mamatutu
mama to two
Well, there you go. That is $259 just from this thread x a gazillion more. Why are we taxed? They can get it in just traffic camera fees. We are being choked to death, and it is a slow process. That is called torture.
Where on Branch Ave. is it 25 mph?
- Thread starter Restless
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Well, there you go. That is $259 just from this thread x a gazillion more. Why are we taxed? They can get it in just traffic camera fees. We are being choked to death, and it is a slow process. That is called torture.
glhs837
Power with Control
I have noticed the DC stations are running "Traffic cameras, safety or revenue?" Reports with greater frequency, might be that a revolt is in the making. Of course, with I think like %75 of fines paid by MD and VA commuters, hard to say if there are enough actual voters in DC who are effected enough to do anything. Think it's been going since 2001, so it's a pretty long run. Urban systems generally last longer before citizens force them out, due to that commuter aspect.
glhs837
Power with Control
Beta
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Heading northbound, I think it's 35 on Branch a little after you pass 495. Then when you enter DC (just after Suitland, when you hit Southern Ave), it turns to 25. That's at least 10-15 blocks and 8-10 25 MPH speed limit signs (I just did the street view the entire way between 1900 & Southern) before the 1900 block where you were ticketed.
Now since I didn't bother doing southbound, if that's the side you were on then I don't know, but it seems like Branch is 25 in DC as far as I can tell.
Now since I didn't bother doing southbound, if that's the side you were on then I don't know, but it seems like Branch is 25 in DC as far as I can tell.
Sweet 16
^^8^^
Uh, the signs are there for your safety and various other reasons. You should have learned that when you studied for your driver's test. That said, I don't agree with the proliferation of robo-cops, but in areas like that one especially, the flesh and bone variety are needed elsewhere to combat the rampant crime instead of writing speeding tickets. You can fight it if you want to dig into the maintenance records and check the last time the camera was calibrated. Most people just pay the fine and move on as a matter of convenience.
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I just want to get this straight:
A bunch of you are pissed off because, instead of police officers, cameras are used to give tickets. Right?
So let's see if I have this right...
1) You prefer police resources redirected from keeping areas safe and handling crimes in order to give people tickets, which can just as easily be done by a camera without stopping you and making you late
2) You prefer the unpredictable police officers, who sometimes have specific spots, but often pull up wherever they feel like it, hide, and nab you for a ticket.
3) You dislike the cameras that rarely (if ever) move, even though there's always a "this speed limit is photo enforced" sign somewhere close to the camera
So what you're all saying is you'd rather the police expend resources to ticket you, be more likely to catch you since they're randomly hiding, pull you over and delay your journey, instead of prefering the option where you can avoid tickets 100% of the time if you just follow the signs and stay at/below the speed limit in areas where it states they're photo enforced.
Really???
A bunch of you are pissed off because, instead of police officers, cameras are used to give tickets. Right?
So let's see if I have this right...
1) You prefer police resources redirected from keeping areas safe and handling crimes in order to give people tickets, which can just as easily be done by a camera without stopping you and making you late
2) You prefer the unpredictable police officers, who sometimes have specific spots, but often pull up wherever they feel like it, hide, and nab you for a ticket.
3) You dislike the cameras that rarely (if ever) move, even though there's always a "this speed limit is photo enforced" sign somewhere close to the camera
So what you're all saying is you'd rather the police expend resources to ticket you, be more likely to catch you since they're randomly hiding, pull you over and delay your journey, instead of prefering the option where you can avoid tickets 100% of the time if you just follow the signs and stay at/below the speed limit in areas where it states they're photo enforced.
Really???
I don't know why people complain about these cameras. The biggest complaint I usually see about being caught for speeding is "why did the cop pull me over? They should be looking for the drug dealers, murderers, and sex offenders." Well now they found a way to ticket a person that is breaking the law and not use a single flesh and blood police officer. I am no angle and I speed all the time but when I get a ticket I just pay the damn thing because the way I see it I have no defense for knowingly breaking the law.
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I guess since people prefer cops over cameras, they better keep reading threads like http://forums.somd.com/life-southern-maryland/279667-235.html so they can fruitlessly try to avoid them!
People are happiest when they have something to complain about. First you complain about the cop. Then complain about the camera. If you don't get ticketed at all, you'll complain about the other idiot driver and wonder why there's not a cop around. If the road were empty, the complaint would be about a red light that should be green, or a pothole, or something else. There's always something to complain about to make people happy.
glhs837
Power with Control
But if the camera isnt accurate? Or the limit is set artificially low to enhance revenue? And the judicial system involving the cameras is rigged to make paying the fine easier than fighting it, to the point where you literally have no defense available to you? I can cite reported cases of all of these things in DC and MD.
The biggest reason to complain is that unlike an officer, who can be called into court, and whose equipment calibration can easily be checked, and who has no "dog in the fight" as to whether you pay or not, the govt and the private companies making millions from automated enforcement have a huge vested interest in getting you to pay. And have rigged the system to ensure that payment is the easiest option. Do you want safety or revenue? Law enforcement should be about ensuring compliance with the law, not about making a profit.
