Red light camera, a good tool? or profit machine?

[Drazzil]

Sorry, I am going to have to call bullshit on this one. Red light cameras are nothing more then mechanical rapists with a license to take bread off of peoples tables. Objective studies done have shown that they actually INCREASE the amount of rear end colissions in an intersection.

Add to that that those cameras are actually run by corporations who take care of the matience and pictures on these things and these same corporations lobby to have the yellow light (grace period) on signals shortened so that they can rake in the dough.

The final nail in the coffin in the arguement for these things is that cities often charge MUCH more for these tickets then if you had been pulled over by a flesh and blood cop. A ticket for rolling a right on a red light is a hundred and fifty dollars in San Bernardino County, however get caught by a red light camera doing the same thing, and it will cost you five hundred dollars plus court costs and traffic school. (Which is what I had to do a little under two years ago) and there is a point on your record (if you decline or are unable or ineligable to attend traffic school)

Oh and the worst part? These things are so sensitive that they will sometimes flash you for just starting to move on a red light in the period between when the other side of the intersection is red, but your light is in the process of changing to green, and they will sometimes flash you when you are in the middle of the intersection trying to make a left in heavy traffic, and, if you are stopped, if you start too suddenly to make a right turn, AFTER you are stopped and the coast is clear... these things will sometimes flash you then as well.

Leaving you to wonder if you are going to take it up the a-s to the tune of *ANOTHER* five hundred dollar ticket for the next couple of weeks.