Local VA cop with trunk mounted tag reader cameras.
Posted on 08/12/2010 7:41:02 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
When Martin O’Malley became Maryland’s governor in 2007, one of his first moves was to double the number of cameras used to spy on cars. The cameras, stationed at toll booths and parking garages and mounted on police cars, scan license plate numbers and instantly match them with a database for tracking stolen cars.
The sort of “Big Brother” criticism one might expect of a program like this never materialized in a substantial way. There’s a good reason for that: The rate of vehicle theft in Maryland has plummeted to its lowest level since the state began collecting data in 1975. Last week, O’Malley pledged to add 100 more license-plate cameras to Maryland’s arsenal.
A very different story is unfolding in neighboring Pennsylvania. When Governor Ed Rendell recently proposed using the tag readers to crack down on a separate problem — uninsured and unregistered drivers — the plan sparked waves of protest. A key difference is that Rendell has been playing up the idea of using the cameras to raise revenue from fining drivers. Rendell says Pennsylvania stands to pocket $115 million a year.
So you support the IRS enforcement of Obama's healthcare?
I see nothing wrong with the government fining the living crap out of people who do not maintain proper HEALTH INSURANCE or insurance on their lives either. If I have to pay for these things, so should others. There ought to be a law requiring this. Oh wait a minute...UH nevermind... I think I made my point.
Vehicle registration is simply a wheel tax and nothing more. Most states don't even care if your address is valid as long as you pay. Just ask any illegal alien driving on tags with a bogus address. For a responsible person purchasing liability insurance is common sense. For the not so responsible persons? Writing more laws won't matter taking their license usually won't matter either. Holding them financially responsible the rest of their lives for damages would work. More intrusive laws into law abiding persons lives however will not.
Local VA cop with trunk mounted tag reader cameras.
No you didn't. No one is forced to drive a car.
And secondly, do you think it is a good idea to let people drive around a large piece of metal, the incorrect operation of which tends to result in death or major property damage, without having some way to pay for it?
Maryland tends to be very anal about enforcing auto insurance laws. Much more than Penna., and as I've lived in both states, and have seen how much less car insurance in metro DC costs than in metro Philadelphia, I will continue to prefer the heavy-handed approach taken to insurance scofflaws as long as they choose to drive without following the rules.
Again, no one is forced to drive. If you do not like paying for auto insurance, maintaining a current registration and inspection/emissions requirements on a car, then driving should not be a chosen activity for you. It is reasonable to expect that if someone crashes a car into you, that he should have some way to pay for the damage caused.
It sure sounds like you and other people here have bought into 0bama's ridiculous and inane comparison of health insurance to auto insurance. Surely you all know better than that.
Unless you live in a city or town? Yes most must drive a car. Horses on the road {require no license} are too dangerous. So are bicycles for that matter where I live. But still some insist on endangering theirs and other lives and they don't have a drivers license nor insurance for wrecks they cause now do they? You'll find them riding on two lanes {no wide shoulder} rated for 45 MPH and above speed limits.
And secondly, do you think it is a good idea to let people drive around a large piece of metal, the incorrect operation of which tends to result in death or major property damage, without having some way to pay for it?
Where did I say that? What did I say? I said they should be held accountable financially for the rest of their lives for any damages they cause. Vehicle Registration is not proof of ones abilities to operate a vehicle in any shape or form. :>} Any adult with drivers license or not can own a vehicle in all 50 states I think. Registration is simply a tax. One of many taxes actually government has for use of the road. Let's see there's tire taxes, gasoline taxes, mileage taxes on commercial vehicles, toll roads, state inspection stickers, city or county wheel tax stickers, and that's just starting.
To cover my own losses in event of a MVA I have liability and uninsured motorist as well as additional full coverage on one vehicle. Should my insurer have the right to collect what they pay out for me from an uninsured motorist at fault? Yes by all means. Better them than me as courts and lawyers make me sick anyway. They make me about as sick as insurance companies who push most of our Nanny State Big Brother Laws to start with.
BS. TOTAL BS.
A scan to OCR (which is how they can run a database on the info) can be run on any damn database they want and the criteria for the query can be any damn thing they select.
"match them with a database for tracking stolen cars. "
Yea right. Once they ID the owner of the plates they can search databases for anything, voter registration, firearms licenses, hunting licenses, credit cards, ANYTHING.
The abuse is just waiting to happen.
.
” it was just a matter of time before the politicians would figure out they could issue tickets to expired tags...”
They have had units using this in Port Arthur, Texas over a year now..... old news.
They need these in Az as soon as 1071 is restored, then things get accelerated!
I have no problem with the cops using them to scan tag and automatically check to see if the car is stolen, that’s actually a great use.<<<
UGGGGGGGGG!..Ill stop now..maintain 1000 feet....OVER!
If i were a clever car thief, I might do something like switch the stolen car’s plate(s) with those on a car sitting in some long term parking lot.
It’s a good thing no un-clever car thieves read FR, as I sometimes have to park in long-term parking, and you might have just given one of them an idea.
I’ve been told long ago that it’s always wise to verify periodically (like every time you return to your vehicle) that the plates on your car or truck are indeed yours. If they are ever not, notify police as soon as possible. (However don’t make the mistake of getting in somebody else’s car by mistake because it looks similar, was parked nearby, and was left unlocked.)
Or your key just happens to work.
Happened to me once. Saw "my" car (correct make, model and color), unlocked it, got in -- and noticed something about the interior was different. Checked the plate: it was somebody else's car.
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