Tell you what, make it a fixed price contract, make the calibration and other aspects transparent with easy recourse to fight one, and more importantly, ensure that all revenue to the state is returned to the citizens as a refund check, and not revenue for the govt, and I would be fine with them. But they will never do that. DC saw revenues drop (only 1% or so) and instead of applauding the increased safety, they plan on adding more cameras to make up the difference....what does that tell you.
The biggest reason to complain is that unlike an officer, who can be called into court, and whose equipment calibration can easily be checked, and who has no "dog in the fight" as to whether you pay or not, the govt and the private companies making millions from automated enforcement have a huge vested interest in getting you to pay. And have rigged the system to ensure that payment is the easiest option. Do you want safety or revenue? Law enforcement should be about ensuring compliance with the law, not about making a profit.
Tell you what, make it a fixed price contract, make the calibration and other aspects transparent with easy recourse to fight one, and more importantly, ensure that all revenue to the state is returned to the citizens as a refund check, and not revenue for the govt, and I would be fine with them. But they will never do that. DC saw revenues drop (only 1% or so) and instead of applauding the increased safety, they plan on adding more cameras to make up the difference....what does that tell you.
OldHillcrestGuy
Well-Known Member
Its at the bottom of the hill of Branch Ave about last 2 blocks before Penn. Ave. Before camera's a police car was always parked up on the grass along the wooded area there.
I guess I have a hard time buying that these cameras are rigged to screw the drivers. I go into DC between 10 and 15 times a year and have never had a ticket. Like I said, I speed but my rule for speeding is no higher than 10% to 15% above the posted speed limit. For me this has worked very well and I haven't had a ticket in 18 years. I was once told by a cop that the speed cameras are set to activate for speeds over 15% to 20% above the posted speed limit depending on the situation. I think it is even lower than that in school zones. I have no problem with people driving at whatever speed they feel comfortable but if they are knowingly exceeding the speed limit they should not complain when they get a ticket.
Beta
Smile!
What if the radar isn't accurate? Or set low to enhance revenue?
The officer has more of a "dog in the fight" than a camera does, because if the officer screwed up, that looks bad. So the officer wants to make sure that his judgment isn't questioned. A camera is a camera.
The cameras use the same type of radar and their calibration can be checked and fixed just as easily as a policeman's radar.
I guess my point is that cameras can be rigged just as easily as anything else. I do have concerns regarding the accuracy of whether they got the right car when there are multiple lanes, but I'm not sure about how your complaints are different than a person.
Honestly, speed limit signs are for safety. As long as people are speeding, the roads arguably aren't "safe enough". Add more cameras and maybe it'll stop speeding. Then they'll have a bunch of wasted cameras that waste money. That'll show em!
Bean Machine
Member
You can fight this! I have been tagged by this camera also, but I fought it and won. If you have already paid this, it's too late, but if there are any "issues" with the photos, you can have this adjudicated. My photo had two cars in the picture and I argued that the other car, since it was in front of mine, actually set off the camera, not mine. I won.
glhs837
Power with Control
And now the camera companies are cropping photos to remove other cars, and alignment marks on the roadway, killing any chance you have of fighting it like you did.
DC, Maryland: Speed Camera Firms Move To Hide Evidence
About the officers dog in the fight. He cares about his equipment being accurate, and being able to prove in court that he clocked you as required by law. But he has no fiduciary interest in the outcome. Neither does the state, since they lose money on traffic tickets written by a $60K a year cop sitting in a $60-$70K cruiser writing tickets.
As for them being rigged, if the citizen cannot get the evidence they need to clear their name, if there is no way to validate that the machines are properly set up and calibrated, then it doesn't matter.
In MD, for instance, there used to be three decimal place timestamps, til folks used those to successfully fight tickets. then the pictures mailed out suddenly dropped to one decimal place. The basic point is that enforcement for profit is a bad idea, that breeds corruption.
DipStick
Keep Calm and Don't Care!
I've had an officer pull me over for doing 46 mph because he thought the speed limit was 35 mph. It was actually supposed to be 35 mph but the sign had been taken down or something. The other officer actually checked while I was pulled over and saw that the last posted speed limit sign said 45 and let me go. I don't get that benefit with a speed camera.
donbarzini
Well-Known Member
Used to drive it every day. As you head down the hill on the approach to Penn Ave, the camera is on the right hand side semi-hidden by a telephone pole as you approach from the south. You can't see it until it's pretty much too late. But it's about safety, not money
Bean Machine
Member
I successfully fought another one because my brake lights were on in both pictures, however the speed indicated in both pictures was the same. I argued that the calibration was suspect because the vehicle was obviously slowing between both pictures, but the speed indicated by the camera did not change...I won that one too....there has been 1 that I couldn't find an issue with and just paid the damn thing.