Yellow Vests Knock Out 60 Percent of All Speed Cameras In France (bbc.com)

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Yellow Vests Knock Out 60 Percent of All Speed Cameras In France (bbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Friday January 11, 2019 @01:00AM from the damage-control dept.

Thelasko shares a report from the BBC: Members of the "yellow vests" protest movement have vandalized almost 60% of France's entire speed camera network, the interior minister has said. Christophe Castaner said the willful damage was a threat to road safety and put lives in danger. The protest movement began over fuel tax increases, and saw motorists block roads and motorway toll booths. Some protesters feel speed cameras are solely a revenue-generating measure which takes money from the poor. The BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris, said evidence of the vandalism is visible to anyone driving around France, with radar cameras covered in paint or black tape to stop them working.

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Glorious by Quakeulf · 2019-01-11 01:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

Now knock out those who run the banks.
1. Re:Glorious by lgw · 2019-01-11 01:25 · Score: 2
  
  Now knock out those who run the banks.
  There's a plan for a run on the banks this weekend, I've heard. Nice idea, but I suspect the banks have plenty of legal protection against this, as in the US, and can just say "no".
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
2. Re:Glorious by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 01:29 · Score: 2
  
  Wrecking the financial system is not a *nice idea*. The people in the yellow vests will be the first to suffer.
3. Re:Glorious by lgw · 2019-01-11 01:38 · Score: 2
  
  Wrecking the financial system is not a *nice idea*.
  Bankers keep telling me that. As long as deposits are insured by the government, every bank can collapse and nothing of value will be lost.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
4. Re:Glorious by Kokuyo · 2019-01-11 01:45 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  So who do you think insures the government?
  Exactly, yellow vests. They are essentially keying their own cars.
5. Re:Glorious by Austerity+Empowers · 2019-01-11 01:58 · Score: 2
  
  every bank can collapse and nothing of value will be lost.
  Definitely not the case as the government cannot faithfully insure all deposits in all banks. At some point the governments will collapse and the deposits will no longer be insured, and/or the currency they are based upon will be less valuable than toilet paper. This is an end-of-world scenario that always seemed more likely than an asteroid or super-bug. That said, these clowns do not have sufficient money on deposit to make that happen. They might make a run on a few banks, but they can't do much more than be very annoying.
  They should stick to breaking speed cameras, that is a definite benefit to society that also gets the attention of the government. As long as they stick to things like this, a good hunk of hte general public might even support them, that's a far better place to be than terrorism.
6. Re:Glorious by ShanghaiBill · 2019-01-11 02:31 · Score: 2
  
  In Europe, deposits are typically insured up to 100000€, and this is backed by a fund into which the banks are required to pay, not the government.
  It works the same in America, except the limit is $250k, and the FDIC fund is backstopped with tax dollars, so a big collapse that depleted the FDIC fund would mean the government "printing" money to make up the shortfall.
  Will this lead to inflation? Unlikely. In a financial crisis, the big danger is deflation, not inflation. Following the 2008 crisis, the Fed "printed" $3.5 Trillion, and inflation remained near zero.
7. Re:Glorious by ShanghaiBill · 2019-01-11 03:25 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The French need to decide what kind of country they want to be. Issues like these should be resolved democratically, not through vandalism. Yet France has a long history of caving in to violent demonstrators, which has made street demonstrations more and more popular, and made any sort of sensible economic reforms impossible.
  The latest polls show that a majority of the French support the vandals and rioters.
  It doesn't have to be that way. They should look at Italy as a country that manages to be economically dysfunctional without political violence. France could do the same.
8. Re:Glorious by CaptainDork · 2019-01-11 03:44 · Score: 2
  
  Americans used similar tactics to move the needles on civil rights, the Vietnam war, and the shitty police force in Baltimore.
  
  --
  It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
9. Re:Glorious by ShanghaiBill · 2019-01-11 04:13 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Americans used similar tactics to move the needles on civil rights, the Vietnam war
  The most influential protests in these movements were non-violent. The protests that were violent were likely counterproductive.
  
  ... and the shitty police force in Baltimore.
  The shittiness of the Baltimore PD has not changed. They have repeatedly been caught planting and falsifying evidence, with no more than administrative action against the criminal cops.
10. Re:Glorious by LazarusQLong · 2019-01-11 04:27 · Score: 2
  
  when you feel the 'democratic process' no longer works, what are you to do? For example, in the US usually the person that spends the most money on advertising wins (since about 1960) Does this mean that the democratic process is working? Or that the person with the most money wins? Does the 'most money' mean democracy works? When Corporations have been defined as 'citizens' for the purposes of swaying elections, but do not have the limitations normally given 'persons' ($2300 limit to campaign contributions for example) does Democracy win? I believe that the reason for these violent outbursts is that many people feel disenfranchised and are hopeless about their ability to have any sort of a say in how their government works. I believe that we, in the US, are getting to that point as well.
  
