Extra tax this week

BB_TX · Aug 13, 2004

I have to take issue with all the complaints about the red light cameras. It sounds as though it should be OK to run a red light without having to worry about being caught by a camera. If you run red lights, you should be caught, whether by camera or officer hiding behind a nearby sign. If you don't run red lights, then you have nothing to worry about. Same with speeding. Speeding and red light running does cause accidents. Accidents hurt people physically and financially.
I admit to driving a little over the limit fairly often. If I get a ticket, it is my fault, not the officers. He is just doing his job. If you run a red light, you are breaking the law. If you drive over the limit, you are breaking the law. If you get a ticket, no one to blame but yourself. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Sorry. Now off my soapbox. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Gatorboy · Aug 13, 2004

I have to take issue with all the complaints about the red light cameras. It sounds as though it should be OK to run a red light without having to worry about being caught by a camera. 

I don't think anyone thinks it's OK to run red lights. The cameras are a cash cow for a city/county. Many towns are now shortening the yellow just to "catch" more violations. Now, what you see is people SLAMMING on their brakes when the light turns yellow, which now is causing more rear-end accidents.

I guess soon, the entire police department will run everything from a PC with thousands of cameras.

BIG BROTHER is watching!

Bird · Aug 13, 2004

( Pick on the guys making a living and let the people racing home to sit on the couch go as fast as they want. )

Now Richard, you know better than than. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I've heard it's kinda like going fishing; you can never catch all the fish in the lake. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I think I can guarantee you that when you have several vehicles speeding, the officer is going to try to get the fastest ones, but may not succeed in every case. And while I've been out of law enforcement quite awhile, I'm pretty sure the officers still try to get the most dangerous ones first. Which one would you rather have hit you and your rig; a little sedan or a 5 or 10 ton truck? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

And besides, police officers have one thing in common with doctors (and other professions); they're human. We haven't been able to recruit any elsewhere yet. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Some are better than others, and all make mistakes at one time or another. And of course with police officers, any violator caught will always think the officer should have caught someone else or should have been enforcing some other law. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

BB_TX · Aug 13, 2004

Many towns are now shortening the yellow just to "catch" more violations. 
I suspect this is more urban legend than fact. Have not seen any documented proof that this is true.

 SLAMMING on their brakes when the light turns yellow, which now is causing more rear-end accidents 
And this is because of them speeding and tailgateing trying to also get thru the light while it is still yellow. I drive this kind of traffic every day and see it at every light.

Gatorboy · Aug 13, 2004

And this is because of them speeding and tailgateing trying to also get thru the light while it is still yellow. 

I have to respectfully disagree on this statement. A yellow light is just a notice that the light will be turning red -- perfectly legal to drive through a yellow. If someone is 50' from an intersection and the light turns yellow, most people will continue through. If someone decides to slam on the brakes (from fear of a ticket), even if you are a reasonable distance behind, you may find yourself sitting in their backseat. I know that a Honda Civic will stop alot faster than my Chevy K3500 Crew Cab.

Durbob · Aug 13, 2004

( In most of the states you have to be 5-10 tons before the law applies. I see it all the time where a big truck or pickup/trailer is pulled over but people are going 80 and 90 down the highway and not a word. Go figure. Pick on the guys making a living and let the people racing home to sit on the couch go as fast as they want. )

 
Exactly right Cowboydoc! Construction speed limits of 55 are supposed to be for all traffic, but 4 wheelers blow through there much faster, but let a big truck go through that fast and instant ticket. Also, aren't dot cops supposed to moniter cars and trucks? I've never yet seen a car pulled over going by a dot cop with a headlight out, but let a big truck go by with a light out and he's pulled over. When i first started driving a truck i would argue with other drivers on the cb who cried they were getting picked on by the bears...but not anymore! It is obvious there is a discrimination against truckers. By the way...what do you call a state highway patrolman with no teeth? ...........a gummy bear.

Inspector507 · Aug 13, 2004

Re: Extra tax this week *DELETED*

Post deleted by Inspector507

Gatorboy · Aug 13, 2004

No matter how hard I slam on my brakes, you need to stop without hitting me, that's the law. 

I know the person who hits someone from behind is at fault -- why is it so hard to understand the meaning of my posts? I'm explaining why there are more rear-end collisions with the use of red-light cameras.

For the record, I've driven now for over 26 years and I have never had an accident.

BIGUN · Aug 13, 2004

( And of course with police officers, any violator caught will always think the officer should have caught someone else or should have been enforcing some other law. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif )

Man that’s exactly what I thought when I got caught speeding down I-35 through Glen Heights, south of Dallas, last year. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif As you know, hardly anyone speeds on I-35. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Bird · Aug 13, 2004

( I have to respectfully disagree on this statement )

And I'd have to disagree with you and agree with BB TX. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I, too, have seen plenty of it.

Gatorboy · Aug 13, 2004

I, too, have seen plenty of it. 

