3 Responses to “Oh, snap - the speed camera caught my minivan”

1. Publicus on May 21st, 2008 6:22 am

   I take it that you are not a lawyer and get your understanding of constitutional law from machine generated email from right wing whackos, or you attended law school and skipped the Con Law classes.

   I’d suggest that you teach your minivan not to speed. Then it will discover that red light cameras will leave it alone. Perhaps that will happen automatically as the van gets older and grows up, in the same way children often learn privately and on their own to be responsible and respect the rights of others.

2. Will on May 28th, 2008 4:49 am

   Regardless of whether you agree with the idea that speed cameras violate due process, civil liberties, or are creating a “big brother” state, they still represent enforcement of speed laws which is orders of magnitude tougher than we’ve ever had before. The fact is occasionally breaking the speed limit or entering an intersection a fraction of a second after the light turns red is something everyone does *(even by accident) over the course of normal safe driving. The whole point of speed cameras is “put a speed camera on EVERY street, subject everyone to CONSTANT surveillance, and collect a profit off the difference between what is the law and what people can reasonably be expected to do.” The divers (CITIZENS) of this county deserve better than to be treated like that.

   Oh, by the way, the compelling evidence the state presents is a set of STILL photos. You’d have to do a complex series of measurements and calculations to verify it. The company which builds, programs, maintains, and calibrates the radar equipment is paid on a per-ticket basis (despite a prohibition of per-ticket payments to contractors in the state law which authorized speed cameras). Fortunately those people will never need to testify about their conflict of interest in court because the county has arbitrarily declared police to be the operators of the system even though they have no knowledge of how the system works and very little to do with it’s day to day operations.

3. Tracey Powell on July 14th, 2008 2:29 pm

   Whether you think speed cameras are a good idea or not, the placement of TWO cameras within 1.5 miles from one another is overkill. Does anyone know to whom a complaint should be addressed regarding the two cameras in Poolesville on Fisher lane? On the police website there is mention of a speed camera on Fisher lane, but it doesn’t say there are two.

   My two cents, one of those feedback signs indicating the speed limit and my speed would have been more effective in reducing my speed through poolesville. I had no idea the speed limit dropped to 30 in Poolesville. This system is so ineffective at reducing speed and increasing safety, it should simply be called the tax that it is….I hope Montgomery County will put my $80 contribution to good use.

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