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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:29 pm 
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It's probably necessary for photo radar (aka speed cameras)...

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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:35 pm 
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Oh yea, photo radar sucks also!!!

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:42 pm 
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I did like the article about the "143 mph Hyundai" in this months Car and Driver. . .

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:48 pm 
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BriceJohnson wrote:
I did like the article about the "143 mph Hyundai" in this months Car and Driver. . .


Don't get me started on a rant. Photo radar/Red Light cameras are just ways of our government outsourcing their responsibility for no other reason than Money. The red light cameras are attached to guaranteed contracts that incent the city and the company to get the most tickets issued, so if the revenue falls, just back down the length of time the yellow light stays on. It will be the same with the photo radar, if revenue is down, pop everyone who is 1 mph over.

I'm sure the front plate is to give a better camera view, get a picture before and after....

just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean someone's not trying to get you.


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:53 pm 
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I guess it is time to invest in a couple Valentine Ones!!

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:25 pm 
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Todd Breakey wrote:
I guess it is time to invest in a couple Valentine Ones!!

No, it's time to contact your State Representative and urge them to vote against the bill.

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Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531


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 Post subject: Another one bites the dust...
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:56 pm 
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Got this reply today:

Thank you for your email. I have reviewed Senate Bill 673 and do not see a need to change our current license tag requirements.

Senator Phil Berger


About as close as we'll probably see to a "I won't vote for this bill." response. Nevertheless, at least Senator Phil took the time to respond. :)

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:34 pm 
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RobLupella wrote:
BriceJohnson wrote:
I did like the article about the "143 mph Hyundai" in this months Car and Driver. . .


Don't get me started on a rant. Photo radar/Red Light cameras are just ways of our government outsourcing their responsibility for no other reason than Money. The red light cameras are attached to guaranteed contracts that incent the city and the company to get the most tickets issued, so if the revenue falls, just back down the length of time the yellow light stays on. It will be the same with the photo radar, if revenue is down, pop everyone who is 1 mph over.

I'm sure the front plate is to give a better camera view, get a picture before and after....

just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean someone's not trying to get you.


As someone who has been falsely "accused" by a redlight camera, I whole heartedly agree with you. Here's my story:

I got a letter in the mail from "safelight" of Cary, saying that I had been "caught" by a red light camera, the one at Maynard and Chapel Hill Rd. The notice included a great picture of me in the car, a clear photo of my license plate, and an EXCELLENT photograph of me, driving through the intersection, with the yellow light illuminated. Naturally, I decided to fight the ticket. I contacted "Safelight", and was told I needed to speak to the Cary PD. I did, the police officer watched the 8 second video (apparently they take not only photos, but video as well), and he said it was pretty clear that the timing of the camera was off, and that it would be dismissed. I assumed it was done at this point.

About a month and a half later, I received another notice, informing me that my nonpayment had caused my vioation to increase from a $50 fine to a $100 fine, and that if I did not respond, I could be subject to further legal action. I called "Safelight" of cary (which is apparently located in Arizona btw), and the person who answered there said "no, I'm watching your video, you clearly ran the light". "Oh really" I told her, "thats not what the Cary PD says". I called the Cary PD back, and told them my story, and asked again "did I run the light", again was told "no, I will have it dismissed". I asked to have a letter mailed to me stating this was the case, and he obliged (the Cary PD was very polite throughout all of this). It hasn't come up again, but needless to say, there is a clear conflict of interest. These "Safelight" people flat out lied to me, claiming that I had run the light when I wasn't just "not guilty", I was INNOCENT beyond a reasonable doubt. If it comes up again, I WILL sue for my time wasted on this (almost 4 hours, I documented it).

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I just thought I'd share my firsthand experience and PROOF that safelight is a racket, designed only to make money, and not to rightfully convict red light runners. Even when they had very clearly made a mistake, they refused to admit it, and only when forced by the Cary PD would they dismiss my charge, and even then, it took a couple tries for the dismissal to actually take effect.

Anybody know if that photoblocker spray works? I'm considering buying some, just to protect myself from being wrongfully accused again (I do NOT run red lights, I just want to protect myself from this rogue redlight camera company).

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:53 pm 
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BriceJohnson wrote:
Anybody know if that photoblocker spray works? I'm considering buying some, just to protect myself from being wrongfully accused again (I do NOT run red lights, I just want to protect myself from this rogue redlight camera company).


Mythbusters did a segment on attempts to defeat photos taken by speed/red light cameras. I think they tested stuff like sprays, plastic wraps and lenses (something like a fresnel lens) that are applied over the plate. None of them worked.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:55 pm 
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I guess I'll have to resort to plan B, taking my paintball gun down to that intersection and going after the camera the old fashioned way (TOTALLY JUST KIDDING).

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:18 pm 
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Richard Casto wrote:
Mythbusters did a segment on attempts to defeat photos taken by speed/red light cameras. I think they tested stuff like sprays, plastic wraps and lenses (something like a fresnel lens) that are applied over the plate. None of them worked.


I saw that episode (actually I've seen them all!) and nothing they tried worked even a little to abscure the plate.

Everyone knows this is a money making racket, plain and simple. Safety may be a byproduct but that's not the root of their implementation.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:28 pm 
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Vincent Keene wrote:
Richard Casto wrote:
Mythbusters did a segment on attempts to defeat photos taken by speed/red light cameras. I think they tested stuff like sprays, plastic wraps and lenses (something like a fresnel lens) that are applied over the plate. None of them worked.


I saw that episode (actually I've seen them all!) and nothing they tried worked even a little to abscure the plate.

Everyone knows this is a money making racket, plain and simple. Safety may be a byproduct but that's not the root of their implementation.


Even the safety aspect is a big questions. Studies have not shown evidence of the cameras creating an appreciably "safer" intersection in the aggregate.

http://www.motorists.org/issues/enforce/index.html


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:38 pm 
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Richard Casto wrote:
BriceJohnson wrote:
Anybody know if that photoblocker spray works? I'm considering buying some, just to protect myself from being wrongfully accused again (I do NOT run red lights, I just want to protect myself from this rogue redlight camera company).


Mythbusters did a segment on attempts to defeat photos taken by speed/red light cameras. I think they tested stuff like sprays, plastic wraps and lenses (something like a fresnel lens) that are applied over the plate. None of them worked.


As an added plus, obscuring your plate is illegal, regardless of how it is done. Ofcourse it is next to impossible to tell if you have a secret spray on your plate so they don't bother trying to do anything about it.

And that was a great episode of Mythbusters. I was dissapointed in the speed of the Lambo though. I thought for sure that it would be much faster than that. On a side note, did anybody see the Top Gear episode on photo radar. They started with a Civic Type R and worked their way up to something like an Aston and were eventually able to go fast enough that the camera never even saw them cross the beam. But they were doing well in excess of 170 mph!!!! I'll post the link to the video when I can find it again.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:54 pm 
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I wish they had really tried to defeat the camera.
I believe repainting the plate with flat colors and using a tinted, highly polished cover might work.

Or the auto dark material used in welders masks. I was working on a tractor and the flasher on the roof would trip the lense from fifty feet away.

They could have at least blown up the camera

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:08 pm 
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ChuckNelson wrote:
I wish they had really tried to defeat the camera.
I believe repainting the plate with flat colors and using a tinted, highly polished cover might work.


I'm sure there was some insurance crap involved. :roll: They had to put harnesses in the Neon just to make the 100 MPH run. I really wanted to see if they were properly mounted though.

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