come on copper and dance!

[coward!]

law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives."

... and pay for their cool new machine guns and flak vests to use when busting pot smokers.

Tax collectors don't like it when we figure out how to avoid their traps to shake us down.

"Tax collectors don't like it when we figure out how to avoid their traps to shake us down."

Hmmm...I thought you and your little friends LIKED taxes, Danni. Oh, I guess you like them for OTHER folks...probably a graduate of the Tim Geithner School of Tax Cheats.

Lanier said the cameras have decreased traffic deaths.

If she is being truthful then I would say she has a point. I know several people who live in the DC area......they all tell me the roads are a friggin deathtrap.

Sounds like Danni is on an anti-police rant today. Perhaps she has something to get off her chest.

Tax collectors don't like it when we figure out how to avoid their traps to shake us down.

#3 | Posted by danni

Yeah, kinda like moving manufacturing facilities overseas...

Much as I'd like to seed drunk drivers taken off the roads, I can't see any moral obligation to pass through a sobriety checkpoint.

This raises some interesting questions for me. What does it mean that police will "pick up their game" against people who successfully skirt these checkpoints?

Does it mean they will set up roadblocks on every avenue of egress from a city or a neighborhood? Does that mean persons driving on roads with no roadblocks will be pulled over for not driving on a road with a roadblock?

Chicago Tribune had a big story in the Sunday edition stating that Suburb communities are placing camera enforcements on the on-ramp stop signs and raking in lots of dough. They go on to say that these types of intersections account for only a very small percentage og accidents.

The story concluded that the rolling stops, which is what the cameras record are not particularly dangerous, but can produce a shit load of money.

Many municipalities simply turn to fees and fines for revenue cause they do not have the balls to go to the voters and justify tax increases.

These "silent tax increases" allow cowardly polls to suck $ from the citizens without increasing saftey on the high way. They are pretty much the modern hi tech version of "speed traps" which were in vogue in previous years, when small towns routinely set up gotcha speed traps to fleece the big city drivers who pass through the one horse towns.

If the camera placement is in intersections which pose real saftey concerns, they seem justified.
If not, they are transparently just a new take on high way robbery.

Anybody wanna trade a Blackberry curve for an I-phone?

This raises some interesting questions for me. What does it mean that police will "pick up their game" against people who successfully skirt these checkpoints?
.....#8 | Posted by Zed

.....it will be like living in Baghdad or Beirut...

"Yeah, kinda like moving manufacturing facilities overseas...

#6 | Posted by wisgod"

I'm sure paying a decent wage to workers had nothing to do with that. If only there were no taxes, all of our manufacturing would come back.

... and pay for their cool new machine guns and flak vests to use when busting pot smokers.

And upside down flag flyers.

I guess it's OK to use high tec to catch us but it isn't OK for us to use high tec to avoid them. Go figure.

Seems to me that Idiot Girl needs to get a grip. She's supposed to be in the business of enforcing the law, not creating revenue-producing traps.

About enforcement cameras: I keep wondering when all the victims in a given jurisdiction are going to get together and start howling for the jobs of those who did this to them. A few fat-ass officials bounced out of cushy gummint positions for victimizing citizens would send a fairly unmistakable message.

"Get dem hi-tech Duke Boys!" "Goo! Goo!"

#14

I wonder that as well Mary. The problem is the pantywaist sissies who have been brainwashed to think this kind of extortion saves lives. Everyone goes along with seat belt laws and left turn arrows without a peep and eventually the government takes us all for rolling piggy banks. People need to be doing more to throw off the oppressive shackles of the police state.

By the way, this statement seems like nothing less than a threat to citizens that are merely using a legal method to plan their commute. Is that how we protect and serve in this country Chief Lanier???

Also, cops are hiding behind traffic cameras and speed traps to bust people and she has the stones to call the citizens cowards??? If I lived in DC this chick would have a couple hundred calls to her office by now.

A few fat-ass officials bounced out of cushy gummint positions for victimizing citizens would send a fairly unmistakable message.

That the law doesn't matter? Most speed/traffic traps are set either because somebody complains about the morons on the road or there's a sufficiently large enough group on morons on the road to become easily identified.

