THE PLATE ESCAPE (outlawed clear spraypaint helps NYers beat traffic cams)

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60437.htm ^ | January 15, 2006 | ANGELA MONTEFINISE

[Dustbunny]

Although I don't think this should be done, I must say that it is an American tradition to foil attempts such as these, that is why American ends in 'i can'.

[upchuck]

PhotoBlocker BUMP!

Traffic cams are just another little slip down the slippery slope of taking away our privacy rights.

[bigsigh]

Yeah I just do drugs 24/7 and just came out of my haze long enough to point out your ignorant remark.

[Matchett-PI]

"Heaven forbid people should have to obey traffic laws."

"We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was written for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." ~ John Adams

Either people control themselves (internally) or the "lawless" will be controlled externally - (inviting more and more power to be put into the hands of "law-enforcement") if we are to have a safe, orderly society.

That's just the way it works, whether "libertines" (who falsely call themselves "libertarians") like it or not.

[angkor]

DC they got caught shortening the length of yellow lights

Then there is the awful light at the end of Clarendon Blvd. & Lynn St. in Rosslyn.

Dozens of cars pile up at that stupid light trying to make the left toward Key Bridge/DC, because Arlington County makes way too much money from the camera there rather than fix it, and the plain fact that people get aggravated waiting 5 minutes trying to make a left turn into 5mph traffic on their commute to the office.

If you're at that light at 5:30AM on a Sunday morning it behaves exactly the same way. You'll be sitting there forever, waiting for the ghosts to drive by.

[presidio9]

So far, you don't understand the words "libertarian" and "ignorance" (ironic, that one). What else?

If you would let your knee stop jerking for a moment, you might have noticed that I didn't suggest libertarians advocate running red lights (the libertarian point was about the right to buy this product), and I never accused you of taking drugs (though I am now starting to have my suspicions).

[FreedomCalls]

.....In order to keep my dirty farm vehicle nice and shiny.....Exactly what kind of paint do I have to spray on my license plate so the mud won't stick to it?...wink....wink....

You might be interested in this product.

[thecabal]

The government has the right to do it

Wrong. The government has no inherent rights. Only the lawful authority which we give it.

[Geritol]

Your comment sounds logical and even moral, but it is off base.

Our system of law was supposed to have checks and balances to insure that we were judged with some modicom of common sense. By removing the human observer and making it mechanical with tunnel vision all mitigating circumstances are removed, the ability to cross examine witnesses against you is gone and innocent until proven guilty in a court of law was thrown out with a laugh. This is not law. This is tyranny.

[Keyga8tor]

To All!
Been there, got one. I was able to go to traffic school (Ca) so it would not show on my record. Fine was $391. Traffic school guy said to take off the front plate. (Photos are taken of the front plate.) The fine for no front plate, if you even get one, is $25.

[Political Junkie Too]

My question is, are traffic cameras treated the same as radar guns? What I mean is that a person has a right to face their accuser and cross-examine their testimony. We don't just put radar guns on the road and retreive their scans at the end of the day; there is a police officer who operates it, also witnesses the speeding, files a report, and shows up in court with the evidence and his witness testimony. Does the same hold true for traffic cameras? Should there be a police officer stationed by the camera to witness the red-light running, who can testify in court and who can be cross-examined, or will just the machine be the accuser?

-PJ

[Wheee The People]

wOOt when I was in high school, it was great fun to get a buzz on, cover-up the license plate, then run the red light while shooting a pressed ham. A pressed ham for the clueless, is dropping trou and mooning against the window.

(OK, I didn't do it, but I heard about it, and well it seemed KOOL.)

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I was stopped for having, through no fault of my own, a plate "obscured" by mud. Also stopped once when the little light bulb that lights the plate at night burned out. Luckily, they were warning tickets.

[halfright]

screw up their plan...obey the traffic laws and they get ZIP

[Brellium]

Here in Arizona it functions pretty much exactly that way, and I'm rather pleased with it.

The intersections north and south of my home used to be among the top 10 deadlest intersections here in the valley. Putting the cameras seems to have tremendously.

[Hank Rearden]

"This enables someone to run a red light and not get caught. It's that simple. It creates a safety hazard," he said.

BS. It cuts down on government theft.

I love technology.

[MindBender26]

Putting this on license plate is stupidest thing motorist can do.

Effect is easily viewed by anyone looking from side of car.

As soon as cop sees it, you get a very close once over. What might have been a warning for speeding or some other minor infraction immediately becomes a serious ticket.

In addition, how stupid can motorist - libertarian be. What are they fighting for? Their right to cause traffic deaths by running red lights?

[MindBender26]

>In NYC, you can ticket for not washing your car. Happened to a cab I was riding in once.

That's only for cabs licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Rule was passed after thousands of complaints of riders who got clothes filthy in or getting into cab.

[Hank Rearden]

It's a violation to intentionally obscure a tag.

Thanks to Big Stupid Government, growing faster than ever under Republicans, everything's a violation. Thanks to Bush Jr. the other day, even annoying someone on the net is now a crime.

May as well use technology to save money.

[doug from upland]

"By removing the human observer....."

=========================================================

Okay. Then, without a human observer, we cannot convict someone with DNA evidence. We cannot convict with fingerprints.

I don't want to be argumentative, and I respect your opinion, but you use the word "tyranny?" All that does is devalue real tyranny. Alito has been called a fascist. What word is left to call a real fascist?

As I said, I am still evaluating whether I think this should be done. I don't like it, but the cameras are stationary, there is a warning, and people know that they are there. People do not have a right to drive. The right is licensed. If you wish, you can forever avoid this problem by not driving or by not going through one of those intersections. Should we not have cameras in federal buildings watching us? In police stations? In any public place?