Hey Gang,

Heads Up, please read ALL of this link to a story on the front page of todays Daily Herald http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=25598 and still some of you wonder why I don't trust "the Man".

Whatever happen to the good old days, when they drove BIG black and white cars with red and blue lights?

Guess it's time to update my radar system. I'd rather pay for that, then pay "the Man" more money.

The most telling part of the story, and something new to me, is that PRIVATE companies are installing and MAKING CASH off the cam's. Wonder how many campaigns they fund?

Mark my words, they will have cams in our HOMES within 20 years to make sure you are not breaking any laws there too.

 

Hmmm....I guess you only do the right thing when someone is watching?

 

Uber Blu, you are missing the key issue. They will NEVER stop! One cam here, another there, and soon they will have a cam in YOUR bathroom.

Is this still America?

 

Statement: "Hmmm....I guess you only do the right thing when someone is watching?"
Comment: "That's funny."

 

Government, by its nature, seeks to control, and municpalities here in the U.S. covet the surveillance state created in the U.K. In the U.S., as it is around the world, policing in all its permutations is an industry, and a growth industry at that, employing the language of militarism in a country enamored with militarism--"War on <this>", "War on <that>"--and creating zero-sum programs by which they can extract more budgetary concessions, such as D.A.R.E. Surely a "War on Drivers" moniker is in the works.

The law enforcement industry exists to transfer revenue from U.S. taxpayers to companies involved in the industry. As we have seen with the defense industry for years, now we are seeing police in leadership roles retiring and joining law enforcement lobbying firms or companies that provide products or services for law enforcement.

There will always be apologists for the security state stating that law abiding citizens need never fear the ever-encroaching capability of law enforcement. (Apologists in ruling sects say this in countries rule harsh totalitarian governments all over the world.) Apparently, this group represents at least 50% of the U.S. population. Worse than that, the American people have been voting for this nonsense across both parties for decades.

When police don costumes to catch people speeding revenue for the municipality is obviously the goal. As with any industry, law enforcement is simply seeking new markets. Consider that fighting crime in general can be a difficult business with the tracking of suspects, interviewing witnesses, etc., but traffic enforcement offers an easier, high-yield, high-ROI area for growth.

 

The cops here have been doing this for a good while now, they even act like the phone Co. or Cable TV and take pics from up in bucket trucks. Now while I agree that its sneaky as anything, as someone who used to BE one of these workers, it is a bit disconcerting if someone blows right by you doing waaay too fast about 20' away, if someone was to fall or you blow a tire at just the wrong time, it's gonna end very very bad; just a thought

 

They're not doing it because they love and want to protect phone and cable company workers.

 

Given the blatant disregard for red lights that too many drivers show (and given the bad accidents it directly causes), I have no problem with red light cameras. I do object to the obsession with speed enforcement that many jurisdictions have, at least on the highways that were designed for smooth and fast traffic flows.

 

Is someone PARANOID?!?! Next thing you know and they will put a tracking system in your car! Wait! they already have! OMG, America, the land of the watched and the home of the complaining!

Welcome to the REAL world and try to live in MD, DC, VA area

 

Thats NOT what Im saying at all, and I totally agree with most of your previous post, Heck I think the DUI checkpoints are illegal; i/e I havent done anything, I'm following the rules of the road, and all of a sudden we are stopped and asked to PROVE that I am who I say I am, proof of Insurance and proof of ownership, I mean if this was Communist Russia I would expect to have to stop and "show me your papers!!" from some "official of the State" but not here and yet we have them in every state, sad I tell ya very sad. BUT you SHOULd slow down in construction zones and the like, because those people are just doing their job (to actually make your driving experience better........eventually lol) and should'nt have to die to do it. I agree the cops disguising themselves is wrong, if they really wanted to be a deterrent, they would have bright neon orange cars and uniforms so all could see them, thus causing all to slow and being a real deterrent. This is all about making money, and trying to impose their will on us. I'll try and find the local article here about a cop who got fired because he wasn't writing "enough" tickets and should look for more violations when there wasn't any, he was called on the carpet by the Police Chief and Mayor, but had his lapel mic on and it all got recorded and then released to the local paper; and then they had the gall to try and deny it lol,was very funny .This was in a little town near here called "Hollywood".

 

Me either, actually. They should have been here all along. I have had two cars destroyed by people running red lights. It is the perpetuation a law enforcement industry that will seek more and more control and revenue that bothers me. The cameras are not going to be confined to traffic lights.

 

Agreed - a high percentage of the enforcement efforts are geared only towards revenue raising and not safety.

 

Like the old saying goes, "follow the money".

I'm not endorsing speed in work zones. Do wish more work was done at night.

Paranoid? Maybe, more sad to see our rights being taken away a little each day for "my safety". I think the 5th posting hit the nail on the head.

I'm very pleased to see that there are still some Americans that care, see whats going on and I trust VOTE! We may not be able to stop them, but we can keep the hope alive.

Think and Speak to Save Our Freedom.

 

Benjamin Franklin said it best:

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

 

Showed DH this thread. He says that they are doing this in Newport News, VA. to catch speeders. He says he saw it on our local news also. Geez, where have I been? Of course we always have so many road projects and such going on all the time that I just drive right on by without giving it much thought. Now I'll be a rubber necker checking out where the cops are hiding out. At least they don't give tickets for the rubber necking thing.

