Has anyone else been reading this in Edmonton (and soon to be Calgary apparently) publications? Are cops that LAZY? I guess these metal encased photo radar units answers that question. The reason I have tagged the transformers name to these things is because they do turn into something.. big profits. What will they think of next? I do have somewhat mixed emotions on this though. Until people realize that our roads aren't Nascar tracks, the police will continue using speed infractions as a cash cow. But if enough people slowed down then cops could throw more time into solving actual crimes. This unfortunately will never happen.. but when I see someone pulled over in a fucking SCHOOL ZONE not only do they deserve the hefty fine but should be forced to surrender their drivers for a month. Ever been on a transit bus/c-train at 6am? It's hell and well deserved.
"transformers" photo radar
- Thread starter majikcalgary
- Start date
Gee, did Alberta buy BC's old photo radar units?
The Liberal government came into power in BC promising to eliminate these, and they held their promise. They were very unpopular, but they weren't operated by real policemen. They usually parked them at "hot" intersections, as designated by our public car insurer, ICBC. They sat there unattended, and most intelligent drivers knew what they were. So they acted just as much as a deterrent for the locals, as a speed trap for transient drivers. Enjoy them while they are around, as I'm sure the noise coming from voters will eventually reach your politicians' ears.
If they're boxy Chevy vans, then they could have come from here...
The Liberal government came into power in BC promising to eliminate these, and they held their promise. They were very unpopular, but they weren't operated by real policemen. They usually parked them at "hot" intersections, as designated by our public car insurer, ICBC. They sat there unattended, and most intelligent drivers knew what they were. So they acted just as much as a deterrent for the locals, as a speed trap for transient drivers. Enjoy them while they are around, as I'm sure the noise coming from voters will eventually reach your politicians' ears.
If they're boxy Chevy vans, then they could have come from here...
Actually they WERE operated by police - the argument was they weren't out actually doing something more than sitting in a van. They were attended at all times. I still think they are a good idea, they were just used wrong. Why not use technology where it is too dangerous to pull a car over such as The SP causeway, tunnels or bridges? Put up big warning signs on the approach, install the camera mid span and if you get a ticket you are really fucking dumb and totally deserve it. Ever see the speeds some people travel on the Oak St. Bridge or in the tunnel? There is no reason to be over the limit in these locations.Maury Beniowski said:
Sorry to have to dissagree there bud,,,these vans were parked and left UNATTENDED 90% of the time,sometimes for 8 hours out of the day,,they were just a crap shoot money graberCock Throppled said:
I have personaly seen them being dropped off and set up for the day and then left,that and I do know a few rcmp(and yes,they poon too)
I walked by one of the vans, looked inside; not a soul.
Another time, I saw a pickup truck pull over, grab the flash, and toss it in the bushes; still no one around.
Still another time, I saw one being set up, the "uniformless" person locked it up, and left in another very ordinary car.
Cops? Maybe, but...
Another time, I saw a pickup truck pull over, grab the flash, and toss it in the bushes; still no one around.
Still another time, I saw one being set up, the "uniformless" person locked it up, and left in another very ordinary car.
Cops? Maybe, but...
Let's put it another way. They were SUPPOSED to be attended at all times. Not only for the potential for vandalism, but also to make a ticket valid the equipment had to be monitored, seen to be operating correctly and re-calibrated or repaired as necessary. As for looking in and seeing nobody - they all had tinted windows and a few were partitioned from the driver's area.
Speed traps are cash cow and nothing more. If I get a ticket from a live human being right away it changes my driving habits for that day. Getting a ticket in the mail doesn't deter me, only to look out for those speed traps. Besides, most people lack the proper skills to drive on the road. Too many people are hesitant in their abilities to drive. My answer to them is not to drive but people believe they have the right to drive. Driving is a privilege not a right. Red light cameras I don't have a problem with at all. As for street racers and uncourteous drivers, speed traps won't solve that problem.
The thing I hate most about photo radar is that the cops don't actually pull anybody over. An RCMP I knew once told me that traffic stops are some of the most dangerous things for cops to do, and one of the best. Bad guys have to get from point A to Point B too, and some of these bad guys break traffic laws on the way. As examples, Ted Bundy(serial killer in the late 70's, known to have killed 30+ women, claimed to have killed over 100) pulled over for a busted tailight and arrested. Timothy Mcveigh(Oklahoma City bomber) pulled over for an expired licence plate, arrested for having an unregistered handgun and only minutes away from being released when police realized he looked a lot like the pictures from Oklahoma City. There was another I read about awhile back where a couple of New York State troopers pulled a pickup over for a broken tailight, while one trooper was talking to the driver the other notice a hand sticking out from under a tarpaulin in the bed of the pickup. The driver wound up confessing to murdering 8 prostitutes in the New York area.
photo radar is the biggest fucking scam ever
Here's the way I see it....
If Joe Average and Joe Rich Guy both get a number of speeding tickets (let's say 5-6), each in the 15-20 km/over range, they will BOTH acquire enough DEMERIT POINTS to have their license suspended for a period of time.
If Joe Average and Joe Rich Guy both get 4-5 PHOTO RADAR tickets, each in the 15-20 km/over range, Joe Average loses his entire monthly income, while Joe Rich Guy just laughs, pays online with his Visa Platinum card, and keeps speeding.
Bottom line:
Photo radar = speed if you can afford it
Regular radar = everyone treated equally
PHOTO RADAR IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT.
And don't say "well just don't speed" - that's not the point. People speed. I have no problem with getting penalized for speeding - but everyone should be penalized equally, and in a MEANINGFUL WAY - LIKE DEMERIT POINTS.
If cops were REALLY serious about increasing safety via speed enforcement, they would find a legal way to include demerit points with photo radar tickets. Until they do that, it's a fucking cash cow that basically says that you can speed all you want, as fast as you want, so long as you have the bucks to pay for it.
Here's the way I see it....
If Joe Average and Joe Rich Guy both get a number of speeding tickets (let's say 5-6), each in the 15-20 km/over range, they will BOTH acquire enough DEMERIT POINTS to have their license suspended for a period of time.
If Joe Average and Joe Rich Guy both get 4-5 PHOTO RADAR tickets, each in the 15-20 km/over range, Joe Average loses his entire monthly income, while Joe Rich Guy just laughs, pays online with his Visa Platinum card, and keeps speeding.
Bottom line:
Photo radar = speed if you can afford it
Regular radar = everyone treated equally
PHOTO RADAR IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT.
And don't say "well just don't speed" - that's not the point. People speed. I have no problem with getting penalized for speeding - but everyone should be penalized equally, and in a MEANINGFUL WAY - LIKE DEMERIT POINTS.
If cops were REALLY serious about increasing safety via speed enforcement, they would find a legal way to include demerit points with photo radar tickets. Until they do that, it's a fucking cash cow that basically says that you can speed all you want, as fast as you want, so long as you have the bucks to pay for it.
