Sure, let's increase the Maryland work zone speed camera fine.

[glhs837]

So you are saying the fines are paying for increases in salaries. So pay attention to when you hear budget increase. You know where the revenue will come from.

They use this revenue as a slush fund for "public safety". And of course, this doesn't touch on how every time a citizen finds issues, they don't fix the issues, they amend the process the ensure that citizens cant access that data to demonstrate that systems are rigged. Things like who validates that the images are accurate, how often the systems are calibrated. What standard the systems are calibrated against. Three digit time stamps were used to demonstrate one system was citing larger vehicles incorrectly. The response was to ensure that citations issued to citizen's didn't contain that information anymore. Because any check and balance costs money and reduces profitability.

How area Police Departments and area Governments use and spend speed camera ticket revenue - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

Maryland Law requires the reporting of a description of how net revenue was used By: John Townsend, Mid-Atlantic AAA WASHINGTON, D. C. (Thursday, December 12, 2019) –– 40 MM multi-launchers, which fire sponge-tipped rounds effective at a 120-foot range, a robot, aviation tactical mapping...

southernmarylandchronicle.com

Heres a funny tidbit. Seems if you dont live in the District, they cannot force you to pay any automated citation. Also note that you can ignore any VA citation from a camera since its not valid unless you were served, mail doesn't count.

DC Confirms Photo Ticket Payment Optional For Non-Residents

Report from mayor confirms no penalty for nonpayment of Washington, DC red light camera and speed camera tickets for non-residents.

thenewspaper.com

 

[vraiblonde]

There is no reason whatsoever for these obscenely low speeds except - to generate tickets and collect fines.

You can thwart THE MAN by going the speed limit. Seriously. I see those things and am like, "Ha ha ha, not today, Satan!" I'll slow to a freaking crawl just to not have to interact with the government, and give them the mental finger as I do it. Let some dummy pay those fines and pad the coffers, they're not getting a penny from me.

It's interesting to me that humans are largely obedient when it comes to demands from their overlords. We'll overlook a lot of things - graft, corruption, outright freaking murder - then make a stand over....wait for it....speed cameras.

 

[glhs837]

You can thwart THE MAN by going the speed limit. Seriously. I see those things and am like, "Ha ha ha, not today, Satan!" I'll slow to a freaking crawl just to not have to interact with the government, and give them the mental finger as I do it. Let some dummy pay those fines and pad the coffers, they're not getting a penny from me.

It's interesting to me that humans are largely obedient when it comes to demands from their overlords. We'll overlook a lot of things - graft, corruption, outright freaking murder - then make a stand over....wait for it....speed cameras.

Why not all of those things? Enforcement for profit is a Bad Idea. No reason you cant all call out one Bad Idea because other Bad ideas exist.

 

[vraiblonde]

You know you shouldn't conflate speeding with being reckless.

I used to have this ex-husband who insisted his speeding, texting, and eating while driving wasn't a problem; that he drove perfectly fine. He thought that because he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. His passengers are cowering and holding on for dear life, but he was blissfully unaware that he was crossing the line, his speed was fluctuating, and he was tailgating.

So there's this:

The statistics on traffic fatalities are so low as to be inconsequential. When you back your car out of the driveway, there is an extremely high probability that you will return unscathed, even if you drive like Mr. Toad.

Conversely, sort of, you can carefully obey every traffic law, and there's a possibility that some meth head can come out of the woodwork and t-bone you.

Note the emphasized words ^^

Life is a crapshoot. Always has been because of the human factor. There has been no law ever in the history of humanity that has 100% prevented crime and accidents.

What laws DO do is lessen the frequency by punishing those who infringe on or endanger others. Most people are obedient and will follow the law. That's why we don't have everyone out there stealing stuff, killing people, and smashing into other motorists. Most people are me: you can leave your door unlocked and be assured that we won't come in and rob you. Won't even try. But those other people....they'll rob your ass blind. Laws say if they do that, they will suffer some form of punishment.

So go ahead and speed in front of the elementary school or in the work zone. God knows Pookie and Snotboogie are doing it. The difference is that if they run over someone's child or husband, they won't give a damn - they'll go back to jail where their friends are and tattoo another teardrop on their face. If *you* run someone over, you'll feel bad because you have a conscience and likely don't have any BFFs in prison.

Me, I try not to do things that have the potential to make me feel bad.

 

[glhs837]

I used to have this ex-husband who insisted his speeding, texting, and eating while driving wasn't a problem; that he drove perfectly fine. He thought that because he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. His passengers are cowering and holding on for dear life, but he was blissfully unaware that he was crossing the line, his speed was fluctuating, and he was tailgating.

So there's this:

The statistics on traffic fatalities are so low as to be inconsequential. When you back your car out of the driveway, there is an extremely high probability that you will return unscathed, even if you drive like Mr. Toad.

