Free Republic

Originally posted to the first thread. Aliska came up with the "Smile! You're on Komrade Kamera!" bit, which was an INCREDIBLE stroke of genius (I'da never thought of it ;-) The smaller pic is, ironically, a World War II-era U.S. propoganda poster... intended to warn Americans about Axis spy efforts. Anyhoo, here's the poster...

A California judge sharply criticized the automated camera system used by San Diego to punish red-light runners and suggested the cameras are so unreliable that the photographs cannot be used as evidence. Top Stories • Riots at G-8 meeting spark special forces• Religious groups get little funding• Consumer prices fall with gas costs• Rights panelists decry 'ugly games'• Mexican truckers travel U.S. highways• Baseball bats a hit in riots     The San Diego system is similar to that used by the District. Like Washington's, it is operated by Lockheed Martin IMS, which operates the system in most jurisdictions that use the devices.     San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald L. ...

<p>It's not about safety; it's about money. So say congressional critics of automated traffic enforcement, such as Rep. Dick Armey, Texas Republican, who want to penalize the District by cutting $1 of federal funding for every $1 the city collects in fines from electronic cameras.</p>

RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKETS DISMISSED (09-04-2001) - A judge Tuesday dismissed 250 tickets issued through San Diego's red light camera program, ruling that a private contractor's involvement in the system made evidence inadmissable [sic] at trial. Superior Court Judge Ronald Styn ruled that the city's decision to contract with Lockheed Martin to run the program, combined with a contingency fee, made evidence gathered from the red light cameras "unreliable" and "untrustworthy." Styn, in upholding his Aug. 15 tentative decision, ruled that the city failed to operate the red light system as outlined by the Legislature. He also said the agreement ...

If the Late Phillip K. Dick could only have lived to write about this:This is getting ridiculous! Here are newer entries: Beach to Scan Oceanfront Faces ** Freeper call to action *** Let's Keep Privacy, Freedom Alive!!! (cameras/faceprinting) Motorists race to court to challenge red-light cameras Photos called privacy threat Tampa Florida: First U.S. City To Install High-Tech Cameras Armey Continues His Battle Against Cameras County keeping eye on illegal dumpers ("1984" cited by officials as INSPIRATION for hidden cameras!) Cameras? If your not guilty, what are you worried about? Beach may scan Oceanfront faces (American Civil Liberties Union, ...

<p>The District collected more than $1.6 million in fines during the month of November from photo-radar citations, more than they collected in the program's first three months combined, preliminary figures show.</p> <p>D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey has repeatedly said the use of photo-radar and red-light cameras is about safety, not money. He reiterated that point yesterday on his weekly radio show, responding to criticism from House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who says the program invades people's right to privacy for what appears to be a revenue booster.</p>

<p>It's not the journey or the destination; it's the getting there unseen that counts.</p> <p>Or so goes the thinking behind a new mapping utility created by civil libertarians to guide New Yorkers through Manhattan along routes with the fewest surveillance cameras.</p>

I have read several posts in regard to the cameras being set up at traffic signals (including Darth Sidious' excellent after-action report on his FReep of a camera in NC) in an effort to stop people from crossing against the light (reality check: raise revenue.) As I live in a relatively small town, we are not cursed with these contraptions... yet. I do, however, encounter one or two during my daily commute. From what I have been able to discern, they are activated via pavement sensors that are coordinated with the color of the light. Ex: Cross the white "stop ...

Motorists are celebrating the accidental flattening of a speed camera in Surrey. One person attached a note to the pole poking fun at the fact it could no longer catch speeding drivers. The camera on a dual carriageway in Surbiton was damaged after being hit by a car. A note left at the scene read: "Missing you already...at 80mph", reports The Mail on Sunday. Meanwhile, police are investigating the vandalism of four speed cameras on one 15-mile stretch of the A40 through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Previous attacks on other devices across in the country include camera and film boxes being ...

A Derbyshire wife banned by her husband from driving his car was caught out when she was pictured by a speed camera. Carlo Chiarella ordered her not to drive his £20,000 new Shogun company car in case she pranged it. But wife Amanda was snapped behind the wheel having a sneaky drive while Carlo was away on business. He protested his innocence when a speeding ticket came through the post, until he saw the photographic evidence - with Amanda behind the wheel. The Shogun has the number plate W1FEY, reports The Sun. Carlo, 37, said: "She was caught doing 55mph ...

