California Sucks Again

[zenkidori]

California: Stop Sign Cameras Installed on Canyon Roads
A California park agency will ticket motorists with stop sign cameras July 9. Speed cameras to follow.

Stop sign camera warningThe Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) has installed the first-ever automated camera in the US designed to ticket drivers who make "boulevard stops" or slow to a crawl at a stop sign without fully ceasing forward motion. The little-known agency will begin issuing $100 fines next Monday, July 9, at Franklin Canyon in the heart of Los Angeles, located off of Mulholland Drive, and another at the top of Topanga.

The stop sign devices are based on red light camera platforms, but they differ greatly in use. The more familiar stoplight cameras typically photograph a vehicle entering an intersection if a signal light changes to red between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds after the car crosses a stop bar line (view recent report). With the new stop sign cameras, a machine will make calculations to determine whether a vehicle did not stop for a long enough period and deserves a fine.

The cameras are being installed as a prelude to the agency's expected installation of speed cameras on popular canyon roads, as first reported by TheNewspaper in April. Australian camera vendor Redflex will operate every aspect of the program in return for a $20 cut from every ticket the company is able to issue (view contract). California law explicitly prohibits both speed cameras and per-ticket photo enforcement contract provisions, but the MRCA believes the law does not apply to them.

"Our Park Rangers are California peace officers and will always have traffic enforcement as part of their duty," MRCA Director of Public Affairs Dash Stolarz said in a June statement.

In 2000, the California legislature banned photo radar with a statute clarifying that although it authorized the use of photo ticketing at traffic signals, the legislature, "does not authorize the use of photo radar for speed enforcement purposes by any jurisdiction." (CVC 21455.6) Another provision specifies that, "A contract between a governmental agency and a manufacturer or supplier of automated enforcement equipment may not include provision for the payment or compensation to the manufacturer or supplier based on the number of citations generated." (CVC 21455.5)

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1846.asp

added to my list of reasons why I don't like California.

[jensked]

/me ditches "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin as his favourite song.

Nah. The song's too good for that.

Still a crazy idea though.

[YF19pilot]

I think its funny that this organization, which is part of the state government, feels that state laws do not apply to it. Unfortunately I can see the state letting this one slide. All I can suggest to anyone in california, is a 10 pound hammer and maybe something explosive.

[jensked]

You can also sue them.

[American TG Man]

Or use thermite.

[Blind_Io]

I swear photo enforcement is unconstitutional.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Also, this sucks for motorcyclists like me who usually don't completely stop at stop signs. We just roll up to the line as slow as possible and keep the bike on two wheels so we don't have to put a foot down. My Bay Area Riders Forum (BARF) was not happy about this.

Also, this shows why California was bankrupt a few years ago, the enforcement device costs more than the signal device it's trying to enforce! Next someone will get pissed and vandalize the cameras, so they will install CCTV or put a cop there to watch the cameras.
*shakes head* I can't think about this anymore, my brain is starting to melt.

[Donington]

Wow, and I thought here was a nanny state

[Hidden_Hunter]

least Australia is winning off the deal

[jackernapes]

Originally Posted by YF19pilot

All I can suggest to anyone in california, is a 10 pound hammer and maybe something explosive.

Originally Posted by jensked

You can also sue them.

Originally Posted by American TG Man

Or use thermite.

*makes notes* All very good suggestions

Yea, I can definetly see that as being a huge problem here. I have never seen (nor have I ever for that matter) stopped for the full legal 3 seconds at a stop sign, save for in the presence of a cop.

ooh! we could always riot

[poptya]

No need to bash on Cali...it's still the second best state after Texas..... It just sucks if you live in LA and like to California Roll. And you could probably beat it in court as some people have posted.

[zenkidori]

Originally Posted by poptya

No need to bash on Cali...it's still the second best state after Texas.....

[thedguy]

I don't think I've ever done a complete stop at a stop sign. Driving a stick I prefer to save my clutch a bit and come to a crawl.

Am I the only one who noticed this part

"A contract between a governmental agency and a manufacturer or supplier of automated enforcement equipment may not include provision for the payment or compensation to the manufacturer or supplier based on the number of citations generated." (CVC 21455.5)]

Australian camera vendor Redflex will operate every aspect of the program in return for a $20 cut from every ticket the company is able to issue (view contract).

Californians now have a reason to hate the Aussie's it seems.

Originally Posted by poptya

No need to bash on Cali..

After Texas? Dem der's fiitin' werds. (for those that don't speak Yosemite Sam thats "those are fighting words"

[wooflepoof]

Originally Posted by poptya

No need to bash on Cali...it's still the second best state after Texas.....

Texas

so true. we have traffic light cameras, but speed cameras i think are illegal and i've never seen a stop sign camera


Texas


Texas

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by poptya

No need to bash on Cali...it's still the second best state after Texas.....

Er... no.

As a former California resident who moved to Texas (and has travelled throughout the US), California isn't 2nd after Texas. It's more like 32nd after Texas. Maybe 42nd.

[poptya]

you're all crazy. California is the least redneck state, that's reason enough to be good

Just ignore San Francisco.....

[damnhawk]

just shoot out the cameras like they did in Texas, then pull them down after they put them in armored boxes.

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by poptya

you're all crazy. California is the least redneck state, that's reason enough to be good

Just ignore San Francisco.....

Rednecks (today, not 40 years ago) are good people.

The PlastikPeeepull of Kahleephoneeeeyah, on the other hand....

And let's see - if your house is burgled in Cali, you can't shoot the burglar. All you can do is plead with him to not hurt you, or hurt himself - because if he does get hurt, he can sue you and take all that you own. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

And as a former long-time resident of CA, I hate to tell you this but SF *is* representative of the state. It's really gay. Literally.

That recent energy crisis you had? Yeah, it was precipitated by SF people and SF-thinking people all over the state.

Originally Posted by damnhawk

just shoot out the cameras like they did in Texas, then pull them down after they put them in armored boxes.

The people don't have any real guns in The People's Republik Of Kaliphornia. They banned/restricted/legislated them all away. Perhaps not surprising, all the criminals have guns.

In Texas, if someone breaks into your house, you can shoot them. And the state will pay you back for the ammo you expended.

[wooflepoof]

Texas is badass

@ Zenkidori where do YOU live?

[watisdis]

Originally Posted by wooflepoof

Texas is badass

@ Zenkidori where do YOU live?

I think he lives in Denver, if I'm not mistaken. On-topic, California is too big of a state to pigeon-hole into one great mass. Sure it has extreme green legislation, but what do you expect with 30+million potential drivers? You could basically split Cali into 2 states (Northern California residents have been trying to do this for years). It really is like living in different states if you've ever been to all parts of it. I used to live in Long Beach and when I went up North, I was astonished at the differences.

[wooflepoof]

pfft, Denver sucks.