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More Americans are using fake license plates

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Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#161

Post by marssaxman »

King-Aaron wrote: post #16
djmips wrote: post #3

On the other hand it feels like there's been a huge money grab with automated systems mailing out tickets or maybe I'm just at sore at the $180 red light camera ticket I just paid.

I am absolutely not a fan of fixed or hidden speed cameras, but red light cameras are legitimately good because you have zero reason or excuse to go through a red or speed through an intersection.

It's complicated: the presence of a red-light camera decreases the rate of right-angle crashes, but increases the rate of rear-end crashes - people about to miss the light will stomp on their brakes instead of scooting on through. It's not clear there is any benefit, other than to the profits of the private companies typically contracted to operate the cameras.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/...

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#162

Post by trgn »

Ancapistani wrote: post #148
trgn wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get this line of reasoning. A police officer doesn't need to be present for code enforcement (ie. property inspections etc..). A police officer doesn't need to be present for parking enforcement. A police officer doesn't need to be present for toll fee collection enforcement. Why should police then be present when violating traffic rules? What makes speeding or running a red light so meaningfully special that…

A person has to be present for all of those things - at least, if you want them to stand up to even the most casual challenge in a court of law. The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution requires that to be the case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrontation_Clause

Is a person present with automated tolling?

And wrt court challenge, I mean, the photographic evidence is right there, car running red light, can't be more clear. Why would it be dismissed?

And Why does every crime need witness? Plenty of prosecutions on photographic or forensic 3videnc3 alone.

Also, is traffic violation a crime (is it, genuinely asking (?))

Tbh, this often feel like people rummaging around the couch cushions for reasons (not saying you, link much appreciated, til)

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#164

Post by WalterBright »

rocket_surgeron wrote: post #141
WalterBright wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Avoiding an accident is always a valid reason for breaking a traffic law. For example, on a two lane road I'll move into the left lane if there's a cyclist on the right shoulder, if the left lane is clear. As for a red light, my pedal will be to the metal if my buddy is bleeding out in the passenger seat. Is that far-fetched? It happened to a friend of mine at Boeing. He didn't get his friend to the hospital in time.

I am a volunteer EMT who has run thousands of calls. If someone is "bleeding out" in that they have an uncontrolled hemorrhage driving faster is never the preferred option. Generally speaking there are two types of hemorrhage: 1. Those that can be controlled through direct pressure and the body's clotting ability. 2. Those that cannot be controlled through direct pressure and the body's clotting ability. If the hemor…

True, but I am not a trained EMT.

Although I would drive fast, I would not drive recklessly, as I am well aware that causing an accident would do nobody any good.

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#165

Post by specialist »

andrewmcwatters wrote: post #2

I’m not an old person, but I know I’m going to sound like a curmudgeon saying this. I think it’s just moral decay. I can’t think of any other meaningful reason. In Phoenix, which I consider the national capitol of bad drivers, in the span of less than 10 years, I’ve noticed a staggering number of people in the metro area who just blatantly run red lights now. Sometimes seconds after they’ve turned. It’s straight up r…

> Phoenix, which I consider the national capitol of bad drivers

I would have agreed, but then I experienced El Paso.

> no soul drives the 55 speed limit on I-17, but it’s getting measurably worse.

True. Feels like combat.

--

FWIW, I put some Jesus themed bling on my car. It seemed to help in Texas. Phoenix, not so much.

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#166

Post by specialist »

x3n0ph3n3 wrote: post #45
andrewmcwatters wrote: post #2

I’m not an old person, but I know I’m going to sound like a curmudgeon saying this. I think it’s just moral decay. I can’t think of any other meaningful reason. In Phoenix, which I consider the national capitol of bad drivers, in the span of less than 10 years, I’ve noticed a staggering number of people in the metro area who just blatantly run red lights now. Sometimes seconds after they’ve turned. It’s straight up r…

I feel the same way about not putting your shopping cart back in the proper place after loading your car. It's the one test of whether someone is willing to do the right thing absent any reward or punishment, and so many people completely fail the test. I generally lean libertarian, but it's a demonstration on people's inability to govern themselves.

Reminds me of the cliché: personal morality is what you do when people aren't watching.

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#167

Post by midoridensha »

trgn wrote: post #132
midoridensha wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>In City of God, St Augustine blames the fall of Rome on the christians in the city ignoring the depravity of the pagans. Christians for centuries were the people that burned people at the stake for believing the wrong religion, or even the wrong version of Christianity. They're far from "righteous". What did the pagans do wrong? They seemed to be pretty decent overall, by the standards of the time: they even had a h…

My comment was not about christians=good, pagans=bad. It's that St Augustine, somewhat counter-intuitively puts the blame of the collapse of the roman empire, not on the barbarian hordes, but on the upstanding romans being too timid to confront the moral decay amongst their neighbors.

Rome was at its peak during the pagan times; after they adopted Christianity things went downhill. Of course, correlation does not equal causation, but I don't see how Christians have any valid claim to moral righteousness. If any one thing could be pointed to for Rome's collapse, it's probably just corruption, which can happen to any society, and is not at all the same as "moral decay".

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#168

Post by dkn775 »

JohnFen wrote: post #156

I've been trying to think of a way to foil ALPR (to evade private tracking, not tolls and the like). I never thought of taping leaves to my plates. I might give that a try.

I worked w these systems, lot of them don’t program more than 7th character in the wildcard search function. Most temp plates here are 8 chars.

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#169

Post by Awelton »

piloto_ciego wrote: post #159

Who is that jerk going around and being a nark? MYOB! Last thing we need is people reporting on each other.

That was my first thought. If I walked outside and saw some douchebag in a paperboy hat writing on my vehicle with a permanent marker I would start throwing rocks at them. The little game of fraud cat and mouse I play is between me and the government.

Re: More Americans are using fake license plates

#170

Post by rocket_surgeron »

WalterBright wrote: post #164
rocket_surgeron wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a volunteer EMT who has run thousands of calls. If someone is "bleeding out" in that they have an uncontrolled hemorrhage driving faster is never the preferred option. Generally speaking there are two types of hemorrhage: 1. Those that can be controlled through direct pressure and the body's clotting ability. 2. Those that cannot be controlled through direct pressure and the body's clotting ability. If the hemor…

True, but I am not a trained EMT. Although I would drive fast, I would not drive recklessly , as I am well aware that causing an accident would do nobody any good.

Don't worry, the control of external bleeding is basic first aid, no EMT training necessary.

What I said is the exact same stuff they teach you in Lifeguard training, and if 15-year-old me can learn it, anyone can. Never took it, but babysitter training probably covers it as well.

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid/first-aid-tr...

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