I've never seen so many people locking up the tires to stop at a traffic light at the first sign of yellow either since certain intersections installed cameras. That just doesn't seem right.

Junkman · Aug 13, 2004

( ....................-- why is it so hard to understand the meaning of my posts? .................... )

How does it feel .................?? Now you and everyone else will know why I have stopped posting for a while....... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

RobertN · Aug 13, 2004

Highway-50 in Folsom...

Ya, we were headed to the SF airport a few weeks ago, down I80. I'm doing 75, at flow of middle lane traffic. A pickup hauling a horse trialer with horse FLEW past me! He was going slow a number of miles later; assume he got pulled over...

I heard from some trucking folks that they are targeting trailers now.

For I80, folks fly through there. I think they just pull over the ones that appear to pose the biggest danger, not necessarily all the speeders.

RobertN · Aug 13, 2004

Naw, out here it is 55mph with a trailer, loaded or empty.

cowboydoc · Aug 13, 2004

It was Gatorboy or someone that said one time just say what you have to say and move on. It's not very productive to keep pounding your point of view across to someone. Just because someone agrees or disagrees with you doesn't mean much. There are plenty of threads just state your position and leave it at that. Just because someone doesn't agree with you or says they don't believe you're right is no reason to take your ball and go home. We all have our opinions and experiences. Heck if I got offended over everytime someone disagreed with my opinions and said I was full of it I guess I'd be "taking a break" every month too. I think the same goes for about everyone that takes an active part in posting here.

GerardC · Aug 13, 2004

( Looks to me like it's over a month late if payment was due on 7-9-04. 

It's due on 7 September 2004
Americans are backwards from the rest of the world. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

Gotcha. Thanks /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. G

BillyP · Aug 13, 2004

This whole yellow light deal reminds me of the movie Starman.

Remember when the lady asked him about what the colors meant at the stop light? That's the way most people react to a yellow light.

I may be wrong on this but it wouldn't be the first time nor the last. When driving up to a traffic light and it's yellow, you are suppose to stop. If you are already upon the intersection, when the light turns yellow and can't stop without extreme braking, proceed.

Bird, what say you?

SPIKER · Aug 13, 2004

drove past a NICE NEW 5th wheel trailer just about 2 hrs ago, rolled up and smashed into a nice round shape, didn't SEE what had been TOWING it, but it had come across both lanes (per the skid marks, and hit the gaurd rail over it went...) appearantly ROLLING down the embankment, the tow trucks had IT hooked up and no sign of the tow vehical, unless it was still down the hill or behind the camper!?.

I did see to staties, comming other way, they wipped around like they were comming after me, yet I awsn't speedin. (65 on the nose) watched as the came a flying, only to do a 2nd U-Turn and fly off the other way!? no one was speeding that way either!? go figure they were doing acceleration tests the NEW 2004 crown vic vs the 2003 crown vic!? lol /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

(Don't ya HATE it when you decide to run the yellow and the guy in front of you decides to stop!? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif (George Carlin i belive!) )

speaking of running red lights, (I posted this about 3~4 months back I think) i was @ bank and put in the check, was setting at the red light day dreaming a bit, looked up to see it green, shoved in the clutch, put truck in gear and slowly started out. no hurry had open coffee cup in the drink holder, started to turn left, (turning onto two lanes one that side is a RIGHT HAND turning lane for the next road where I was going to go and then the left lane which is aTHROUGH LANE) as I was getting through under the light getting ready to turn left I caught something screeming at me in the corner of my eye, thinking it was some jerk pulling around me to the rights that had been behind me I jerked the wheel to the left into the "On Comming Lleft Turn Lane" lucky for me what I caught in my perfiral vision was a fully loaded 18 wheeler blowing through the red light at about 50 MPH! it/he nearly flattened me! (I didn't even realize it untill I got home it was even closer than I THOUGHT as I now have a TWEEKED Brush Gaurd with a WHITE rub mark on the right hand front corner!!!!) I did manage to pull it back to some what center using the tractor and my come-a-long. tell ya what I nearly wet my pants and it wasn't form the coffee in the drink carrier either! I know 50% or more of the people pulling out of that spot goes straight into the right hand turn lane to get the next road, something I've done myself Just lucky for me that day I wasn't in a hurry or I probably wouldn't be typing right now /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

anyhow had to edit that in since we were talking aobut running red lights... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Mark M

Inspector507 · Aug 13, 2004

Gatorboy,
I DID mis-read your post........sorry, so I deleted that one. I didn't have time to type out a reply at the time.
I mis-read it......and posted before reading it again to see what you were actully saying.

Phred · Aug 13, 2004

I know that's the law but,....

If the light is very fast and the camera(s) get a picture of you in the intersection and the light having changed to red, I think it would be very hard to get out of a ticket they send you. Even if your right.
Your counting on the city's ethics and competence.

Fred