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04/27/2008 09:59:53 PM · #1 |
... Red Light-Runners everwhere, that is.
I have a commute of less than two miles along the same streets to each of my two jobs, so I drive the same route 10-12 times/week, and I have to estimate that I see someone run one of the eight controlled intersections along the way at least 4-6 times/week.
Since someone running the intersection when I have the right-of-way is an attempted potentially-deadly assault upon myself, I have no compunctions against embarassing any I can catch in flagrante delicto.
I'm going to try and post pictures of as many as I can catch during the next month, and anyone who wants to test their powers of observation, their reflexes, and their instinct for self-preservation is welcome to join in.
Perhaps we can submit them to various local governments, law enforcement, and/or news organizations if it looks impressive enough -- I'd be willing to prepare a "press package" in Acrobat format if people are interested ...
I think the only "criterion" is to try and catch the perpetrator in the intersection when your own direction has the green light -- that should constitute prima facie evidence they entered the intersection later than allowed. Personally, I'd give bonus points for an identifiable face or license plate, or non-emergency government vehicle. ;-)
Here are some practice shots I've been taking, and I missed two excellent opportunities a couple of days ago when I didn't have my camera out ... :-(
April 17:  April 26:  April 27: 
As seems typical of these side challenges, anyone interested should post here, and I'll start a new thread for posting later. |
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04/27/2008 10:06:07 PM · #2 |
| You don't have red light cameras? |
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04/27/2008 10:45:07 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by Wildcard:
You don't have red light cameras? |
Not at these intersections ... yet. But since we're a governement "of the people, by the people, and for the people" I figure I can play the role, since I'm not doing anything else at the time besides trying to stay alive. |
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04/27/2008 10:49:00 PM · #4 |
I was almost murdered earlier today, when while trying to turn left (on yellow, yeah, not advisable), not one, not two, not three....but FOUR cars ran through the redlight leaving me stuck in the middle of the intersection. I finally dashed across as a 5th car started and then stopped short of running the same light. I said a few colorful words very loudly! ;)
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04/27/2008 10:53:16 PM · #5 |
| So ... lying in wait with the camera set to Burst mode might be an advisable strategy. In your situation, with oncoming violators (not cross-traffic like mine), you might get a good shot of their faces -- they'd look good on the local 6 O'Clock news ... |
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04/27/2008 11:06:36 PM · #6 |
One of our local news stations have done this a couple of times. They will put their camera equipment and van near a intersection that has been reported to them because people are disobeying the laws of the road, such as running red lights. The funny thing is they will catch [on camera] many people running the red light while staring at the cameras lens. Why? because they what to know what's going on. Little do they know they are the story.
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04/28/2008 07:44:13 PM · #7 |
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04/28/2008 08:10:41 PM · #8 |
Threads like these make me nervous. Everyone wants to be the police. Where are we going with this?
I saw my neighbour take the garbage out 20 minutes before the law allowed him to, should I call the authorities?
I understand the danger that running red lights entails but I also see the danger of everyone becoming a police with a personal agenda on their mind and that is what scares me. |
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04/29/2008 06:56:51 PM · #9 |
Just don't catch the police doing it.
That's illegal.
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04/29/2008 08:40:31 PM · #10 |
| Some intersections around here have a countdown timer on the "Walk" sign that corresponds with the parallel car traffic signal. I use this to let me know when I am approaching a green light from some distance whether I should speed up (within the limit) or not to make the green. Then I wondered why they don' have these for the car traffic as well on every intersection. Without it, I will inevitably speed up towards the green only to have it turn yellow the second I hit the gas. |
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04/29/2008 08:53:26 PM · #11 |
Did you catch me this afternoon? There was a tall semi in front of me, blocking the light. He must have run through the yellow, because when I followed him through, the light was red by the time I saw it. Safest thing to do at that point was actually to hit the gas rather than stop in the middle.
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04/29/2008 11:45:33 PM · #12 |
GeneralE, if you intend to submit these for prosecution, you will need, at a minimum, a picture of the car prior to entering the intersection showing that his/her light is red. Another picture of the car in the intersection, and a third picture to identify the driver.
Anything less and there is no way to prove that a law was broken or who broke it. Also, just because your light is green does not prove that their's was red.
Oh, and most importantly, concentrate on driving, not taking photos from behind the wheel. ;) |
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04/30/2008 12:56:36 AM · #13 |
| actually in most cases, it is someone trying to get past the yellow light before it turns red, the lights wouldnt be green in all four directions, so trinch in all due respect he is catching a red light run, but its just someone rushing threw the last seconds of a yellow light, if you watch stop and go lights youll notice, all lights are red at one point in time, before the green appears for the other side of the intersection. |
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04/30/2008 01:00:55 AM · #14 |
| Jimbo, I agree that is the way it is supposed to work. However, in court, you would have to prove that the light worked as intended. |
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04/30/2008 01:17:23 AM · #15 |
Hey! That looks like your car in all three photos : )
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04/30/2008 01:41:14 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by Trinch:
GeneralE, if you intend to submit these for prosecution ... |
I think that was just some wishful daydreaming ... ;-)
Even without needing the level of evidence you cite it's extremely unlikely that anyone will be identifiable ... I'm more interested in showing how prevalent this extremely selfish and antisocial behavior has become -- do a little consciousness-raising as it were ...
While I do take pictures while driving, all of these are taken while stopped. :-)
Another common driving outrage is improper merging -- this is a screen capture from a video Isaac used this morning to capture this violator bypassing a line of cars in the Exit-Only lane and then cutting through the gore point to jam into the line of traffic, slowing up everyone just-passed ... all to save twenty or thirty car lengths. The lane where one is supposed to exit is visible in the side window ...
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05/03/2008 11:57:03 PM · #17 |
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