Red-light camera fines to begin Sept. 1 (Houston)

Houston Comical ^ | 8/8/06 | Alexis Grant

[Sam Cree]

First Texans let their cops arrest you for the crime of having a drink in a hotel bar, now this. What is it with that place?

[Vaquero]

[jrestrepo]

From a city that has them, I have seen them randomly snap snapshots. I was sitting at an intersection and the cameras malfunctioned and took photos of everyone legally going through the intersection.

Also, don't forget, you loose the right to face your accuser...

[jrestrepo]

Charlotte, NC did something like that. What they found is that the intersections with the cameras (minority) were set to a short period of yellow than the others (majority). So logic dictated that they started changing all of them to the short time period as they were serviced...logic at work...

[weegee]

And what happens to all of those Metro buses that are violators? Does the city pick up the cost of those tickets since the owner and not the driver is cited?

[weegee]

Except that (A) such cameras are known to ticket people making a legal right turn on red and (B) sometimes cameras identify the wrong vehicle (I know someone who received numerous tickets for someone else's vehicle which looked nothing like his car).

[ErnBatavia]

How does the red light camera setup work in Arizona, where you have no front license plates?

Here in Cali, I know the picture has to be of "driver recognizable quality", or the agency won't even mail you the ticket knowing they'd lose, since you don't ticket the car, you cite the driver....with only rear plates, what's the drill??

[weegee]

I guess they just want the money for downtown projects, not the cameras themselves.

[weegee]

This is a fine, it isn't a ticket. They are trying to skate by on technicalities.

[humblegunner]

In related news, paintball gun sales show an unexpected rise...

[weegee]

That's okay. Wait until the ATMs are armed and permitted to shoot those they "think" are violators trying to rob the bank.

[dljordan]

"They'd make more money with a red light district camera."

You'd catch to many politicians and judges.

[weegee]

Socialist thieving. Lots and lots and lots of public spending.

[Orange1998]

How about the off duty police officer in his personal car breaking laws all day long. Will he be held accountable.

[small voice in the wilderness]

You mean the Metro buses that burn $$$$$$ driving 2 people around? Time to pony up, Houston. Government doesn't like to be uncomfortably lean in its tax revenue/social services account.

[Hydroshock]

Please add me to the Houston Ping list, thanks.

[weegee]

There are fools who think that Metrorail down Richmond is going to get cars off the road (besides those Metrorail hits).

Well it WILL take Metro buses off of Richmond.

Why don't they put red light cameras on Main Street where the rail is and people are at risk for running red lights.

And in the interest of disclosure, I am affected by several of these lights and will do what I can to avoid any glitches in their latest tax scheme. Chief among those being avoiding those intersections altogether.

[weegee]

Well there was an officer (10 years on the force) who was recently cited for DWI, speeding, and caught with cocaine in his possession.

Odd thing about the mayor's daughter's DWI arrest is that she is 17. I thought that the media always withheld the names of minors charged with a crime. I guess it all depends on who you are, not the crime you are charged with.

[Fenris6]

As long as the camera works properly, fine by me. Sic 'em. Folks don't have a right to break traffic laws with impunity.

I used to believe that. Problem is the city will deliberately shorten the yellow light to gain more revenue. That causes more accidents and injuries. But hey, whats a few dead citizens when weighed against more money for the city.

[DaiHuy]

There are two cameras, one is across the intersection from you, it takes a photo of your face if you are traveling in that direction or your plate if you are moving away from it the other is behind you it take s a photo of your license plate, or your face if you are on the other side of the intersection.