 

It strikes me that the solution would be the ability to detect the presence of police by whatever means possible.
-Police cars/officers don't emit unusual RF unless they're transmitting.
-Are there detectable materials specific to police (ball-gags, riding crops, etc.)?

 

Wow...it sounds like you harbor some deep-rooted resentment for law enforcement--have you considered therapy?

 

 

I work for law enforcement and I can tell you, it isnt about revenue, our agency doesnt get a dime of money collected for fines; That all goes to the school system which is a separate fiscal entity. It is truly about trying to keep the drunks and reckless folks from killing you or your family.

 

I love it when there's an unpopular (or even controversial) revenue source, and the legislators try to make it sound better by saying "the money's going to the public schools".

That doesn't necessarily mean the the schools will be getting any more money than they did before - it just means that some of their funding will now come from the new revenue source, rather than from the state's "general fund". There's nothing to keep the state from reducing the general fund contribution by an amount equal to the revenue from the new source.

It's like telling your boss "Hey, we've found a way to reduce operating costs by $100,000 annually", and having your boss reply "That's great - that means we can cut your budget by $100,000 next year!"

If you *really* want to see where the money from the new revenue source is going, find things that are being paid for from the general fund that weren't before the new revenue source came online.

 

1) They've been doing this in the area for SEVERAL YEARS (dressing as construction, the lawn chair is a much older tactic than that). Having watched people pass a MARKED squad car moving at highway speeds, I doubt it really matters wht they're driving 90% of the time. I enjoy spotting the cars on the shoulder 1/2 mile away and watching someone speed by me slam on their brakes 10ft in front of the squad when its already way too late.(call it karma for the cutting off and weaving and tailgating when the left lane is wide open)

2) Much of this has degenorated to political disscusion, to which I will not respond.

3) Chicago did drop the ball on the redlight cams, inregrdsto placementabout as bad as the UK was with speedcams. However, the tchnology serves as yet another reason to OBEY THE LAW; which if it keeps my MINI from getting T-boned I'd rather you wait your turn at the light.

4) Tickets written by officers for revenue is mythical in 99% ofthe municipalities out there. The town must pay Officer training, equipment, hourly salary of the officer being out there (and benfits like ins), all the support staff their train their equipment, fuel costs, prosecuting attorney, clerks to enter the tickets, jugdes,overtime for the officers to be in court. Many towns even lose money and often times money will go to county, state or federal level and the town still incurs all thecosts of staffing traing,etc.

5) Speed is the leading factor in fatal accidents. Speeding increases your chance of being in an accident. Which results in longer commute times more money expended by the government to clear the road and settle the insurance disputes and transportation of the injured and any criminal processing. Clean up the mess after a serious injury or fatal accident and you'll quickly realize speed enforcement is there for a valid reason. And both overt and covert enforcement is just more reaon to behave in the first place.

 

My Friend Motor On, the issue is my rights being taken away inch by inch.

I don't care if my tickets helps fund police dept, it should, I don't like the fact that a private company is getting up to 40% of a ticket, that no one did anything to earn. Yes, they invested in the cam and stuff, but cops give tickets, not cams.

Again, look at the UK, we are not far behind and cams will be EVERYWHERE, even our HOMES.

 

I'm not convinced that speed is a major accident cause. It seems that on our local interstates when traffic is moving at the speed limit, or above (yes that means speeding, duh) very few accidents occur. It's when traffic is being slowed by various reasons and everyone's changing lanes to avoid the slower lanes then we have major accidents.

There are plenty of times when a slow down needs to be heeded. Examples being heavy rain, snow, fog, and other weather related situations. Also during interstate constructions areas, which is a constant for our area.

Drivers not keeping their attention on actually driving is another big reason for deadly accidents. Stop talking on your cell phones, eating your lunch, reading the paper, typing on your laptop, putting on make up, shaving, turning to the rear seat to attend to you child strapped in a car seat, etc., etc., etc. Driving is taking everyones life around you in your hands. Do it and do it safely.

I know I'm going to be slammed for the above statement, but so be it. I feel much safer on our highways when traffic is moving at a steady pace. Lets also face the fact that our cars are all made to be driver at higher speeds than 55mph.

So getting back to the thread at hand. I think our police departments need to be able to actually give tickets for drivers slowing the traffic patterns down. Yes, whip out that ticket book and hit them with reckless driving, because that's exactly what it is. We need to have police driving around giving tickets to people doing all the above listed problems, which can be classified as reckless driving. I never hear of these type tickets being dished out. Hard to prove? Bull! Look at all the accidents this behavior has caused. Just my 2 cents.

 

This thread title needs to be changed! It should now be "The MAN makes me PARANOID!"

You went from posting about how cops are using different tactics for speeders to I am going to have a camera in my home by the MAN! You are complainig about you are loosing your rights a little bit at a time, so do something about it and stop complaining.

BTW, camera's are pretty much everywhere now, including space, so you better go get yourself one of those Armadillo hats. I found this for you

 

It's about revenue for the municipality in control of your agency, which decides how that money is distributed. We all (should) know that law enforcement agencies are not pocketing the money themselves.