Big Brother: Photo Enforcement - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

03/24/2008 06:58:23 PM · #1

I'd heard about it, but this is the first time I got nailed by it.

The video (couldn't download it) clearly showed that I did not come to a complete stop. The odd thing is that I remember seeing the "Photo Enforcement" sign just as I headed into that intersection and for some reason I didn't think much of it.

The way they get you to just pay up is by classifying it as an infraction - like a parking ticket - so your insurance company need not know about it - so it's just easier to pay it and not argue it. It must be a goldmine for these cities.

My brother told me about one he got in San Fran awhile back. He hit one of those fast-yellow light situations and tried to stop quickly but ended up in the middle of the intersection when the photo was snapped. He was going to try to deny that he was driving, but one of the images clearly showed his face plastered against the windshield from slamming on the brakes. I asked him if I could buy a print. :)

On one hand, I do appreciate the benefits of having cameras capturing everything anyone does in public, but it takes the exhiliration out of actually being pulled over by a cop. Plus- does anyone watch that "Terminator: Sara Conner" series? Isn't this how we let the machines get too much control??

I once was traveling on a motorcycle from San Diego to the Bay Area and got off the freeway around Bakersfield or some middle of nowhere place and there was a stop sign at the bottom of the exit. As I aproached it, I saw a cop right across the intersection looking right at me. I came to a complete stop and then made a left turn and the cop came right after me and pulled me over. He said I did not make a complete stop. I argued that I did make a complete stop and I was staring right at him when I did it. He claimed that I did not put my foot down. I told him I can easily come to a complete stop without putting my foot down. He still gave me a ticket and it was way to far to drive to go to court a month later, so I paid.

Some other interesting observations about this photo enforcement deal:
- Note the right-click is disabled on the photo.
- When I paid online with a credit card, it asked me if I wanted it to "remember" all the info for future use - DOH!

Message edited by author 2008-03-24 19:00:06.

KarenNfld

03/24/2008 07:03:04 PM · #2

I wish they'd install some of those around here....drivers here run red lights as if it were a sport!

pawdrix

Nikon D700

03/24/2008 07:08:52 PM · #3

I'd give that photo a 3, at best.

It's overexposed and I can hardly see the subjects face...I wish there were a little more light on the right eye but I know the light was coming from the opposite direction. The car on the near bottom right is also a major distraction as are the two empty coffees in your cup holder and the empty chip bags on your passenger seat.

Maybe you can penalize them back for the crumby photo work...?

Message edited by author 2008-03-24 19:09:26.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/24/2008 07:31:56 PM · #4

Maybe we need to change your username to Art Rollingstop?

~Terry

David Ey

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D

03/24/2008 07:42:22 PM · #5

How do you explain all the cross traffic? Looks like if you hadn't applied the brake hard you would have crashed.

Message edited by author 2008-03-24 19:42:52.

03/24/2008 07:50:00 PM · #6

Originally posted by David Ey:

How do you explain all the cross traffic? Looks like if you hadn't applied the brake hard you would have crashed.

I was making a right turn. When you are coming to an intersection to make a right turn and you see that there is a green arrow for the cross traffic turning left - it's a clear shot - who the heck stops??

03/24/2008 07:51:00 PM · #7

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

Maybe we need to change your username to Art Rollingstop?

Would I be eligible for Native American benefits?

trevytrev

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

03/24/2008 07:55:03 PM · #8

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:
Maybe we need to change your username to Art Rollingstop?

Would I be eligible for Native American benefits?

Sure, we'll be over to take away everything you own and relocate you to a place of our choosing:)

03/24/2008 07:57:00 PM · #9

Originally posted by trevytrev:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:
Maybe we need to change your username to Art Rollingstop?

Would I be eligible for Native American benefits?

Sure, we'll be over to take away everything you own and relocate you to a place of our choosing:)

Can I at least have a casino?

ShutterPug

Canon EOS-6D

03/24/2008 08:00:24 PM · #10

hmmm, it appears the speed limit was either 30 or 35 mph, and you only slowed to 12 mph making your turn. Not only did you not intend to stop, you barley intended on slowing down. :p

trevytrev

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

03/24/2008 08:01:00 PM · #11

We'll throw in some Hard Rock Cafe's too!

03/24/2008 08:08:13 PM · #12

And whale hunting?

Strikeslip

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/24/2008 08:11:14 PM · #13

Oh man, that's an expensive photo. ;-)

Back in the mid nineties, if memory serves, the Toronto area had photo-radar. They'd park non-descript vans in random places along the highways and the photo-radar machine would automatically snap a picture of your license plate if you were going over some speed.

Everybody kept on speeding, but slammed on the brakes like mofos whenever they saw something along the side of the highway. The program didn't last very long. Maybe too many accidents were caused by it. I was in several near-misses because of it.

