Exiting NAS PAX Gate 1

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

I would say BE CAREFUL, as big an asshat as you might think they are, recording them, without their permission, could lead to more severe penalty for you, then them.

I don't worry too much about that possibility. Somebody cuts me off making a signal-less lane change across multiple lanes of traffic to get into a turn lane or runs a red light and plows into me....."SMILE, you're on Candid Camera!" "And oh, BTW, I WILL be submitting this as evidence in court."

From what I have gather from here, and from others, the police and courts seem to be less restrictive on evidence, how it's collected and used in court.

Good. So dash cam footage IS admissible in court.

I've asked friends who worked in other jurisdictions, why they didn't write a citation for an accident when the evidence supported the eyewitness description of the cause. The response was that they would have to testify in court to something they did not witness, so unless it was a DUI, they generally stayed away from writing a citation on top of a accident report.

That's when video of the accident takes the LEO(s) out of the equation. They didn't witness the accident, but the camera did. To me, it's open and shut, with or without the testimony of a non-witness. A picture may be worth 1000 words, but video tells volumes.

The other thing you might find interesting is your video might actually hurt you when it comes to insurance. The reason drivers do some of the #### they do is because they operate on the belief that if you hit them, you are automatically "at fault" in the accident.

Well, when I'm in slow moving traffic, or I'm already in a turn lane and stopped for the light.....or even creeping forward to keep up with the traffic flow and the aforementioned asshat decides to squeeze into space that doesn't exist; hits me and starts screaming 'YOU hit ME!', that's when I say, 'Let's look at the game tape.'

Insurance companies don't like assuming all the liability, they will subrogate the claim. You will be given partial responsibility for the collision. If your evidence were to show you could have avoided the collision, your portion could go higher.

Like I said, trying to get into a space that doesn't exist; taking out one of my fenders, bumpers or doors in the process; while I am already where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.....'Yes, 9-1-1?" "There has been an accident on.....I can provide video proof who was at fault."

.....and that's why I have and will continue to use a dash camera.

 

[BernieP]

Well good luck, video taping people without their permission has been know to get the camera operator in trouble.
Oh, and be careful your footage of them trying to squeeze in doesn't show you forced the collision by trying to squeeze them out.
If you continue on a path that leads to a collision, and you could have avoided that collision, no matter how right you might think you might be, you could find out how wrong.
Which is probably why cops don't like to write tickets for traffic accidents, they don't want to be dragged into court for a he said, she said.

 

[Blister]

Hey Blister... Is this the fault of the 'migrants' too?

I suppose that county politics is rampant with out-of-towners and foreigners huh?

For what it is worth I am also not a "From Here", and I am a Navy vet.

I am also not a county planner or traffic engineer, but I assume most of those decisions are made by, or approved at the state level.

It just tickles my taint to listen to people whose whole life revolves around 10 miles of Rt. 235, and they constantly gripe about the "locals" driving habits.

For 15 years my commute has started in St. Mary's County, and have worked anywhere from Richmond to Hagerstown, Culpeper to Baltimore, and everywhere in D.C. A good day is 100 miles round trip, a bad day is 200 miles. If you ever got out in the real world you would soon learn that this area is no better or worse than any other. Hitting the county line safely in the evening is always a relief.

 

[Restitution]

If you ever got out in the real world you would soon learn that this area is no better or worse than any other. Hitting the county line safely in the evening is always a relief.

Too funny...

I have driven in more states and countries than you can probably regurgitate and I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this area is THEE most poorly planned area for traffic (in the USA) that I have ever driven in.

A lot of people throw DC out when people talk about traffic but what they fail to do is mention that DC is populated with MILLIONS of people.

 

[glhs837]

Well good luck, video taping people without their permission has been know to get the camera operator in trouble.
Oh, and be careful your footage of them trying to squeeze in doesn't show you forced the collision by trying to squeeze them out.
If you continue on a path that leads to a collision, and you could have avoided that collision, no matter how right you might think you might be, you could find out how wrong.
Which is probably why cops don't like to write tickets for traffic accidents, they don't want to be dragged into court for a he said, she said.

Only in cases of stalking or when there is audio, really. In public you can record what you want. But audio, that can get you in trouble. The states anti-wiretap law can and has been used regarding recording police, but has been thrown out regarding officers, but I'm pretty sure it still applies to recording civilians.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

For 15 years my commute has started in St. Mary's County, and have worked anywhere from Richmond to Hagerstown, Culpeper to Baltimore, and everywhere in D.C. A good day is 100 miles round trip, a bad day is 200 miles. If you ever got out in the real world you would soon learn that this area is no better or worse than any other. Hitting the county line safely in the evening is always a relief.

I have to disagree with that, coming from outside the region I think the bad starts about Hagarstown (the I-70 I-81 area is a mess on Sunday evenings) through DC to SOMD as far as road design and clueless drivers go. Florida drivers are possibly worse though, especially the area between Ft Lauderdale to Miami.

 

[RetiredCPO]

That's a thing I don't get. I carefully choose my exits and entrances into places or other trip routing to deconflict with other traffic. I never exit that gas station on the northern side for that reason. When entering Wal-Mart from the south, I take the left of the two lanes into the parking lot and head back down by the garden center, because that "top" eastern part of the lot is a gaggle eff. I never leave Lowes by the Pier One exit trying to go out to 235. Coming north out of Gate 2, I avoid that leftmost lane, as I know people coming off of Shangri-La will be entering that lane. Leaving Best Buy going south, I will hang a right and go out through K-Marts lot. So much crap caused by people willingly trying to butt heads with the traffic flow.

