craigyg69

uuuuugh! few days ago I passed by a photo radar van. I wasn't paying any attention and didn't get a radar signal until I saw the flash! I only saw it take one picture before I passed so I didn't think it got me since I don't have a front license plate.

So I got this ticket. I had heard from many people that you can just tell them it was someone else and get off - but included with the ticket it says that if you want to say it was someone else, you have to supply their information (license number, etc) so they can issue them a citation! How true is this? Quite anoying.. I guess I'll just have to go to court and plea guilty and hope the fine gets lowered. This is my first offense.. any suggestions?

mffdvr

That is total fvcking bogus!!!! I can't believe that that happened!!! I know they have that stuff back east but haven't really even noticed here in Seattle. UGH......that's disturbing.
I'd certainly take it to court.

You got a hat on in that pic?! Or is that your hair?!

Shawn S

That’s a pretty clear picture of your mug (I guess) behind the wheel.
I would imagine they didn’t send you the highest resolution shot they have either.

I wish you luck and I’m glad they don’t have those things in PA.

Shawn S

Shawn S

How do those things work anyway?
I see in your SIG that you have a detector, why didn’t it go off before the flash?

Shawn S

craigyg69

mffdvr - no it's not a hat actually, and my hair doesn't really look that funny either.. Just a bad picture

Shawn - they work by using regular radar.. when I had seen them in the past I had gotten quite a bit of warning.. So for some reason either I didn't hear my detector, or it didn't get the signal until way late... there is someone in the van operating the machine, I actually wouldn't doubt it if it used instant on either..

EricL

47 in a 35 -- a real menace to society

The "city managers" love these goodies and generally put them were there are zero accidents and/or the average flow of traffic exceeds the posted limit.

The general rule (depending on area) IS: you must PROOVE that another person was behind the wheel if (and when) you get a photo-radar-ticket (That presumes that the person's face is not clearly shown as in your case... Perhaps you have a "identical twin" or doppelganger that you can convince to take the rap for you...)


99% solution = V1 detector...

craigyg69

Tell me about it.. It's also anoying because I actually don't really speed that much, and when I do it's not by much. I usually just drive the speed that feels comfortable for me. The 35 MPH on this road is very unreasonable, it's a four lane road that is not by any residential areas.

I have my radar detector for just such reasons - roads that have unreasonable speed limits that become speed traps. It's saved me many times.. but I suppose I can't win all the time.

Scooter

mug of craigyg69 = owned

j/k bud...that sux...Shawn's right...like u're really endangering the lives of countless numbers of people

EricL

FYI -- http://www.portlandpolicebureau.com/radar.html

Shawn S

craigyg69,

Off Topic, but I see you’re in Portland, Oregon.
Our company just got a nice 3.3 million dollar contract for Glacier Northwest Cement.

I may be out there doing a site inspection in a few weeks.
I think I had better watch out for “Photo Vans” while I’m driving my rental.

Shawn S

Zapata

Did anybody notice that he got NAILED in BEAVERTON? Poontang will get chya everytime!!!!

Scooter

BTW, nice Beaver!!

where the hell is Beaverton, OR???

Shawn S

Yea, but Pennsylvania has:
Virginville, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, Paradise & Blue Ball

Shawn S

mattg

beaverton is right next to hillsburrito.

JRock

Fucking Oregon. Only they would be so communist as to have the camera catch the driver's face as well as just the license plate. At least here in the People's Republic of Maryland they just give you a monetary fine if you get caught by photoradar because they can't prove who's driving. No points. None of that Oregonian bullshit.

chrw

I've always wondered about doing something like hiding your plate. Has anyone tried to hook up a motorized cover that could slide down or across that would obscure the plate? And I don't mean those "amazing" photo radar license plate covers... I mean leaving your plate completely visible, but then when you want to hide it you flick a switch near the drivers seat (maybe next to the NOS switch) and then something covers your plate. You'd need something like a power window motor, and I'm sure it's possible, might save people a few tickets...

Nicky Pass

Thats gay and a half.

craigyg69

It's really funny that you mention that, growing up I always thought of doing something like that! heh. My friend has one of those plate covers that when you look at it off to the side it blurs one half of the plate. would have worked perfectly in this situation. Going to get one now!

