When I've written about radar-activated speed cameras in the past, I've objected to the robotic menaces primarily on the grounds that they were fallible revenue machines for the state rather than legitimate means of protecting life and limb. It never occurred to me that the dumb electronic brutes were also handy tools for wreaking revenge on enemies and authority figures. [More]"Brilliant" is right, but unfortunately it creates victims.
I wonder if some victims could be helped? I wonder if a copy of this article would be helpful in casting burden of proof doubts in cases where the driver's face isn't clearly recognizable...?
This will not stop the parasites. A victim will have to prove they are not guilty and good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteNo, the Sawders Principle will be applied. People will start doing it to municipal vehicles (including police cruisers), and then it will occur to someone that it's a bad idea. And if it doesn't, we'll publicly ridicule them, and call them "Only Ones".
ReplyDeleteFriend of mine is a deputy of officer level. When dealing with a village mayor that wanted to put in speed cameras and increase patrols he suggested that those radar road signs you see that tell you how fast you are going are cheaper and as effective in slowing drivers down, therefore increasing road safety.
ReplyDeleteThe village mayor screamed his head off at him and his superior "I DON'T WANT SAFETY, I WANT TICKETS AND ZERO TOLERANCE!"
Deputy and his boss just rolled their eyes and in the future made sure that village had the worst response time and most lax enforcement of any in the county. Since then the village has gotten it's own police department with a fancy "Law Enforcement Center" and everything and hands out tickets left and right because the sheriffs thought the mayor was a silly fool.
I blame politicians more than cops for these sorts of things.
Oh, as far as brilliant, these aussies rank up there regarding speed camera pranks.
ReplyDeleteStory here.
The brilliant thing to do would be to turn the tables on the oppressors, by doing some recon you could get police officers, judges, city council person, state legislature and state government persons, as well as the aforementioned persons teen children, spouses, and relatives…. personal cars plates and cause such discord and unreliability that they would have to dismantle the cameras.
ReplyDeleteNow that’s what I call political protest!
ReplyDelete