The Great Rebellion
I’m not a big fan of govermental surveillance. While I’m all for it concerning government locations, but when it comes to the streets of Knoxville, what can I say, I don’t like to be watched and implicated without due process.
The installations of red light cameras in Knoxville gets me all up in a bunch. Read this post to see why. I don’t like the idea of a camera being the judge, jury and executioner here. And, given how we’re all so very busy, most will just send in their $50 or whatever and be done with it. Regardless if the camera may be wrong, regardless if it is right to take humans away from the equation of traffic law enforcement.
Me? I got a plan. A plan that has been in my mind for weeks and weeks now, ever since I first heard of the camera installations.
Imagine: A drive-thru fund raiser which charges you $5 and for that charge you get a spray of Photoblocker on your license plate.
Sounds interesting, right? For a good cause and it saves you from future (possibly erroneous) tickets?
The problem is cost. It is $30 for one can, and one can only covers four applications, per the website. Now while I think that’s downright absurd (how long do you have to spray the damn plate anyway?), even if we stretched that to 15 applications—say, one side of the license plate or one a single letter on it—you’re still not making headway.
And how much is too much? Would $5 a car be too much? And what charity would it go to? I don’t know and I’m not sure. Again, this is all hypothetical. But part of me rages against the dying of the light and that includes a completely lawful way to protect citizens of Knoxville from getting tagged from goofy red light cameras.
My wife thinks this idea would get me arrested, but apparently not so. Famous last words, eh?
As far as I know nothing like this has been attempted, but I’m sure someone somewhere had to get this idea. I’m just curious if its actually, you know, doable.
Read more about Photoblocker here.
Until tomorrow, I’ll ponder my alternatives. Suggestions, ideas, and reactions are welcome in the comments.
They say time will kill the pain
I say pain is gonna kill my time
9 Comments:
I too hate the dreaded red light camera, and actually like the idea of some type of charity event. The problem as i see it, any charity that takes money raised this way, could run into problems down the road, and while you may not get arrested, cops will be looking at you differently. But I support whatever you end up doing, and I look forward to the stories it will generate for you.
I got caught by one of these cameras once. In fact, about 2 months afterward, the cameras were suspended in my town because they found that the contractor had actually shortened the yellow-light duration to beef up profits. I'm not a fan of them, but. . .
In my case, the camera showed two things. First, I hit the sensor at the zero mark - a half second sooner, I'd have been in the clear. Second, the photo showed me in all my glory - reaching into the back seat to fetch my infant daugther's pacifier as I noodled my way through the intersection. Needless to say, I didn't attempt to argue this one in court. Four years later, the memory of that $290 fine still makes me hit the brakes on a yellow light - I think I'm a safer driver as a result.
I'm not sure what exactly I'm saying, but I think that they're not all bad, if it serves to help people like myself to be less complacent. It certainly has had the desired deterrent effect for me. Not proud of the story, but that's the truth.
Hello Evan, I posted a comment on the site that you linked above, you may want to check it out. I can understand people's views on the cameras, however, I do believe they can serve to improve our situation. I work as a Transportation Engineer, so I see the results of these implementations. Anyways, keep up the good work man!
Me again, I forgot to mention something in my other post... People may try to use some sort of anti-flash measure to avoid tickets. However, what if the cameras are infrared? I did some work for these guys in grad school and their cameras don't rely on flashes. http://www.pipstechnology.com/welcome.asp
Check out some of their pictures, its scary the quality they can get.
Not to be a stick in the mud but would it not be easier to just follow the law and not try to clear the intersection before the light turns red. I mean duh, stop at the fraken red light.
All I gotta say, major props for the use of 'frak'.
I am officially a Battlestar Gallactica Geek.
"Regardless if the camera may be wrong, regardless if it is right to take humans away from the equation of traffic law enforcement.
Like traffic cops are human...
But I digress. I've been driving for 14 years or so now, and I've noticed a recent upswing in the amount of yellow light-runners. Perhaps I've become more traffic concious in my old age, I don't know. But there are a lot of those bastards that cut those yellow lights awfully close. I've even come close to being clipped by people for whom the yellow light is not risky enough and choose to run red lights.
I don't like being hit.
As much as I don't care for the idea of these traffic cameras, maybe getting a $250 ticket is what some of these bastards need.
Living in Houston, I tend to agree with goldenapplecorp. Down here, yellow means faster, and red means much faster. There's no such thing as stop. In fact, even when the green light comes on, and you should be able to proceed, you still find yourself looking both ways for that 'one person' who just has to get through.
I can understand the opinion in this article, but at the same time, something needs to be done in order to protect those of us who are following the law. If not cameras, then what else would be a better idea?
For the record, PIPS Technology (based in Knoxville) has nothing to do with red light cameras as another guy mentioned. PIPS Technology does make infrared cameras that do not rely on visible light to capture and read license plates for law enforcement purposes such as identification of stolen vehicles, amber alerts, wanted felons, etc...but nothing for traffic enforcement like speeding or red lights. The red light company is named Redflex...there's another close competitor called Nestor.
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