Photo Lights

[allanf]

Just stumbled across this. I have never had the misfortune of getting one of these, but I did almost have my car towed from a permit zone(signs too far away, dark, etc) the other week, so the parking enforcement people/traffic cops, are on my s**t list at the moment.

http://www.highwayrobbery.net

Take a gander, we have these all over my neck of the woods.

 

[Jwrussell]

Yep, I've heard of these things. Never had the misfortune of crossing paths with one.

 

[Wasch_24]

They are at various intersections around here...haven't got me yet.

 

[Poni]

These are all over around here, my father got a ticket via one. It should him and another car approaching a red light, then the next picture had the other car stopped and my dad's continuing through the intersection. Caught him on tape.

 

[allanf]

These are all over around here, my father got a ticket via one. It should him and another car approaching a red light, then the next picture had the other car stopped and my dad's continuing through the intersection. Caught him on tape.

And people do NOT look happy in those pics...Of course..If I had a mind to, I'd do this:

okemyeye

 

[Hambo]

We don't have any of those hear in the boonies (A.K.A. Michigan)

 

[Kingston]

My GF got a ticket for running a red at night despite my warnings that she'd never make the yellow.

They sent her the picture with her looking upset and a big black dot to cover my face.

 

[GuyMcBeerdrinker]

you can buy a spray online that goes on your license plate. undetectable to the naked eye but reflects from you license plate when a picture of it is snapped so that it is not picked up to THE MAN.

 

[PetersCreek]

Being a photographer...and a former maintainer of military imaging systems (including infrared)...I'd have to see test results on that spray to believe it isn't some sort of snake oil rip-off. It's possible that the stuff might work (to some extent) for an infrared camera...but if the camera operates in the visible spectrum, I just about guarantee the spray will not work. If the stuff is invisible to the human eye, chances are it'll be invisible to a camera sensing pretty much the same wavelengths.

Personally, I have abso-freakin'-lutely no sympathy for red light runners. They're a serious problem in Anchorage. A few years back, one of 'em totaled my wife's truck, broke her ankle (requiring surgery) and broke my knee. Brain dead bimbo didn't even have insurance, either...then declared bankruptcy when the wife's insurance company went after her.

 

[Kingston]

Don't know about the spray, but lots of auto shops here sell plate covers for fooling the cameras.
These work by reflecting the flash that all the cameras use, not by trying to fool the sensor.
These covers are legal to sell in California, but illegal to use. So you can buy it, but not use it. The line the retailers use is that this is for "protecting your registration sticker from theft"

 

[allanf]

well, our registration sticker goes on the back plate, don't the cameras get you from the front? I forget...But the image of my friends face as he blasts through the light was quite funny....Someone should start a website of mugshot pics from these cameras , would be great!

 

[GuyMcBeerdrinker]

here is one I found. I don't think this is the same one I read about in my local paper about a month ago.

 

[Texas Cop]

These cameras are all over Houston now a days, and as for he sprays, they are worthless...As for the plate covers, they are illegal..Soo...Just don't run the read light and you're safe ;-)


Andrew

 

[Kingston]

well, our registration sticker goes on the back plate, don't the cameras get you from the front? I forget...But the image of my friends face as he blasts through the light was quite funny....Someone should start a website of mugshot pics from these cameras , would be great!

Camera gets your face from the front (so you can dispute that you were driving) and gets your plate from the back. Also the cameras for jumping the toll on the bay bridge and golden gate get the back plate.

 

[Kingston]

These cameras are all over Houston now a days, and as for he sprays, they are worthless...As for the plate covers, they are illegal..Soo...Just don't run the read light and you're safe ;-)


Andrew

The best advice! I still have the mugshot of my GF running the light.

 

[GuyMcBeerdrinker]

andrew -- you aren't kidding about them popping up all over the place. I had read in the chronicle that they were still inoperational pending some appeals at the state supreme court level regarding their legality.

not that I'm a habitual red light runner, but I would be afraid of one being defective and start snapping pics during yellow or green lights. that would be a bitch to contest.

I constantly get notices from the tollway for some reason their system hasn't registered my new license plate number. luckily I'm able to get those reversed without a problem as they still charge me for the toll, just not the fine.

 

[allanf]

Cameras are everywhere. I heard a good program on the radio back in NYC a week or so ago that dealt with all of this, not just the photo-enforcement, but street corners, etc. So lots going on...The world has been changing these past ten years or so, more than most people are aware.

 

[Texas Cop]

I get violation notices from the Toll Road Authority all the time, pisses me off...As to the cameras, the once in the City of Houston are operational, however they are not operated (get this) by the City or by HPD. They are operated by an outside dataservice group that issues the citations ($90). These are not counted as moving violations, and they can be contested in a Houston Muni. Court. Some of the flaws with the current cameras are false citations when drivers are turning right on a red light, or citations being issued to a person that the vehicle is no longer registered to..

Andrew

 

[allanf]

Check out the original website I posted for some interesting info.

 

[1f1fan]

Got nabbed in Maryland in my future father-in-laws truck!

My fiance at the time got a call, her Dad's truck was on a picture with a ticket. He had no idea what it was at first...thought it was a speeding ticket. It was pretty funny...my FIL reaction "I opened up the mail and said...hey that's my Tundura!" then he started laughing. Of course I paid for it.