On Star is Dying

[Trojan]

We used to have red light cameras in Toledo. They also can record your speed for speeding tickets. $100,000 each to install. They worked great for a while. They lowered the accident rate at the worst intersections. But it was giving tickets to the car not the driver. No points to the car owner just a $100. buck fine. Then the camera started taking pictures of cars that did not do something wrong. The court battles were ridiculous and costly. They finally ended up making the tickets useless unless there was a cop at the seen to issue a ticket. The cops don't, won't issue them either because they were not really paying attention to the flash and can't ascertain if there really was a violation. So all 50+ of the red light cameras at 100 grand each are junk unusable.


BILL

 

[Genesis]

There has been a different problem in certain areas with those "speeding cameras" with the built-in radar systems.

They seem to develop extra ventilation holes spontaneously. Nobody is quite sure how it happens..... but in the south, at least, helpful citizens seem to recognize that it gets hot down here and that heat really ought to be let out....

 

[captddis]

Just as long as the vent installers stay out of camera range.

 

[spartonboat1]

We used to have red light cameras in Toledo. They also can record your speed for speeding tickets. $100,000 each to install. They worked great for a while. They lowered the accident rate at the worst intersections. But it was giving tickets to the car not the driver. No points to the car owner just a $100. buck fine. Then the camera started taking pictures of cars that did not do something wrong. The court battles were ridiculous and costly. They finally ended up making the tickets useless unless there was a cop at the seen to issue a ticket. The cops don't, won't issue them either because they were not really paying attention to the flash and can't ascertain if there really was a violation. So all 50+ of the red light cameras at 100 grand each are junk unusable.


BILL

Also remember that contractors (horrors, for I am one ) installed the cameras and ran (administered) the systems, including generating tickets , and they were relying on "running red lights", since they received a percent of dollars (aka funds) generated . Well someone ratted them out that the yellow light durations had been magically shortened , which natch, increased red light runnings. The shortened yellow lights were not received too well by the courts, which also hastened the demised of the cameras.

Finally, rather than providing ventilation, I would think that in some states the cameras might be downloaded (to the pavement that is).

 

[Genesis]

I'm not quite sure why, but the ventilation holes always seemed to be added on the rear of the cabinet too, where there was no camera...... I guess the fine citizens providing that service figured that the back side of the case was the one that needed it for airflow reasons.... or something like that

 

[MikeP]

I LOVE IT!

When I lived in Alaska, there were big signs along the Glenn Highway north of Anchorage that stated:

NO SHOOTING WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF THE HIGHWAY

It was almost impossible to read the signs because of all the bullet holes. No, I didn't put any of them there!

 

[Avenger]

I don't know if it's still there, but in the late '80s the southbound interstate from New Hampshire into Massachusetts had a HUGE sign at the border that said something to the effect that Massachusetts gun laws were strictly enforced, minimum one year sentence etc. Let's just say it didn't have a lot of wind resistance. And no, I didn't put any of them there either.

REALLY wish I had a picture.

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

Well maybe It's just me ??? but the service I think was like 350.00yr? and I do use it so I like it , but don't get me wrong I did think hard about not renewing it but the math worked in it's favor that time If you do the math then you know some peoples equation on use may come out different....the trick is remember it's up there and push that button as much as you want and get your moneys worth
I herd Randy even talks dirty to them if it's a girl that answers

 

[Sparky1]

I have that on my Buick but sometimes I lock my keys in the car. I can call them and they can get my door open my remote control. I locked my cat inside once and it made a mess. Does anybody know if new service will work to replace onstar?

 

[MikeP]

Re this thread, note how they determined the speed. The BOLD is mine and it fits well with Karl's comment...

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's sport utility vehicle was traveling 91 miles per hour (146 kilometers per hour) in a 65-mph zone seconds before the April 12 car wreck that left him critically injured, state police said in a statement. The findings were based on witness interviews, examination of tire tracks, damage assessments and the Crash Data Retrieval System, or black box, state police said

As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy and they is us."

 

[Avenger]

So let me see if I have all of this right. Gov. Corzine greatly exceeding the speed limit and not wearing a seatbelt. Two offenses for which NJ is notorious for handing out tickets. Frankly, at 91 MPH one would probably be arrested. On his way to an event at which he had no business being (except to grandstand and photo-op.) Gets snagged by a big-brother system of which, given his political leanings, he would be a strong proponent....hmmmm.

I'm just glad they didn't hurt any "peasants" in the process.

We just had a county executive here clobber somebody when running a red light for "security reasons." Interestingly, when his car was wrecked he was able to catch a ride from another motorist. I guess they did a quick background check.

Sorry for the rant, but this has been bugging me.

 

[MikeP]

Sure, he probably did all the stuff you said and deserves whatever the consequences. But the machine (black box) part of it disturbs me. I suspect there are several folks on this site who have gone considerably faster than 91 MPH on public roads. The only difference is that they didn't hit anything/weren't observed by the law so nobody cares. But with the black box monitoring your every move, that may not be the case in the future.

Oh well, things change. Maybe my grandchildren will be shocked that people of my generation could and would actually go faster than the posted speed limit.

 

[Avenger]

Absolutely agree with your point. I guess I was naively hoping that somehow this would alert the "Big Brother" types to the folly of their ways. I'm going to have a hard time explaining to my son that he's growing up in a world that is very different than the one his daddy grew up in, and that he can no longer do the harmless "good ol' boy" things that we used to consider a rite of passage.

The rant wasn't to support the black box. It was more about poetic justice.

Disclaimer: Please note that I do not wish Mr. Corzine's suffering on anybody for their political views.

 

[MikeP]

And I agree with the poetic justice thing completely!

When I was a kid, my uncle was stopped for drunk driving after an afternoon "socializing" at the VFW. I was with him (but not drunk, I was only 9). The cop escorted us home to be sure we got there safely.

Times certainly do change.

 

[Starman]

Did you know the new trucks ( mine is an 01 sierra ) will not go faster than about 95-96 ?

Oh,

Of course this is what I have heard


The reality is that to get this black box, a search warrant must be issued, and this is far from the ordinary for these simple speeding tickets and more prone to the high profile cases.

The rites of passage. Those were the days for sure. But what we called the innocent fun, is stll called innocent fun by todays kids. But the innocent fun today is drugs/guns/ sex/ gangs/ and outright crime.

 

[captddis]

Actually mine stopped @ 98 mph.

 

[CARL GUZMAN]

Ok I may have got my butt kicked on this issue but I still like my on star ;Naner naner naner
it is a bit expensive

 

[spartonboat1]

A new black box feature is an audio recording of the car cabin of the final 15 seconds before the "event". Test downloads after "events" in some rural areas most often had the vocal recording "Here, hold my beer, watch this, eh" (the eh was for Michigan effect).

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I actually lock my keys in my truck ON PURPOSE. Try that with your Chevy.