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rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
I got one in the mail today. :mad: :eek:

Fine was only $50. I've heard of others having to pay hundreds of dollars.
 

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-aggie-

macrumors P6
Jun 19, 2009
16,793
51
Where bunnies are welcome.
My wife got one. They're BS. She was in the intersection trying to turn left on a green, and here in this area, people run lights, so she was never able to turn left until it turned red. Was she supposed to backup??

From what I hear, there's a way to spray your license plate, so these cameras won't work.
 

quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,905
2,325
My wife got one. They're BS. She was in the intersection trying to turn left on a green, and here in this area, people run lights, so she was never able to turn left until it turned red. Was she supposed to backup??

From what I hear, there's a way to spray your license plate, so these cameras won't work.

They are not BS if they are set right. Some(ok maybe most) towns may set them too sensitive or shorten the yellow, but if set right I support red light cameras.

Mythbusters tried all that stuff. Didn't work. Only way to beat these cameras is to go above 170 MPH to beat it according to Top Gear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-qv4gYAE8
 

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
Let's be real. These are revenue generating devices. The politicians who have these installed couldn't care less about "safety". I live on Long Island, the summons came from Arizona and the payment is remitted to Ohio. You can pay online but a $4 processing fee will be added.

And while I ran the red, I and many others do it because the wait at that light is 7 minutes.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Devil's avocate here ...

Yes, I received my Welcome to Raleigh ticket within the first two days of my arrival to the great state of NC. I was so happy to hear the fine was $50.00 and it would not hit my record. In CA they're hundreds of dollars and they do hit your record.

That said, this isn't twitter. :p :D :p But really, I agree with you that they're a way to generate income and even though you have to wait 7 minutes the proximity of that cyclist to your car is fairly disturbing. Next time stop on red and call me. I will entertain you and before you know it the 7 minutes will be over and you'll thank yourself (and me) later.
 

.Andy

macrumors 68030
Jul 18, 2004
2,965
1,306
The Mergui Archipelago
My wife got one. They're BS. She was in the intersection trying to turn left on a green, and here in this area, people run lights, so she was never able to turn left until it turned red. Was she supposed to backup??
The ones we have in aus take two pictures. The first is triggered if you cross the line after the red. The second triggers a very short time later to see if you continued through the intersection. They wouldn't pick you up in the scenario you convey.
 

-aggie-

macrumors P6
Jun 19, 2009
16,793
51
Where bunnies are welcome.
The ones we have in aus take two pictures. The first is triggered if you cross the line after the red. The second triggers a very short time later to see if you continued through the intersection. They wouldn't pick you up in the scenario you convey.

I wasn't there, but my wife doesn't break laws (that would be me, if anyone), so if she said she was past the line in the green and then had to turn left after the red, that's what happened. She got two pics, but you couldn't tell what the light was. My other problem with this is that you really can't go to court and fight it, since you get the ticked weeks after the fact. Anyway, she now knows what to do if she's ever in Fairfax, VA, and can't turn left in time.
 

Xfujinon

macrumors 6502
Jul 27, 2007
304
0
Iowa City, Iowa
Yup, got one here in Chicago.

I was stopped at a red light waiting to make a right-on-red. Apparently, the camera knows more about traffic laws than I do, because right-on-red was perfectly legal in that intersection at the time.

Tried to fight it, they rejected it on the basis of "I wasn't stopped long enough to be considered at a complete stop before making the right turn". Meaning, in English, that the 3.4 seconds or whatever of being motionless (a complete stop) was insufficient to indicate I stopped and yielded for purposes of making a legal right-on-red turn at that intersection.

I attempted to ascertain exactly how many seconds of "a complete stop" were needed, but it got me nowhere.

150 bucks. I don't hold a grudge or anything, but adding these cameras just to make a buck seems tacky. Why is this our biggest civic problem? Shouldn't we be rounding up the drug dealers and rapists and all that kinda stuff?
 

dmr727

macrumors G4
Dec 29, 2007
10,420
5,158
NYC
Meaning, in English, that the 3.4 seconds or whatever of being motionless (a complete stop) was insufficient to indicate I stopped and yielded for purposes of making a legal right-on-red turn at that intersection.

Wow - under that interpretation everyone here would get busted. We even have a name for it - the 'California Stop'. As long as I'm going slow enough to use first gear to accelerate after the turn is made, I'm good to go! ;)
 

techfreak85

macrumors 68040
Jan 13, 2008
3,092
1
Places
As long as I'm going slow enough to use first gear to accelerate after the turn is made, I'm good to go! ;)
Haha! Thank you! I've been telling that to my friends! They all laugh at me....until I say, "it's a Civic" (you can't go more than like 10 mph MAX before hitting 5000rpms).:p
 

steve2112

macrumors 68040
Feb 20, 2009
3,023
6
East of Lyra, Northwest of Pegasus
In a rare moment of intelligence, my state legislature banned red-light cameras. They are revenue producers, and really aren't very good at that after the companies that run them get their cut. Depending on which studies you believe, they don't really help prevent accidents, and may increase them as people slam on brakes to avoid getting caught on camera.
 

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
Devil's avocate here ...

Yes, I received my Welcome to Raleigh ticket within the first two days of my arrival to the great state of NC. I was so happy to hear the fine was $50.00 and it would not hit my record. In CA they're hundreds of dollars and they do hit your record.

Well that's horse****. I assume they tie the car to the drivers license based on the registration? So what if someone is borrowing your car and they run a red light, you get the black mark on your record and the subsequent insurance increase?
 

steve2112

macrumors 68040
Feb 20, 2009
3,023
6
East of Lyra, Northwest of Pegasus
Well that's horse****. I assume they tie the car to the drivers license based on the registration? So what if someone is borrowing your car and they run a red light, you get the black mark on your record and the subsequent insurance increase?

That's one of the main reasons they got banned here. That, and not being able to "face your accuser". In a lot of cases, if you take a ticket to court and the cop doesn't show up, you get cleared. Lots of folks started using that against the cameras.
 

renewed

macrumors 68040
Mar 24, 2009
3,068
7
Bemalte Blumen duften nicht.
In a rare moment of intelligence, my state legislature banned red-light cameras. They are revenue producers, and really aren't very good at that after the companies that run them get their cut. Depending on which studies you believe, they don't really help prevent accidents, and may increase them as people slam on brakes to avoid getting caught on camera.

Wish they'd do that here. We have them everywhere here. Revenue is all it's good for IMO.
 

miles01110

macrumors Core
Jul 24, 2006
19,260
36
The Ivory Tower (I'm not coming down)
They're all over the place in Switzerland. In addition to red light cameras they have speed cameras basically everywhere. I got one for going 50 km/h in a 30 km/h zone (200 francs...oops) and another for going 72 km/h in a 70 km/h zone (F you, Switzerland).
 

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Jul 17, 2005
19,131
4,110
5045 feet above sea level
We have 2 intersections here for red light camereas. Always nervous that they will flash on me when i go on a yellow

we also have alot of speed camereas that will also send you a ticket for well speeding
 

lewis82

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2009
1,708
12
Totalitarian Republic of Northlandia
They're all over the place in Switzerland. In addition to red light cameras they have speed cameras basically everywhere. I got one for going 50 km/h in a 30 km/h zone (200 francs...oops) and another for going 72 km/h in a 70 km/h zone (F you, Switzerland).

I understand giving a ticket for 20 km/h but not for 2...:confused:

I tought the police had a 10 km/h rule...
 
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