Roll through a red, fork over the green

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/2/9 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

[SmithL]

Like a lot of California drivers, Dave Soss just got a $490 lesson on how the state budget really works.

It all began when Soss, who lives in the East Bay, was ticketed Feb. 1 for rolling through a red light while making a right turn in Emeryville - and was hit with what he called a "mind-blowing" penalty.

For starters, there was the $100 base fine. Most of that goes to Emeryville, and the leftovers go to Alameda County.

Then comes the real hit:

-- A $100 state penalty - $70 of which is divvied up among a dozen programs, including crime-victim restitution, witness protection, a Department of Fish and Game preservation fund and even a fund for victims of traumatic brain injuries. The other $30 goes to the county's general fund.

-- A $70 county penalty that goes for automated fingerprint identification,...

-- A $20 penalty for a state DNA...

-- A $55 fee for more court construction.

-- A $20 assessment for the county's emergency medical system.

-- A $20 court security fee...

-- And a $20 surcharge that goes straight into the state's general fund.

But wait - there's more, including:

-- A brand new, $35 assessment that the Legislature approved last fall to help cover $5 billion in revenue bonds for even more courthouse construction - a program pushed by then-state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

-- A $1 night court fee.

-- And finally, a $49 fee for the privilege of signing up for traffic school...

Add it all up, and our red-light runner - whose infraction was caught on camera - is out $490.

Sticker-shocked Soss pondered community service to help pay it off. But he was told that would make him ineligible for traffic school - a course costing him another $15 online...

[AreaMan]

It’s all about public $afety. Right?

[lafroste]

Time for these cameras to break...

[mkjessup]

Line ‘em up against the wall, and ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’.

[deport]

Money making schemes for the agencies involved. Duncanville, Tx was in the news recently when some were raising questions about their red light camera operation. Seems the last year the city of some 38,000 issued almost 40,000 camera tickets which would bring in thier share close to $3 million from just four camera locations. Seems a most of the tickets were right turn on red where the auto rolled thru the designated stopping point.

They’ll bleed us with taxes or find other means to get their money.

[JimC214]

Will a local LEO be fined for running a light because he is late for his lunch break?

[deport]

Will a local LEO be fined for running a light because he is late for his lunch break?

---

No way. He’ll have his lights and siren on especially if’n the local donut shop has a batch coming out of the fryer...

[RobRoy]

This confuses me. Normally with a traffic light camera, you get two pictures. Both are required to prove you ran the light. One shows you not yet in the intersection, yet the light is red. The second shows you in the intersection, and the light is red. Neither on its own is proof you did anything wrong.

But with a right turn, even both of these together would be no proof any wrongdoing occurred.

How exactly does this work?

[deport]

Not sure exactly how they work. I was in error on the right turn thing as I should have looked up the article instead of going from memory. It seems the ones in Duncanville are failure to stop at the marked white line. From the article I read:

snip
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/020309dnmeduncameras.38f22d7.html
Ford said the majority of violators aren’t ticketed for speeding through a red light or rolling through the light on a right-hand turn. They’re ticketed for failing to stop at the bold white line set back from the crosswalk. He said motorists can’t safely turn without inching past that line to see beyond the stopped cars and other barriers to look for oncoming traffic.

“If an individual stops safely, looks and then turns, then that should not be a violation,” he said, adding that he believes jurors would side with motorists and possibly reduce the number of tickets issued.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

It all began when Soss, who lives in the East Bay, was ticketed Feb. 1 for rolling through a red light while making a right turn in Emeryville

That red light wouldn't have been preceded by a 2 second yellow, would it? As soon as the red-light cameras go up, the yellow light duration gets shortened. Pure money-making racket.

[RobRoy]

So, if you only get still photographs, you don’t know what the driver did. Right? What if someone stops a few feet short of the line, slowly rolls through, stops again as they get a more clear view, and finally goes? I wonder if the camera would reflect that.

Bottom line, of course, is that these cameras need to be, at the very least, victims of paint balls.

[copaliscrossing]

I liked the idea that someone posted a couple of months back. Someone would take a hi-res photo of each of the city councilman’s license plates, get the photo to the exact same size as a license plate, affix the photo over the existing license plate of a car similar to the councilman’s, and start running red lights (head down if it takes your picture).

That will get their attention really quick when it comes time to renew the contract with these traffic camera companies. If you really want to have fun, do it for the judges too.

Oh, and before the “oh perfect driver” pipes up about “just follow the letter of the law and you won’t get ticketed”, this is NOT about safety, it is all about revenue generation. Also, remember the famous words of Rev. Martin Niemoeller in 1937 when he was arrested by the Third Reich:

In Germany, they came first for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews and I did’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Trade Unionist and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time, no one was left to speak up.

[RobRoy]

My bad. From the article:

“In court, they will watch the suspected offense captured from the video cameras.”

So, in that case it is not two photos. It is video.

Again, looks like paint balls may be effective for folks over there.

I don’t see many red light cameras here in the Seattle area. Whenever I do come upon one and the light turns yellow, I always slam on my brakes as hard as I can. Don’t want a temperamental camera snapping you, don’cha know.

[NoLibZone]

But wait - there's more, including: -- A brand new, $35 assessment that the Legislature approved last fall to help cover $5 billion in revenue bonds for even more courthouse construction - a program pushed by then-state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

For 52 years, every year, I hear the state,city and county is going broke.

I am still waiting to see the boarded up windows at their buildings so I may celebrate.

[deport]

I read that thread also. Seems it was being done by students against other students but I can’t remember where it was ocurring... They went so far as to get similar cars for the ones they were faking.

[stormer]

7-11 in progress - handle Code 2!

[copaliscrossing]

They went so far as to get similar cars for the ones they were faking.

That was the best part. It would really work in here in Washington State because it is against the law to photograph or tape the drivers face (privacy laws). In most cases, the councilman or judge would get off scot-free once they proved they were somewhere else at the time but it would create quite a "hassle" for them. This along with some paintball strategies would be some good passive-aggressive fun.