For
those who have not yet had the pleasure of receiving a ticket from a
red-light camera, in my experience, the following would be one
equivalence if it had been issued by a law enforcement officer instead:
Imagine -- a law enforcement officer pulls you over and issues you a ticket.
For something that supposedly happened a week ago.
The name of the officer is on the ticket but they are mute and provide no contact information.
Another officer's signature is illegibly and automatically printed on the ticket.
The infraction information isn't clear and includes a couple red herrings, which, of course you don't know about.
The cost is not written on the ticket. But if you don't pay it or
contest it within a month, it warns clearly that worse consequences
await you.
As you try to ask the officer for clarification, they leave.
A video is available but you have to install a plug-in to see it or drive 20 miles to see it during the day (by appointment).
Your ticket lists a traffic window that you can go to to get your questions answered. It's open 8:00-2:00 on weekdays.
The traffic window is 20 miles from your home and in the opposite direction of your work.
If a phone call doesn't answer your questions, you may try to go in. But you will need to take a half day off work.
You will learn soon enough that the person at the window cannot answer
any questions about the infraction itself or what the ticket says about
it although they will be able to tell you how much it is.
And that's just the beginning.
What off-duty judge or law enforcement officer would accept this treatment toward them?
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Those who choose to offer drive-by simplistic comments, such as "Just follow the law," "Drivers here are terrible," "You'll never win that fight," "Oh, let it go," or "All cameras should be removed," are not welcome here. I will delete these sorts of comments with no more warning than this.
I will allow comments that are backed up with reason and robust argument that enhance this discussion. Agreement is not required. A well argued point is. I am interested in hearing from people with solid knowledge about law enforcement, traffic design, and the judicial system who can explain why things need to be the way I saw them or who would like to describe how they think the system should be changed and why.
Don't like this policy? You, too, can create your own blog and set your own rules.Have at it!