I thought righties were all about users pay. In this case, it's mis-users pay. Either way, it saves honestand not stupid taxpayers money.

sobriety checkpoints? speeders? PHOOEY.

from now on we're looking for anyone (in a car or not) with white that famous earplug cord! we WILL confiscate ALL iPhones! it's now become an ongoing public emergency!

better yet, it's now the War on iPhones'.

iPhone users are not cowards. Pussies, yes, but not cowards.

Most speed/traffic traps are set either because somebody complains about the morons on the road or there's a sufficiently large enough group on morons on the road to become easily identified.

#17 | Posted by northguy3

WRONG. Most speed traps are set to generate revenue. Last one I got caught in was in nowhere WY with no one around. But hay, I got $10 taken off my speeding ticket (38 mph) because I was wearing my seat belt so it only cost me $98

i'm so proud of my DR friends, i feel safer now!

so please, when you see me acquit me. heck, i know that you will. :-)

Hey, if these stupid coppers can't keep up, fuck 'em.

THE_NEITHER:
Also, cops are hiding behind traffic cameras and speed traps to bust people and she has the stones to call the citizens cowards??? If I lived in DC this chick would have a couple hundred calls to her office by now.

YEAH! i like this guy!

---
thanks rcade, i needed this today (sad as TFA is). manic monday bled all into tuesday.

I got on I-95 on a Sunday morning no more than a month ago. I wasn't speeding and had no problem but there were, at least, fifteen highway patrol cars all pulling over drivers. I am not exaggerating the number of them either. That was just a posse harrassitatas out to earn revenue for the state or county or both. Tax collectors and as states, counties and cities lose revenue they are going to try and make it up where they can.

Automated ticket cameras DO NOT increase safety. The offender doesn't get the ticket for several days. The person speeding isn't slowed down at all. Someone running the red light doesn't get stopped and told of their mistake. Revenue is the ONLY reason to have automated fine generating devices.

"It's designed to circumvent law enforcement -- law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives."

AKA Revenue...

Our state legislature outlawed these cameras. None in the state.

They do have checkpoints but people call into our local radio station, (not all on i-phones but probably a few,) that then broadcasts the locations for all to hear. Works great.

I love technology. It has given us as people so much power.

It is only a matter of time before our government starts to "regulate" the networks we have created.

"Our state legislature outlawed these cameras. None in the state."

What state do you live in??

Fuck you, Cathy Lanier. Go die in a fire.

I got a red light cam tkt not too long ago. The camera was place on a light around a 90 deg turn so you did not see the light till you were on it and to top it off it was timed to go yellow at just the time a driver coming off the previous light would see it. At 45 there was no way you could stop in time.

Oh and the light for the cross traffic was still red when I was well past it.

Yup making the world safer.

Then there was the road in Alabama that went from 55 to 35 in a quarter mile. Friend of mine got a 110 buck ticket less than a quater mile past it. Yeah that wasn't a speed trap.

Oh and kicking out the pols who do this, we tried that there were something like 100k letters written and most of the pols who did it are gone now but the cameras are still here.

Play the game. Get the Radar detector with GPS and redlight sensors. Get the Flash plate and film. What about the leds that send out false signals on the plate for lasers. The stealth bra!

LOL!

DANNI: "Our state legislature outlawed these cameras. None in the state."

What state do you live in??

#33 | Posted by ichiro at 2009-07-14 08:19 PM

Texans are surrounded by Louisianans, Arkansans, Okies, a corner of Colorado, New Mexicans, Mexicans and the Gulf of Mexico.

HAHAHAHAHA!. Eat it pigs.

A friend of mine told me about when she got a ticket from a cop who had been hiding in a church parking lot. She fought the ticket in court and won because, she said, the police car was on private property. Anybody heard anything like this?

Why would anyone actually live in DC? Leave it for the ghetto dwellers.

Washington D.C at one time, had the finest Police Department in the United States. Now thanks to the Liberal assholes in America and people like Sonia Sotomayor, They consist of felons and borderline retards and as such they are a disgrace to the district and the Country.

#14 | Posted by MaryTylerWhore

Washington D.C at one time, had the finest Police Department in the United States

When was that, and was Marion Barry mayor at the time?

