WTF? Just got "caught" in some sort of automated speed trap

[GL]

OK this is weird. I just went out for a bit and was driving along the road. It's extremely foggy out right now and out of this fog I saw two red LED digits that flashed "50" and started incrementing up to "70". I soon realized the numbers corresponded to my current travelling speed. I expected to see some cop just jump out onto the road. But no! Nothing...nada! I pulled up beside this roadside display and it said something to the effect of it being a "community-enforced speeding project".

Being the curious guy I am, I wanted to see how accurate this thing was. So I did a U-turn and came back towards the sign as fast as I could...weaving a bit...slowing...doing other dumb things (don't worry the road was completely devoid of any vehicles). It was pretty damn accurate despite that it seemed to work for quite a long range and across two unmarked traffic lanes.

Anyways, what's the point of this? On my way back home I saw this kid in a riced up Prelude come to a complete stop, rev his engine and peel away towards the sign so that he could get it over 99km/h (it only has two digits so any speed higher doesn't register).

I'm only slightly scared that there is some sort of camera in there. It's really foggy...it could see my headlights but there's no way it could make a license plate or even a car. And there was no spotlight or flash on this device...it wasn't even sitting underneath a street lamp.

Does anybody in Toronto know what this is? Seems like a stupid program and waste of money to me. Your gut instinct is to see how high you can get the display to go like its some sort of game

-GL

 

[Aenygma]

We have those in the states too.. I went through one as well.. But I never no matter which state I live in ever put a front license plate on my cars.. *looks fugly* so.... they got nada. ( altho.... I wasn't speeding anyway)

 

[Shazam]

It's like a warning; we know your speed, next we're going to ticket you if you don't slow down. I've seen these in Edmonton as well.

 

[TuffGuy]

he have these down here, and it's a radar. i doubt that it has a camera. it's just a warning. cops used to put it by our high school to educate us.

 

[loup garou]

Yeah I saw one here once too. I think somebody stole it though. Gotta love New Orleans!

 

[lepper boy]

I have seen lots of those..... All they use them for here in Oregon, is an attention getter. to help the driver realize how fast they are going... sometimes though, cops will be there right beside them....... they are noramlly put in places where people speed.

 

[yakko]

I've passed one a few times myself.

 

[Hanpan]

They are there for your amusement. The point is to make the numbers go as high as possible

 

[Fuzzmuncher]

LOL, yeah, we used to use them to track how fast we could go!

 

[Passions]

Heh sometimes the sheriff puts em around my house, kinda cool. They are harmless, just for warning purposes.

 

[AkumaX]

hehe, i remember i RAN on foot to see if it could read me.. i think i went 18 or 19mph!

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

Yeah never seen any with cameras in them.Its mostly a psycological thing to get you to slow down.They're great for testing out your radar detectors,you can see what kind of range you get.

 

[TranceNation]

In Arizona (Tempe,Chandler) they have photo radar and you'll get a ticket for speeding. I think AZ is the only place that does this

 

[RISman]

They have them in Scottsdale as well...believe me I know.

 

[Emulex]

they are just warning signs over here.

when i saw one nearby my house i came back and passed it at about 130 and it just read "99"

 

[NFS4]

Yeah, they use them on campus all the time. We pay no attention.

 

[Gorgonzola]

they had one of them in melbourne just at the end of a free way to encourage people to slow down. except if you were going over the limit it would say "slow down" instead of your speed. i think they have them to try and give the impression that you are being watched. but instead it just makes everyone want to "test it out" so to speak.

 

[thelanx]

I saw one on my way to school once. I live in Michigan BTW.

 

[TripleJ]

Today, I passed 2 cops with speed guns and a multinova(speed camera). Geez! I only travelled 20 kilometers.
And remember, Constable Care says: "If you see a multinova, mount the kerb and run it over"

 

[murdock2525]

No0pe...your all wrong ! Ya know they can nail you for going thru a toll booth without paying ? They photo the plate !
Technology is growing boyz....soon you'll go to buy your tag and they'll say " Jan 2 /01 72mph in a 55 mph zone Hyway 101 @ 10 pm.......Mar. 30 '02 60 in a 45 zone on X street @ 7 AM
Your tag fee is $552.45......It's coming,soon., To a street near you ! Aint it great !

 

[AU Tiger]

Here in Charlotte, NC we have cameras at stop lights. One intersection alone had over 5,000 citations last year. $50 fine no points or insurance penalty. They wanted to get cameras for speeding, but the state government wouldn't give them permission.

 

[warcleric]

Murdoc: heh that would be a discount tag rate for me, in my state.

 

[murdock2525]

Yea man....me too...I'm in Florida...

 

[bigbootydaddy]

YEAH they have it here in houston on northbound bltwy8 feeder on the afternoons, and it measures on the old X band...cuz my radar goes crazy...remember that the X band can have quite a bit of distance right? they could KA band you a block up and get cuaght since itll make most radars pick up the X and then not be able to pick up the KA.

careful!

 

[Emulex]

You can buy a prismatic license plate cover, allows a 15 degree angle of view before distorting the image of the license plate..

Perfect for running those camera traps..


I was late for an interview once, and i ran a toll booth express lane because the toll booths were backed up for a mile.

The camera didn't work, i didnt care about the ticket, it never came (over 1 year ago). I just downshifted and floored it, passed the toll booth xpress lane at 140mph