There are a couple of big video camera boxes up on poles on the street where my office is, in Toronto. I'm in the "Entertainment District", where people like to go to nightclubs for a good time, and finish off the evening by shooting each other. The cameras are new, so hopefully I won't be seeing so many chalk body outlines on my way into my office in the mornings anymore.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/24/2008 08:17:26 PM · #14

Ever since I started driving at 15, I wanted to design some sort of James Bond license plate changing device. When I got this thing in the mail, I spent an hour or so trying to come up with the perfect gizmo for obscuring my license plate. I know they sell stuff for that, but Mythbusters tested and busted all those products. I think I have come up with a pretty good solution and just need to finish drafting up the plans for it. Does anyone know if you can patent an invention for eluding law enforcement?

Ken

Canon EOS-7D

03/24/2008 08:34:51 PM · #15

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by David Ey:
How do you explain all the cross traffic? Looks like if you hadn't applied the brake hard you would have crashed.

I was making a right turn. When you are coming to an intersection to make a right turn and you see that there is a green arrow for the cross traffic turning left - it's a clear shot - who the heck stops??

YOU - the next time you get to that intersection. Unless you're going to make a triptych or even a poster of such images. Either that or that light gets torched.

ShutterPug

Canon EOS-6D

03/24/2008 08:42:17 PM · #16

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Art >>>>>>>>

Strikeslip

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/24/2008 08:48:21 PM · #17

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Hah! People around here have stuff rigged up to avoid charges on the 407ETR (Express Toll Route). License plates are photographed at entrances and exits to the highway and invoices are automatically sent out. I have transponder. There was a radio spot where people were calling in to talk about their gizmos, like a line which ran back to their license plate so they could flip it up and down. There was also talk of some special plate covers that blocked the cameras, but I thinik they were debunked. :-D

Message edited by author 2008-03-24 20:49:50.

03/24/2008 09:52:30 PM · #18

Originally posted by Strikeslip:

There was a radio spot where people were calling in to talk about their gizmos, like a line which ran back to their license plate so they could flip it up and down. There was also talk of some special plate covers that blocked the cameras, but I thinik they were debunked. :-D

I thought hard about the license plate cover, but it was too risky and complicated so I decided on a different two-pronged approach. First, I use one of those strobe lights that emergency vehicles have to make the lights turn green. If that fails, a high powered laser detects and knocks out the camera itself before it has a chance to capture the plate. Regrettably during my preliminary testing, the laser system fried a tourist on the sidewalk with a camcorder. But great advances are not made without sacrifices.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

03/24/2008 09:53:41 PM · #19

Originally posted by ShutterPug:

Art >>>>>>>>

Art does not wear a tie. ...the rest is pretty accurate.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

03/26/2008 08:05:46 PM · #20

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by trevytrev:

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:
Maybe we need to change your username to Art Rollingstop?

Would I be eligible for Native American benefits?

Sure, we'll be over to take away everything you own and relocate you to a place of our choosing:)

Can I at least have a casino?

Don't bet on it.

~Terry

Matthew

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye MC In M42 Mount

03/26/2008 08:24:45 PM · #21

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

Does anyone know if you can patent an invention for eluding law enforcement?

Sometimes if you make the warning that the product should not be used for evading the law big enough it is its own advertising. Like these guys selling spray on mud:

"Sprayonmud is NOT to be used to obscure number-plates or the lights on your vehicle," the company said.

"This, of course, is illegal and while it is not an endorsable offence, if your number plates cannot be read at a reasonable distance, or photographed by a speed camera, you could face a hefty fine."

What's that - "not an endorsable offence" (unlike speeding) - what a shame that it is "NOT" to be used to obscure number plates...

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

03/26/2008 09:09:47 PM · #22

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

I'm sure radar detectors have patented parts, so why not?

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

03/26/2008 09:17:19 PM · #23

I'm confused why so many people think it's a good idea to evade a law which actually exists to protect the general public, not some special interest group. Speeding and running red lights are not socially-responsible activities, and I have no problem with people who do it -- especially routinely and deliberately -- getting busted but good.

I don't have a problem with civil disobedience to an unjust law, but this just seems like an expression of extreme egoism and selfishness ... :-(

Now, I have NO problem with fighting the ticket when they've rigged it so it's not possible to get through the intersection in time legally, but that's not what most of the posts here have seemed like.

BeeCee

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

03/26/2008 09:34:22 PM · #24

There's an intersection near my home where it's nearly impossible for a pedestrian to cross the 6 lanes before the light turns red, so many use that few seconds of clear road during the advance-turn light to get to the median, using the green to get the rest of the way. They have to break the law and risk life and limb either way they do it.

I've seen several near-accidents from folks running the red to right-turn, and usually they've been avoided by the pedestrians' quick actions, not the drivers'.

Art, did you at least make sure it was clear around the corner? :)

We had photo radar here several years ago but it was banned, I believe on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.

eta; I'm wrong, tho' it went to Supreme Court it wasn't banned, but it WAS done away with in BC

Message edited by author 2008-03-26 21:39:02.

trevytrev