Red Light Cameras could be trouble for Bicyclists

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

C'mon, who among us wouldn't frame a ticket for going 40 mph through an
intersection on a bike?

I don't know about the intersection part, but I once deliberately tried
to get a speeding ticket by passing 2 cops in a patrol car on a downhill
stretch where I was a good 10 mph over the (clearly posted) limit. They
completely ignored me.

On Feb 2, 9:52*am, Peter Cole wrote:


I don't know about the intersection part, but I once deliberately tried
to get a speeding ticket by passing 2 cops in a patrol car on a downhill
stretch where I was a good 10 mph over the (clearly posted) limit. They
completely ignored me.

Gosh, you're lucky they didn't shoot you dead on the spot! ;-)

Segue to another local cop story: One friend of mine, on his 6:30 AM
bike commute, came flying downhill in the village center 25 mph zone.
Local cop running radar turned on the flashing lights, took off after
him, pulled him over, and said:

"You were doing 35 mph down that hill! I just thought you might like
to know. Have a good ride."

- Frank Krygowski

The real problem is the unconstitutional use of cameras for traffic
enforcement.

Tad McClellan wrote:
cite please.

* Still Just Me * wrote:
I have the right to face my accuser and question him. How exactly am I
supposed to question an accuser named "Kodak" ?

Good question, pointedly on the Illinois Tollway.
Pay toll in cash, no receipt, camera says you ran the toll
gate. Now what? Attorney says he can't defend for what the
$68 fine costs.

You are not alone on red light cameras:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20...047/1002/RSS01

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 01-Feb-10 16:10, Rick a bien réfléchi et puis a déclaré...:
from the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette letters to the editor:

There might be a big problem for bicycle riders in Cedar Rapids with
the red light/radar cameras now being installed. As a bicycle wheel
rotates on a bike that is moving forward at 20 mph:

A. The part of the wheel touching the ground is moving forward at 0
mph.
B. The center of the wheel and the bike itself with rider is moving
foward at 20 mph.
C. But, the spokes at the top of the weheel are moving forward at 40
mph.

This is just simple mathematics for a rotating wheel.

If the red light/radar detects the spokes at the top of the wheel
instead of the bike itself, I will get at ticket for travelign 40 mph
wihile I'm only traveling 20 mph.

I see a potential problem for bicycle riders in Cedar Rapids.

author name snipped

Trust me - if I could get a ticket for 40mph, I would pay the fine and
frame the ticket to confirm bragging rights.
--
Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR
--
C'est le contraire du vélo, la bicyclette.
Une silhouette profilée mauve fluo dévale
à soixante-dix à l'heure : c'est du vélo.
Deux lycéennes côte à côte traversent
un pont à Bruges : c'est de la bicyclette.
-Delerm, P.

Per Frank Krygowski:
Segue to another local cop story: One friend of mine, on his 6:30 AM
bike commute, came flying downhill in the village center 25 mph zone.
Local cop running radar turned on the flashing lights, took off after
him, pulled him over, and said:

"You were doing 35 mph down that hill! I just thought you might like
to know. Have a good ride."

Guy in my barracks at Hickam had a 35mph speeding ticket issued
by the base cops to him on his 10-speed (flat ground) framed on
his wall.
--
PeteCresswell

* Still Just Me * wrote:
On Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:08:13 -0600, Tad McClellan
wrote:

The real problem is the unconstitutional use of cameras for traffic
enforcement.


cite please.

I have the right to face my accuser and question him.
supposed to question an accuser named "Kodak" ?


That is not a citation.

This is a citation:

Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

...to be confronted with the witnesses against him


--
Tad McClellan
email: perl -le "print scalar reverse qq/moc.liamg\100cm.j.dat/"

Rick wrote:
from the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette letters to the editor:

There might be a big problem for bicycle riders in Cedar Rapids with
the red light/radar cameras now being installed. As a bicycle wheel
rotates on a bike that is moving forward at 20 mph:

I am not worried about the speed argument, or lack of sense in this
letter. I do live in this town and they will be active in 30 days with
one camera on my daily route. I do wonder how many times they will see
me go through one of these lights and how long it takes for an officer
to see me and try and get my info. I believe the speed limit is 30 in
this particular area, so not really worried about that.
I do normally stop at this intersection, I just roll through if there is
no traffic.

Rick wrote:
from the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette letters to the editor:
There might be a big problem for bicycle riders in Cedar Rapids with
the red light/radar cameras now being installed. As a bicycle wheel
rotates on a bike that is moving forward at 20 mph:

futrino wrote:
I am not worried about the speed argument, or lack of sense in this
letter. I do live in this town and they will be active in 30 days with
one camera on my daily route. I do wonder how many times they will see
me go through one of these lights and how long it takes for an officer
to see me and try and get my info. I believe the speed limit is 30 in
this particular area, so not really worried about that.
I do normally stop at this intersection, I just roll through if there is
no traffic.

Uh, you _plan_ to violate the stop light where you know
there's a camera?

What was the question again?

You will more likely than not fall "below the radar" as you
do not have a license plate. No plate, no robot ticket.
Newspapers are full of reports of cameras issuing tickets to
drivers who _do_ stop but whose plates are visible.

[I'm sure some will advise you to disregard the light but I
am not engaging that discussion here.]

The speed thing is either a red herring or a troll.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Feb 3, 10:30*pm, AMuzi wrote:

The speed thing is either a red herring or a troll.

One or more of these statements must be true:

1. I knew a man who at Cambridge was arrested for being drunk in
charge of a bicycle. It didn't ruin his life.

2. I was ticketed for doing 43mph in front of a hospital. Cars which
passed me on the hill in plain view of the policeman with the lasergun
were not ticketed.

3. When shooting through a red light at any speed, a cyclist is
entitled to take the lane. Indeed, the only offense he could commit
under these circumstances is riding close enough to the sidewalk to
hit crossing pedestrians.

Andre Jute
Boss troll