SAN DIEGO -- A judge dismissed nearly 300 tickets Tuesday issued to drivers caught by cameras that record motorists running red lights, handing ammunition to opponents of such systems.Judge Ronald Styn of San Diego County Superior Court said the camera evidence was inadmissible because a private corporation's role in the operation of the system and its per-ticket collection of fees violated state law.The ruling has no direct legal implications for similar red-light traffic systems in roughly 50 other cities in the nation.But lawyers for the motorists said other judges likely will take the ruling under consideration."It's very limited, but ...

Well, this should be an interesting thread, for the irony if nothing else… About five months ago, on August 7th, a couple of your friendly neighborhood Freepers – namely, Rebelbase and yours truly – stood at the intersection of Battleground Avenue and Pisgah Church Road in Greensboro, NC, and protested the red-light cameras that have gone up all over the city. It’d take up too much time to go into the details of our Freep, and the full story is on the ”After-Action Report” thread. But for a quick recap: for over four hours under the hot August sun, we ...

A few weeks ago, I was driving in my car in very wet weather. I saw the light at the intersection turn yellow, but knowing that it would be way too dangerous to slam the brakes and risk skidding, I decided to continue at my current speed. The light turned red just before the car crossed the intersection, and I saw an eerie flash. The evil camera had done its nefarious bidding. A few day ago, I recieved the photo with a $75.00 citation. The "info bar" on the photo indicated that I had ran the red light a mere ...

First two paragraphs: A contractor hired to provide cameras at Los Angeles intersections to nab red-light runners has stopped the program, insisting that police pay the company a flat fee rather than $60 per ticket. City officials said they are concerned that cameras have only been placed in eight of the 16 promised intersections, and that the contractor appears to be putting profit ahead of public safety. Click the link to get the full story. Particularly the part at the end where it says that at three of the four intersections where cameras were installed 9 months ago, accidents have ...

Dispute over police speed camera revs up By Robert Wainwright, Transport Writer A speed camera in Concord West is raising the hackles of motorists after "detecting" an astounding 29,016 speeding drivers in just over four months. Since the camera was installed in late July on Concord Road between Nirranda and Mepunga streets, the camera has clicked more than 240 motorists a day - raising allegations that it is a cynical revenue-raising tool rather than an effective life-saving strategy. Even if the offending drivers all faced the minimum speeding fine of $114, it would amount to $3.3million for government coffers, though ...

Wednesday, August 8, 2001. During the this morning's first segment of C-SPAN's Washington Journal the topic dealt with privacy on the internet in the work place. Freeper called in and gave a plug to Darth Sidious' efforts to protect privacy. Here is the transcript. HOST: The issue this morning we want to begin with, the issue of privacy online when your working in the office. We'll get a call from Riverside, California on the Republican line. Good morning. CALLER: Good morning. HOST: Go ahead with your comment. CALLER: I think that the computers, if they're owned by the businesses, then ...

Speeders caught in blink of radar eye The Washington Times www.washtimes.com Speeders caught in blink of radar eye Daniel F. Drummond THE WASHINGTON TIMES Published 8/7/01      Hundreds of unsuspecting drivers who whizzed past unmarked D.C. police cruisers manned with automated photo radar equipment yesterday will soon find speeding tickets in their mailboxes.      &#34;Our worst fears were realized,&#34; Executive Assistant Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer said of the high number of speeders caught by the cameras. &#34;[The cameras] were picking up a lot of people going excessively fast, not just a little fast.&#34;      Speeding motorists captured electronically by the new ...

Photo radar ticket sent to the wrong car owner By Peter Sandberg For the Camera Richard Philbrick was surprised to find a $40 photo-radar ticket from Boulder in his mailbox in Orleans, Mass., last week. He has not visited Colorado in 60 years. "I remember Boulder well, from when I was stationed at Lowry field," said Philbrick, who was training at the Lowry Air Force Base prior to World War II. He was stationed in Colorado in 1941 and has not been back since. He noticed some clear discrepancies when he looked at the photos provided as evidence for ...

Two men have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking refunds of all fines paid under Denver's photo radar program to enforce speed limits. They contend that everyone who paid fines after getting photo radar tickets since the program began in 1998 should get their money back. With interest. They think there are more than 160,000 people who have paid photo radar fines. The plaintiffs, Dean Blanken of Lakewood and Thomas Godwin of Denver, also sued the private operators of the program under contract with the city, Lockheed Martin IMS and ACS State and Local Solutions. "The photo radar program under which ...

<p>Motorists have litigated against them, fired bullets at them and thrown garbage on them &#8212; all to get back at the traffic cameras that have caught them in the act of running a red light or speeding.</p> <p>Now they have a new weapon in their arsenal, and it comes in a can for $29.99. A clear spray called Photoblocker can be applied to license plates to make them hyper-reflective and unreadable when the camera flashes.</p>