPEED LIMIT ........XX......... YOUR SPEED ____________
I have not tried to see how fast I can go. I have been tempted. Mightily. I normally do check though what my speedometer reads and compare.
alex wrote: I am not a lawyer. I am not qualified to give legal advice. But... I have been told by the lawyers I know (several, including family members) when this topic comes up: don't pay the camera tickets. They're not constitutionally enforceable. The charges won't stand when/if challenged in court.
Except for the 99.7% conviction rate...
MrJoshua wrote: Am I the only one who has a desire to drop a gear and accelerate to see how fast I can register whenever I see one of these signs: SPEED LIMIT ........XX......... YOUR SPEED ____________
I used to drive by one of those daily, in my school bus, with a load of high-school kids on board. It was about 200m (call it an even 1/8 mi) past a light that was invariably red, on an uphill.
Of course I brake-launched the bus every single time just to see what I could do. Never did get it over 50 km/h.
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