My incident with a speed camera operator

[Casper]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

okay guys, take a step back here.

A speed camera operator does not equal the Gestapo.

By any length of the imagination. Period. As a person with Jews in my family, I feel atleast somewhat qualified to speak to that point. If speed camera operators executed every person they caught speeding without trial, you might be close. This is not happening though, and to compare it isnt justified nor warranted..

As I said, it was an extreme comparison. What I was pointing out is that if something is morally and ethically wrong to the vast majority of the population (which I believe it is and is supported by recent statistics publised in a very large metro newspaper...something in excess of 90% opposed) then the excuse of "I am only doing my job" is lame at best and criminally ignorant at worst.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Are speed cameras causing more road fatalities? Maybe. But there is very little hard data to support that. The same statistics you could use to support a theory that drivers are just becomming more stupid, or that poor driver testing and pointless logbook licensing is allowing more and more morons behind the wheel. Simply saying we have more speed cameras, and we have more road fatalities, does not equal a conclusion. ..

It is impossible to state that they are causing more fatalities however, based on the TAC's own statistics, they are doing NOTHING to stop the fatalities.
What to see the statistics? They are all here: http://www.aufalcon.com/Articles/tac.htm

Originally Posted by sourbastard

There are hundreds of variables, and every accident is unique and has to be considered individually...

This is absolutely correct... and by the same logic each speeding infringement should be considered individually based on the circumstances. Not just a photo and a "guilty as charged" fine in the mail.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Should speed camera operators do their job? Absolutely. Like it or not, it serves as a deterrant to excess speed in many cases(obviously not all), to argue that it doesnt wouldnt lend any credibility to your claim that people are having accidents because they are continually looking at their speedo, trying not to speed.

There is no proof that is acting as a deterrent and, based on the fatalities listed on TAC, it certainly isnt working to prevent the sole purpose of why it was implimented. Being a complete failure at that it has now become, quite clearly, a revenue excersise.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Lets face the facts though, your true objection is to the legislation that sets the criminal tolerance for that speed where an infringment is incurred, not the operator who is certainly ONLY doing their job.

Still no excuse. Would you be saying the same if they were fining people for having long hair or brown eyes, simply because the government said it was their job? Facts are that the speed camera's have had a zero impact on the road toll, is purely a revenue operation (read theft) and these peoples, by there own actions, are supporting it. To say it is just a "job" is legitimising something that is clearly wrong to over 90% of the population. Sanitising it does not make it right.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

If the limits get raised tomorrow to 10%, will you still object to them having a job and feeding their family? That type of branding of an entire group of people as guilty for your woes, IS Nazism at its core, that is the only comparison that could be made.

If they raise the limit to the ADR required 10% I would be very happy. Personally I could then see the camera's as having an impact as a deterrent and not as a revenue stream. It has been said that the vast majority of camera fines are all for under 10kph. In the majority of cases these people were far from dangerous hoons and had no intention of speeding, and would never have been booked by an officer of the law.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Should they quit in disgust at what the legislation is? Absolutely not. At the end of the day if they dont do it, someone else will. And at the end of the week consider that the government writes legislation, and can enforce it as strictly as they wish, even so far as zero tolerance. .

If they all quit in disgust it would be a wake up call to the government. If the government were to try to enforce a zero tolerance than it just proves to all it is revenue. They will be hard pressed for reelection now, maybe they should go zero tolerance because I personally think a mouldy pice of cheese could both run and win an election against them if they did.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

What the counter balance is to that, is you the people. If you have a gripe, protest, complain, write letters, get the automotive industry and associations in line with your way of thinking, involve media, apply pressure to the government, and get the bloody law changed.

This is all hapening already. Unfortunatly the present government seems to be totally out of touch with reality and addicted to the revenue.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

I saw someone write something about speedo error above. If the car industry produces a speedo that reads incorrectly to the point of criminal infringement, have you considered that they might start having to worry about liability?

Car manufactures have to comply to ADR's, which say 10%. They are doing this. It is the government (through the speed camera contractors and operators) who have ignored the ADR's and gone for the easy money. ADR's are there for a reason and, unfortunatly for us, our little state government has chosen to ignore it. The legality of this is questionable in its own right.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Ma and Pa kettle dont know jack about speedo error, if Pa kettle is doing 60 in his brand new under warranty camry and he gets a ticket, who is he going to blame. Where should he send his ticket and ask that it be paid? Where should he send his lawyers? If the product is defective from the factory to the point of being the cause of criminal offenses, there is liability.

They dont know jack, that is correct. They assume that the speedo is correct. As far as a manufacturer is concerned, it is, to the specifications of the ADR's they are obliged to conform too. Its not there fault that the government of just 1 state of Aust has gotten so greedy that it has chosen to ignore this country wide standard.

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Theres plenty of angles to this to get big players thinking alike, what we need is a concerted effort, not a hissy fit.

It will take the Government booted out in a landslide. Everything else is already being tried but when the revenue addition kicks in and the media have not got a clue what "truth without spin" or "an article without shock value/ratings" then the only answer is for the people to voice themselves at the ballot box.
Until that happens the people involved (operators, contractors and government) should be put in the spotlight and pressured as much as possible to stop the theft.

This is, of course, only my opinion.