Scooter - Beaverton is a suburb of Portland. Nike world headquarters are here, as well as a lot of Intel's facilities.

Black CL-S 4-Life

Fucking unbelievable....what is the world coming to?

Neech

Photo radar works with a very low powered signal transmitted at a (I believe) 45* angle across the road making detection difficult. This is where having an extremely sensitive detector is critical. You may get by with the open road speed traps with most detectors but not with these revenue generators.

I have this on the my plate and it does work. CT doesn't currently use photo radar but some of the neighboring states do plus the tolls in NY use radar w/ EZPass so when you go over the 5 MPH limit thru the toll, *SNAP*... here comes a ticket. They actually have been cracking down.

dajuice27

I got nailed 3 times last month between my 2 cars, and it isn't fun. In DC, just like Maryland they just bill you the fine, no points because they can't prove who the driver is, but they do hold it against your plates so you do have to pay the fines before you renew your plates.

PHOTO RADAR SUCKS!!!!!!!

Also, I didn't get he radar warning, so if it is instant on, it's good! I do know what the vans look like, so now I slow down when Isee the bastards parked.

Neech

Found this.

Maybe it could help ya.

laser1180

I dunno about up there... but in TX, the ticket capital of the south, you cant have a photo radar ticket, they claim personal privacy have been invated.

Bluto

Was is raining? Rain can attenuate the radar's signal. Makes it harder to detect.

Looks like you can ignore the ticket, or go to court.

Photo Radar

haiduc

just get a paintball gun and shoot off some rounds at the van

in DC, they park it and leave it unattended

TypeSKid

In certain states they have stated that its an invasion of privacy for them to take a photo of your face.


I'd get a lawyer and argue it.


Thats bullshit.


I don't get how they can rely on technology over a human in order to fuck someones driving record.

I hate COPS!!!

Red Rider

I didn't realize they get the back of your car too !! You learn something every day on this site !!

Smitty02CLs

Send the bastards back a picture of $170.00

Red Rider

I read somewhere awhile back somebody did exactly that. Court was not amused.

Silver_Lana

hahahaha

if only it were that simple...

99WDP

craigyg69, I see they got you on Allen Blvd. They have their van out ther all the time. Need to watch out for the red light cameras at the intersections in that area too.

kensteele

How could you have missed the radar? The photo radar van that I ran past in Paradise Valley, AZ has Ka radar blaring so loudly you couldn't miss it. Unless there's someone in that van, there's no way it could use instant on.

darrinb

Fuck the law!!!

craigyg69

There is someone in the van operating it. Don't know how I missed it, my music could have been up to loud, or like someone mentioned some use a very narrow beam that doesn't give you much warning.. Oh well, i'm getting one of those license plate protectors

craigyg69

I know, just can't do anything bad anymore I guess. :P

EricL

Does Valentine One warn of photo radar?
- L.B., Oregon


Yes, absolutely, but you don't get nearly as much warning. All the photo radars in the US operate on either K or Ka bands, though they could operate on any band assigned to traffic radar by the FCC. The good news is that the radar beam is on all the time, not playing hide and seek like instant on, so we have lots of time to find it. The bad news is that it uses a narrow beam aimed diagonally across the road. And it's usually very low power, because photo radar doesn't engage the target until it's within a few hundred feet. So you really need detector sensitivity to pick up weak reflections. Today's V1s, and older ones equipped with our latest radar upgrade, offer reliable protection against photo radar, but you have to pay attention.


(As others have pointed out...)


And they are for revenue collection -- just like the red light radar. (As if the "red-runner" system couldn't detect a "late yellow entry" [by a vehicle] and hold off enabling the green light [for opposing traffic], if safety was paramount in the systems' design)...

DreamU

Two years ago I got a photo ticket just a few blocks from Allen on Hall. I didn't know and thought the letter was junk mail so didn't open it for a month. By the time I finally opened the letter I had been driving around for a month without a license!?!? If you don't respond by a deadline they suspend your license. My only tip would be check to see how far from the nearest speed limit sign the unit was. Thought I heard they had to be within 500feet for it to be legal. It was in the Oregonian last year so I suspect they have learned their lesson by now.

amir was here

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

that was FUNNY AS HELL!!

Type S

kind of upset..but there is not radar photo machine in wa state..kind of ok here