Some people have tried some funny forms of resistance, but the state still wins.
Some have even moooned the cameras!
Posted on 12/24/2008 9:16:30 AM PST by neal1960
4 Santa Impersonators Wrap Redlight Cameras In YouTube Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43LtGNFLPw&eurl=&feature=player_embedded
A group of four Santa impersonators covered up three speed and red light enforcement cameras in Tempe, Ariz., Monday, in an effort that was captured on video and posted on YouTube.
The impersonators were decked out in full Santa gear, white beards and red hats included.
They can be seen covering two of the cameras with boxes -- one decorated in Christmas wrap -- and the third with a red sheet. The Jackson 5's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" is heard over the more than two-minute video.
The video ends with a message that reads: "Ho Ho Ho! Death to the surveillance state! Free movement for all people!"
It also reads, "Only Santa knows who is naughty and nice. Lumps of coal to all those who make it their business to watch and control. From the border wall to the freeway and redlight cameras."
The group that posted the video also wrote "lumps of coal to all of those who make it their business to watch and control."
In September, Arizona became the first state in the country to initiate a statewide photo enforcement program, with plans for 100 mobile and fixed devices on freeways in the state.
More than 40,000 drivers were issued tickets in October and November, the first two months of the program.
I saw a study that demonstrated the state of North Carolina’s ticketing patterns did not improve safety but were instead generators of revenue for the state. Likewise, bargaining with the DA will get your points reduced but not the fines.
All of this is a big money making racket, and my curses go out upon traffic cops in general. I respect every other aspect of the job I respect. The speeding ticket bonanzas? Ridiculous.
And this surveilance garbage is equally ridiculous.
Using cameras aborts your right to confront your accuser. They are just a huge moneymaker for the firms that provide and monitor the equipment. They should all be removed from the entire country.
Actually, Arizona studies showed traffic slowing. Scottsdale ran an experiment for about 6 months; instead of felony speeding at 20 miles over the limit, traffic slowed to an average of only 10 miles over the limit. And the cameras were useful in catching the idiots who wanted to do 101 mph on the 101 highway.
Personally, I don’t care whether the cameras generate revenue or not. I’m tired of wholesale flouting of the laws. The argument that ‘speeding hurts no one’ has been proven false. Recent national accident statistics show speeding is the major cause of accidents - which means insurance goes up. Oh, and the argument that traffic laws aren’t really laws doesn’t fly. Laws is laws.
And one thing to think about - if you can disobey traffic laws, by what ethical basis can you complain about embezzlement (Madoff), illegal aliens, theft, drug use, etc?
See how people are printing out the license plate numbers of people they don’t like, then taping it to their own cars, and speeding through red lights? Who do you think the state sends the ticket to?
Then hire more traffic cops.
L
One of the women I work with is from Arizona. She swears she shot out cameras with her pistol when she lived down there.
They have one of those cameras in the town I live in. Whenever I come to that light and it turns yellow, I slam on my brakes as hard as I can.
I have good headrests and maybe if they understand the rearender statistics really are exploding thanks to these lights they would be FORCED to remove them.
One thing is for sure. If I were to get a ticket and there is not a picture of my car outside the intersection while the light is red, I would fight it and take as much of the judge and courts time as possible. Maybe even feign a stutter. ;)
>>I’m tired of wholesale flouting of the laws.<<
It all started with the 55 mph ticket. Just as prohibition made “everyone” a lawbreaker, this did the same. I no longer respect our traffic laws.
I don’t stop for red left turn arrows (when the through traffic in my direction has a green). I look for oncoming cars, pedestrians and, most importantly, COPS, and then safely turn. I came to a light at work once where there was a car in front of me as I approached the red arrow and thought, “great, he’s gonna stop”. He didn’t even slow down! It was like the light was not there. We both safely turned left.
The laws are arbitrary. What I would REALLY like to see is two types of drivers licenses. One would allow you to drive on all surface streets while the other would allow that plus the ability to drive on the freeways. Naturally the latter would have more stringent requirements.
Yeah, they need to be gotten rid of for those reasons. I know here in Arizona, at least parts of it, 60% of the fine goes to the firms that operate the cameras.
Shotgun meet red light camera
Some people have tried some funny forms of resistance, but the state still wins.
Some have even moooned the cameras!
RobRoy -
You said:
“It all started with the 55 mph ticket. Just as prohibition made “everyone” a lawbreaker, this did the same. I no longer respect our traffic laws.”
It appears that you are one of those who subscribes to the belief that you need only obey the law when it is convenient. By that reasoning, if it is inconvenient for someone to avoid robbing you, it should be acceptable for them to take your belongings. After all, no one is hurt. But trying to convince people who think like you is generally a waste of time. You think you are supporting liberty, but in reality you are preaching anarchy and anarchy always degenerates to the question of who has the biggest club.
Your children will learn from you - and like normal children, they will stretch the limits. Given your example of flouting the law, I wonder what they will decide is acceptable behavior...
>>It appears that you are one of those who subscribes to the belief that you need only obey the law when it is convenient.<<
No, I am one of those who subsrcibes to the belief that you need only obey the traffic laws when there is a cop around. The rest of the time you do what is “safe”.
I understand your point. But I am speaking of traffic laws only. They are a little like software pirating laws. That is, if someone robs me, there is a victim. If I record a song off limewire that I NEVER would have bought, there is no victim. Likewise, when I am at a red left turn arrow (and through traffic is green) at an abandoned intersection and can see several hundred yards in all directions and I actually ignore the light, there is no victim.
Traffic laws are a unique animal compared to all other laws.
My children have learned from me, BTW. I have taught them that the police are NOT your friend. Their job of protecting you is only broad. They prevent crime simply by being around in the hopes that a cop might drive by while they are committing the crime. In fact, when a crime is committed it is almost always YOU that is going to defend and protect you. The cops are secretaries with guns that come by later and try to catch the guy that did it.
I do believe in more traffic anarchy, btw. Our laws are way too restrictive because all it takes to get a licens is the ability to fog a mirror. The laws are designed for such license recipients.
I’m putting up with serious snow here in Seattle. It is amazing to watch the inexperienced drivers obey the letter of the law and cause, or almost cause accidents, while lots of us “spirit of the law” guys understand when it is safest to not come to a complete stop at a stop sign when the only cars around are the ones behind you, if you get my drift.
Traffic laws are a unique subgroup of ALL the laws the government creates and enforces. I apply a completely different mentality to those laws than any of the others. For starters, ALL of the others have their root in the ten commandments. Traffic laws do not.
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