#29 | Posted by danni

Montana

Not true, Texas has plenty of cameras and more coming. That article reference you gave was back in 2007. This is now.

"Traffic Camera Lobbyists Score Big Win in Texas Legislature
Bonanza for traffic camera companies as Texas legislature expands use of automated ticketing machines.

Sens. Kirk Watson and John Carona. The companies that operate traffic enforcement cameras scored total victory in the Texas legislature late Saturday as key lawmakers not only ditched a plan to sunset the use of red light cameras and lengthen yellow warning times at intersections, but they also approved a number of brand new opportunities for automated ticketing firms.
Senator John Carona (R-Dallas) championed the cause of the automated ticketing companies by using a Senate-supported gasoline tax increase provision as leverage to convince tax-averse House members to drop their ban on red light cameras and the provision requiring longer yellow times. Carona had threatened to give local jurisdictions the authority to increase the fuel tax at a local level to boost government spending, as long as the increase was approved by referendum. The House had introduced the longer yellow provision as a safety measure in response to a Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) study that documented a 40 percent decrease in collisions after testing the benefits of increasing the yellow (view study), but photo enforcement companies and local jurisdictions opposed the provision because it would have reduced ticket revenue.
"

This raises some interesting questions for me. What does it mean that police will "pick up their game" against people who successfully skirt these checkpoints?
.....#8 | Posted by Zed

.....it will be like living in Baghdad or Beirut...

#10 | Posted by skizziks

More like London, England.

Not true, Texas has plenty of cameras and more coming. That article reference you gave was back in 2007. This is now.
#43 | Posted by memyselfini

I think Zat was referring to speed trap cameras, which are indeed illegal. However, those freakin' red light cameras have popped up at almost every major intersection in Houston over the past 2 years.

Ironically, when the light quits producing revenue (when people wise up and quit running the yellow/red light) they pull the camera saying it's done it's job to reduce accidents. More likely it's become too expensive to administer and gets pulled for funding reasons. I can only hope they all get pulled eventually.

Besides, I don't like the fact that Jack Bauer can track me with them...

I'm not to hot on the speed cameras on the freeway,even though they're much more pleasant to drive on now,but here in the valley of the sun we've been #1 on red light accidents.I don't mind dying,but I surely don't want to be crippled up.

so I like the intersection lights

Lights= cameras

in my venacular

hey MICELF, did you read the link you posted?
FTA: "Update: The legislature adjourned without passing this bill. The entire issue will be reconsidered next session."

then, if the leg is finally successful, i imagine even in TX the gov must sign it.

and for the record: i ain't from texas and glad of it.

but i could be wrong... and, actually, i don't really care. :-P

So,
Traffic cameras are there so that people won't run red lights or other violations?

People are warned to "behave" by their iPhones and don't commit violations?

Seems like it is working properly to me. People are driving like the "signs say" to drive.

Oh wait. Missing revenue...I *knew* there had to be a reason a police officer would be upset that people were obeying the law....

Oh wait...just noticed .. D.C. chief of police...that explains a lot...magic world

Though this issue hasn't gone to court, if it did, the state would lose. There was a case a few years ago that the police brought against someone flashing their headlights warning of a speed trap up ahead. The state maintained that it was interference in police work. The courts, however, said it was an exercise of free speech. They noted that if someone verbally told someone else of a speed trap there would be no issue, either.

Seems to be the same deal here.

"Lanier said the technology is a "cowardly tactic" and "people who overly rely on those and break the law anyway are going to get caught" in one way or another."

Head bear gettin' his panties in a twist over iPhone tactics? 10-roger there, Good Buddy. Just have to go back on bear watch old style. Back on the chain gang again.

10-10

Its not like cops play by the rules and allow themselves to be cited for traffic violations or arrested for minor crimes. They have a deal with one another that they look the other way where another cop is involved.

Yet a citizen is a "coward" for trying to avoid the same kind of trouble?

Stupid hypocrites.

That was long before the crackhead Barry.

I'm in DC right now using my iPhone to get around. I'm not driving but I did see DC Police give chase to a man tonight and it ended with an exchange of gunfire and the man is dead. Happened right in front of my eyes. The guy definitely deserved it after hitting one cop and then hitting another motorcycle cop.