Photo stopper

[frosty]

I'm sure most of you have heard of this stuff. Our town and surrounding towns have gone overboard on invading our privacy by installing cameras at traffic lights and even varoius places to detect your speed. I'm sure it is for safety ,but my son has gotten two citations for turning right at a red light. Its the principle of the thing. Anyway what ya think about the photstopper, photblocker, spray ?

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

We have them in our city as well, but the only way to get a photo taken going right on red is if we don't stop and look first. It too is a safety thing. Not judging, just letting you know how it works.

[Daniel Meyer]

The spray doesn't work. Mythbusters tested it, and even though they are not the most scientific, it didn't do anything at all. May as well use windex.

Also, since their pocket money was at stake, many states made attempting to obscure the plate against a mechanical reader a FELONY. Sheesh.

The answer to these things is to bitch...loud and long, and get the law changed against these money-grubbing cities and companies. Here, they've been caught with timing errors, speed errors, right-turn on red citations, cutting down the yellow timing etc...it's not about safety, it's about money.

Corruption abounds in EVERY US company that installs and operates these things, and it spreads to the cities they cater to.

Texas has a moratorium against new installations now...but the legislator wrote a big exemption into it and allowed "current" contracts to stay...so of course, the cities decried the loss of revenue and renewed many multi-year contracts before the law changed.

Bastages.

[frosty]

You being from Knoxville know exactly where my son got his. Right turn onto broadway off 640. I am referring to Morristown  as the Greedy Bast ards. Which my ex-wife is a cop there also. so bast ards and bitc hes. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

You being from Knoxville know exactly where my son got his. Right turn onto broadway off 640. I am referring to Morristown  as the Greedy Bast ards. Which my ex-wife is a cop there also. so bast ards and bitc hes. 

I know the spot. 

[Jess from VA]

I did some homework on the blocker sprays a couple years ago.  Like Dan said, they often do not work, but sometimes they do work.  It is a combination of factors including how far away and high the camera is, and how much flash light they emit.  I gave my (car, not bike) plates about 20 thin coats each, and then mounted them under a clear plastic plate protectors to prevent anyone from close inspection.  When done, I went out and took my own pics with flash, and the plates showed up fine from any angle.  However, from up on a pole at some distance it may work.  I do not go intentionally running reds, but where I live there are places where traffic is lined up through multiple lights, and when they change it is very easy to get caught in the intersection in bumper to bumper traffic and get your picture taken.  

The SOB contractors that run these scams get a piece of the pie, and shorten up the yellows to increase revenue and this increases accidents.  Cameras are ALL about money, and nothing about safety.  It would be great sport taking these cameras down at distance with a good 7.62 or 30.06, but noise and an assured exit route are problematic.  Better to use an industrial cutoff wheel and just drop the whole pole in the street.  One can only dream.  

Note that there are also clear license plate covers available that will distort camera pics, but the distortion is very noticable as you (or a cop) walks around the side of the vehicle and view them from an angle, so I would stay away from those.

[Tundra]

You can get your bowels in an uproar over battles you have no control and can't win. Or just be a law abiding citizen. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

There's always these options.

http://www.davesdaily.com/pictures/908-mischievous-aussies.htm

http://boingboing.net/2008/10/27/german-traffic-cops.html

[Jess from VA]

You can get your bowels in an uproar over battles you have no control and can't win. Or just be a law abiding citizen. 

I agree entirely.  I have never had a camera ticket, but my wife got two.  As I cover all the (increasing) insurance costs, this project was for her benefit, not mine (except if I save some insurance premiums).

Of course, if the G wants to use technology against me, I see no reason not to try to take advantage of countermeasures.

[Daniel Meyer]

You can get your bowels in an uproar over battles you have no control and can't win. Or just be a law abiding citizen. 

That won't help you when they are cheating...and the objective is to collect as much money as possible....

[Cruzen]

There is an easy way to beat these tickets.  Since the photo must agree with the gender register to the vehicle, at least that is how it is in most states, register your wife's vehicle in your name and yours in hers.  That way it will show a male driving a females vehicle and vice versa and they won't even send out the ticket.  If your wearing a helmet with a face shield they will not send out the ticket.......

End of story.