Conversely, sort of, you can carefully obey every traffic law, and there's a possibility that some meth head can come out of the woodwork and t-bone you.

Note the emphasized words ^^

Life is a crapshoot. Always has been because of the human factor. There has been no law ever in the history of humanity that has 100% prevented crime and accidents.

What laws DO do is lessen the frequency by punishing those who infringe on or endanger others. Most people are obedient and will follow the law. That's why we don't have everyone out there stealing stuff, killing people, and smashing into other motorists. Most people are me: you can leave your door unlocked and be assured that we won't come in and rob you. Won't even try. But those other people....they'll rob your ass blind. Laws say if they do that, they will suffer some form of punishment.

So go ahead and speed in front of the elementary school or in the work zone. God knows Pookie and Snotboogie are doing it. The difference is that if they run over someone's child or husband, they won't give a damn - they'll go back to jail where their friends are and tattoo another teardrop on their face. If *you* run someone over, you'll feel bad because you have a conscience and likely don't have any BFFs in prison.

Me, I try not to do things that have the potential to make me feel bad.

So you never speed? Speeding doesn't make me feel bad because I don't do things like tex or eat while doing so. Speeding by itself isn't inherently dangerous. Especially when the only reason you are speeding is because the limits were set artificially low. I travel to a suburb of Philly quite often. I've been taking the back roads, up and over the Conowingo and Route 1. The same exact highway that is 65 in PA is 55 in MD.

Safety generally has far more to do with your attention to your surroundings than the number on your dashboard. Of course, things like going 85 when everybody else is going 55 is not a great idea. Very dangerous. Going 55 on 95 between Fredericksburg Quantico is just as dangerous, however.

I have never advocated for speeding through school zones or work zones. Place officers there all day long. Them I trust. They don't get a cut of the tickets they write. The company that owns the cameras? They get around a 30% cut. Enforcement for profit is a Bad Idea that begs for corruption.

 

[vraiblonde]

So you never speed?

On the interstate I might go 5 over, but never - ever - in a residential or commercial area, certainly not in a work zone or where there's a concentration of children. And it's because I can math. Doing 10mph over the limit doesn't gain me a lot of time. Getting a ticket will cost me quite a bit of time AND money. The risk/reward isn't there.

Also because people are retarded and don't pay attention what they're doing. They're all glued to their phone, wandering into traffic and ain't nobody got time for that. I hit someone, even if it's their fault, I'm still going to be cooling my heels for a longer time than I'm willing to give up for some dummy. Risk/reward.

I make fun of people who speed and need to be the lead dog. "Oooooh! A VIP! He'll probably cure cancer in that 2 minutes he saves." Then I laugh even harder when they get stopped by the same red light as me and lose the 30-seconds they were so furiously trying to gain. Especially if they're fuming about it. "Ha ha! LOSER!"

Please feel free to take your chances. I choose not to when there's little to no gain.

 

[Rommey]

If it were up to me when cops - or anyone really - sees someone speeding in a school zone or work zone, blowing past the bus letting out children, or any other unsafe behavior, we should be able to stop that car, pull the driver out by his hair, shoot him in the face and say, "How about now, mother****er??"

How come it sounded like Samuel L. Jackson was saying this as I read it?

 

[TPD]

Coming to SMC soon….

 

[glhs837]

Coming to SMC soon….

View attachment 173314

Funny, has there been one child injured? At any school? What problem are we solving? Would be better served with an aggressive campaign against cell phone drivers.....

 

[vraiblonde]

How come it sounded like Samuel L. Jackson was saying this as I read it?

Oh good! That's what I was going for.

 

[vraiblonde]

Funny, has there been one child injured? At any school? What problem are we solving? Would be better served with an aggressive campaign against cell phone drivers.....

I don't understand why speeding is so important to you.

 

[glhs837]

I don't understand why speeding is so important to you.

I don't understand why you can't understand that enforcement for profit encourages corruption, which is a bad thing.

 

[spr1975wshs]

I have a bumper sticker on my car: Your hurry, NOT my worry.

 

[SamSpade]

I make fun of people who speed and need to be the lead dog. "Oooooh! A VIP! He'll probably cure cancer in that 2 minutes he saves." Then I laugh even harder when they get stopped by the same red light as me and lose the 30-seconds they were so furiously trying to gain.

Me too.

I've only received two speeding tickets in my life and ironically, they both were around the same place - that stretch of 4 between the power plant and the big white church. Also the only moving violations I've ever had, in my life.

That's not to say I never exceed the speed limit but - like you, in residential areas, school zones, small roads - and of course, because of where we live, anywhere you can be surprised by DEER (from someone who has) - I'm especially cautious. It seriously pisses me off that motorists ON MY ROAD will easily do 60 - on a road without shoulders where people walk their dogs and children ride their bikes.