You do the same as I do, plan your route ahead of time. Glad to hear others do it, nice job!

 

[bilbur]

You do the same as I do, plan your route ahead of time. Glad to hear others do it, nice job!

The sad thing is it didn't used to be that way down here. The locals have had to adapt to the different driving habits that were imported here along with Navair and the massive influx of people to the area. We have had to adapt to the aggressive driving, the illegal maneuvers, the dangerous moves all to save 1 person 5 minutes off of their commute while inconveniencing anyone that travels behind them. Courtesy has also gone out the window and been replaced with me, me, me. I will have to admit that I have been guilty of speeding up to close the gap when someone in a turn lane tries to get over after they illegally used the lane as a travel lane. Prior to the influx of people I would have let them in thinking the person made a mistake and shouldn't be penalized for that but now I assume they were just trying to use illegal maneuvers to increase their position in the traffic jam that is our evening rush hour. Most of the time I am proven right because I watch them force their way in then get back into the turn lane just past the intersection and drive out of sight. Even with the aggravation and frustration of the few that try and take advantage at every turn I still try and maintain many of my courteous driving habits for those that deserve it.

 

[glhs837]

The sad thing is it didn't used to be that way down here. The locals have had to adapt to the different driving habits that were imported here along with Navair and the massive influx of people to the area. We have had to adapt to the aggressive driving, the illegal maneuvers, the dangerous moves all to save 1 person 5 minutes off of their commute while inconveniencing anyone that travels behind them. Courtesy has also gone out the window and been replaced with me, me, me. I will have to admit that I have been guilty of speeding up to close the gap when someone in a turn lane tries to get over after they illegally used the lane as a travel lane. Prior to the influx of people I would have let them in thinking the person made a mistake and shouldn't be penalized for that but now I assume they were just trying to use illegal maneuvers to increase their position in the traffic jam that is our evening rush hour. Most of the time I am proven right because I watch them force their way in then get back into the turn lane just past the intersection and drive out of sight. Even with the aggravation and frustration of the few that try and take advantage at every turn I still try and maintain many of my courteous driving habits for those that deserve it.

Having been here for a few years before NAVAIR or any of it's ancillary bits moved down here, and having lived in such remote locations at up near Hughesville, out by Chaptico Warf, down in Compton a mile or so away from Fitzies (what a freaking shack that was) and now down by St Marys College, I'm here to say it's a two way street. Us "outsiders" have had to get used to all sorts of "We been driving that way since we swapped the horses for cars and don't see no reason to change" tactics like pulling nose into traffic so you can get your mail without actually exiting your car. Or coming round a corner only to find Jeb and Jim-Bob parked side by side in both lanes talking about hog bellies or some such.

 

[RetiredCPO]

Only in cases of stalking or when there is audio, really. In public you can record what you want. But audio, that can get you in trouble. The states anti-wiretap law can and has been used regarding recording police, but has been thrown out regarding officers, but I'm pretty sure it still applies to recording civilians.

I can attest to this first hand.

My SOB step-father got busted by one of his customers video taping areas of his business that he shouldn't have if he was a decent person. He claimed it was for security reasons and to apprehend vandal's who allegedly had been destroying his property. We all knew better but the criminal courts could not do a thing since there was NO SOUND on the recordings. I haven't followed up in a long time, but I believe this has led to changes in the way the law was written in my home state.

There was one good outcome, the civil courts did not agree with the criminal courts, he ended up paying an undisclosed amount out to all who were victims in his video's.

 

[glhs837]

I know a guy who was having a hard time with his wife. He caught her cheating and she just sort of checked out of the marriage, moved in with a friend, but still came over to watch their son after school. He came home one day and she was drunk and the kids was basically unattended. So he set up cameras, no sound, and was able to use them to prove she was neglectful and unfit.

 

[Hodr]

The sad thing is it didn't used to be that way down here. The locals have had to adapt to the different driving habits that were imported here along with Navair and the massive influx of people to the area. We have had to adapt to the aggressive driving, the illegal maneuvers, the dangerous moves all to save 1 person 5 minutes off of their commute while inconveniencing anyone that travels behind them. Courtesy has also gone out the window and been replaced with me, me, me.

I think this type of driving evolves whenever/wherever there is heavy traffic. The only place I have ever been that had both heavily congested traffic and patient/courteous drivers was Hawaii. Must be the laid back overall attitude of the place.

 

[Goldenhawk]

I think this type of driving evolves whenever/wherever there is heavy traffic. The only place I have ever been that had both heavily congested traffic and patient/courteous drivers was Hawaii. Must be the laid back overall attitude of the place.

Ever visit the Caribbean islands? We have spent a fair amount of time on St Maarten, where the traffic is almost ALWAYS like 235 at rush hour.... but two lanes with no alternate routes. Know what? It's the most polite group of folks you can imagine. There's TONS of honking - and it's all "beep beep You go ahead of me" and "beep Thanks!" None of the long "beeeeeeeeeep You JERK!". Folks just roll with it, and don't worry. Some of the worst drivers we saw there are the tourists, who don't get the whole chill vibe. Island Time is a thing, for sure.

 

[chernmax]

I also saw that last night at Gate 2 going toward the base, there is only one turn lane exiting GMR to turn onto 235N and the middle lane is a go straight lane into the base and I watched 4 vehicles use it to turn north onto 235!

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Again saw some dumbass using the go straight lane as a left turn lane on R235 south.

 

[BernieP]

The thing I find interesting is the people who do things like use the wrong lane to make a turn, won't cut someone a break if they are trying to do the right thing - like get into a lane because they weren't familiar with the road to know they had to get over in advance.