I even slow down on that stretch of southbound 235 in Mechanicsville which slows to 45. And yeah, I do tend to laugh at schmucks who get caught.

But there do exist stretches of road where ridiculous limits have been added, and the locals have remarked over many years that the speed limit seems to serve no purpose with regard to safety and only exists to generate revenue. The one in Adelphi is clearly one - a six lane road where motorists typically drive 40-50 suddenly drops to 25 - as it meanders through the small town of University Park.

KNOWING THIS ahead of time, and knowing that DC runs a lot of things like some racket - I am especially cautious. And I lived there outside DC for many years.

 

[vraiblonde]

I don't understand why you can't understand that enforcement for profit encourages corruption, which is a bad thing.

But you have a choice whether or not to buy. Let someone else pay the mob money - you don't have to pay them a dime. You have that choice.

 

[glhs837]

But you have a choice whether or not to buy. Let someone else pay the mob money - you don't have to pay them a dime. You have that choice.

I sure do, but I prefer my enforcement to be about safety, not money. If the radars are rigged, are you okay with that? If the people certifying the citation is valid are on the payroll of the company making the money for more citations, are you okay with that? If the ombudsman required by state law is also the person who administers the program and therefore biased against you, are you okay with that? If the law is written so that its impossible for you to fight a citation, are you okay with that?

These are all real things that have happened here in MD, things that have caused non-speeding folks to have to pay money to the govt when they shouldn't have to. What if you really don't have a choice about buying because even if you go the limit, you have no legal recourse to prove that?

 

[TPD]

Funny, has there been one child injured? At any school? What problem are we solving? Would be better served with an aggressive campaign against cell phone drivers.....

Distracted driving is a much bigger and more dangerous problem than speeding. Like you, I agree that we don't want to let the camel's nose under the tent, though it's already there in some aspects. I've seen too many issues with speed cameras and the time and money people have spent defending themselves against this enforcement for profit that doesn't always get it right. Why stop at speed cameras? Why not blinker cameras, stop sign cameras, headlight/brake light cameras?

 

[OccamsRazor]

But why? At $75 bucks a pop and no reporting, they don't really deter much. Red light runners fall into to basic categories.

1. The last second runner. This person was chasing the yellow and missed it. Here all the SHA intersections, which are the vast majority of signalized ones, run a full one second overlap "All Red", so these folks run the light through the intersection when the cross traffic still had red. This is the person who a camera might deter. But this is also the person who will realize that at the last second and slam on the brakes, causing a rear end collision that otherwise might not have happened. The studies that have been done to daye show that you get a lot of these collisions for every t-bone you prevent. Enough so that economically, it's a wash, including medical costs.

2. The person who is so out of the loop they sail through long after its red. On the phone, daydreaming, whatever. Since they are not even aware they ae running a light, they are also unaware they are running a camera light. These are the killers who create t-bone crashes.

This is what, when places with cameras express program success, they couch it in terms of how many fewer people run red lights, not in a reduced number of crashes.

Let me be clear, not a fan or people running reds, they piss me off also. But I'm also not a fan of placebo law enforcement that only make money, not increased safety.

Ok....
I still stand by what I said. They should up the fines to $500-$1000 for each and every violation.
Also, you always jump to the "rear end collision" argument to which I say
Sure, there may be a few after the newly installed red light camera is introduced BUT, we ALL know that people know EXACTLY where these intersections are after a day or two and once identified, they stop on a dime to avoid the fine. For example, the intersection at 301 near the Regency Furniture. People drive like maniacs UNTIL they get to that intersection.

 

[vraiblonde]

If the radars are rigged, are you okay with that?

I get it; I too think if there's a way for government to be corrupt, it will. Here's the problem:

There's nothing you can do about it.

The odds always favor the house. Just do. The only thing you can do to thwart that is to....not play. There are enough people who will speed and drive reckless and attract police attention - let them, and you stay out of it.

OR! You can "fight the man" and tell it to the judge. See how that works out.

 

[glhs837]

Ok....
I still stand by what I said. They should up the fines to $500-$1000 for each and every violation.
Also, you always jump to the "rear end collision" argument to which I say
Sure, there may be a few after the newly installed red light camera is introduced BUT, we ALL know that people know EXACTLY where these intersections are after a day or two and once identified, they stop on a dime to avoid the fine. For example, the intersection at 301 near the Regency Furniture. People drive like maniacs UNTIL they get to that intersection.

Yep, they should, but they wont. Because high fines are a deterrent. And deterrence means less money. The company operating the cameras needs a certain minimum to stay in business.

Red Light Cameras May Not Make Streets Safer

Fear of fines may fuel more sudden stops and rear-end accidents

www.scientificamerican.com

Seems a 12 year study should account for "We all know where they are". You all know, but that doesnt account for visitors and people who simply dont pay attention.