  --
  "Governments have been dominated by the corporate entities and citizens have ceased to matter in public policy" true in
11. Re:Glorious by lgw · 2019-01-11 04:58 · Score: 2
  
  . Following the 2008 crisis, the Fed "printed" $3.5 Trillion, and inflation remained near zero.
  They didn't increase the money supply. At the same time they were printing trillions, banks were (due to fed incentives) depositing roughly the same amount with the Fed. The recent stock market excitement was the beginning of the cost of unwinding that.
  Don't take it as an example that printing money dosn't cause inflation - by itself it always does, often leading to the collapse of the currency. The Fed was very clever, and time will tell if they were too clever, as the other shoe has yet to drop.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
12. Re:Glorious by b0s0z0ku · 2019-01-11 05:08 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  They were counterproductive because they weren't violent enough. Clearly, the American Revolution was violent enough to be productive. :)
13. Re:Glorious by lgw · 2019-01-11 06:20 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  It may come to that, but at the moment we're just trying to get a working lock on the front door.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
14. Re: Glorious by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-11 06:50 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I'm 57 years old, black, and grew up in Baltimore.
  You have no god damn idea what you're talking about.
  The violence frightened good people out of our communities, and left us with a mostly desolate wasteland for years. My mom had to walk 8 blocks to get to a pharmacy. My parents eventually left because there wasn't a future for us there.
  Dr. King did so much for us that violence never could. He proved that misguided folks like you never actually solve anything. You're giving credit to violence for things that only non violence can accomplish. Safety and security, love, compassion, discovery and innovation don't happen during one of your riots. Nothing but destruction and fear happens.
15. Re:Glorious by Pig+Hogger · 2019-01-13 07:41 · Score: 2
  
  Same thing in Québec. People in Canada wonder why we have the lowest tuition: that’s because we work HARD rioting against each proposed increase.
  It will never work in the US because the people are brainwashing into thinking that they'll become zillionnaires if they don't make waves and work hard...
16. Re:Glorious by Pig+Hogger · 2019-01-13 07:46 · Score: 2
  
  Unlike in the US, where the people have been brainwashed into thinking that if they work hard and make no waves, they'll become zillionnaires, the French know that success mostly depends on who your parents are and if they can afford to give you the education that will enable you to attend the élite schools (ENA, X)...
  Hence their willingness to rock the boat and riot. And the government knows this, hence the extremely heavy-handed police response to riots (like 6 months of jail for someone who "liked" a call to block an oil refinery on Facebook. (In France, the Justice system will take orders from the government).
There are way too many cameras including LPRs by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-11 01:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

The 2010s will be known for invasion of privacy and technology used for evil.
Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by sinij · 2019-01-11 01:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

Speed cameras are a dishonest and regressive way to tax the population. Don't let local politicians sell you on BS that it is for traffic calming and safety.
1. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 01:25 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Of all kinds of taxation, I'd prefer the speed cameras, because I can avoid paying by sticking to the posted speed limit.
2. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by lgw · 2019-01-11 01:28 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Except for the ones that malfunction. Funny how often that happens. Funny how in the US you have no right to challenge the payment in court if you think the device is broken.
  Far better to have a lottery, if you want a tax you can avoid paying. At least there somebody wins.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
3. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-11 01:31 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  It is illegal to drive over the speed limit. If yu break these laws you can be fined. Speed cameras are an automated method of fining people for breaking the law. If you don't want to pay the fine then don't break the law.
4. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 01:32 · Score: 2
  
  Funny how in the US you have no right to challenge the payment in court
  
  Well, there's your problem.
5. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by jabuzz · 2019-01-11 01:33 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Problem is that the greater the speed in an accident the more likely someone is to be seriously injured or killed. Further the *PUBLIC* roads are just that a shared public resource.
  Your rights to go as fast as you want stop at my nose.
  Get back to me when you are a happy for killing someone in an accident to be treated as murder.
  In the meantime speeding is a crime, and speed cameras only punish those who choose to recklessly endanger other people for their convenience and/or pleasure.
6. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Freischutz · 2019-01-11 01:42 · Score: 2
  
  Speed cameras are a dishonest and regressive way to tax the population. Don't let local politicians sell you on BS that it is for traffic calming and safety.
  They have a point and they also don't have a point. There are speed camera firms that actually deliver presentations to municipal politicians on how they can 'maximise revenue' from speed cameras, I have seen camera footage taken by TV journalists who mounted a sting operation at a major speed camera exhibition in Europe. Those cameras these yellow vested hooligans can knock down for all I care. However, there is a street in my town where there are two schools and a communal home for blind people, the max speed is 30km/h and people used to regularly blast through there at 70-80km/h until some f**ktard ran over a 3rd grader and they set up a bunch of speed average cameras on that street. Alluvasudden everybody drives through there at 30 km/h, I wonder why? ... could it be that people only ever learn through large amounts of money disappearing from their wallet? Those camera serves a very useful purpose because the world is full of self absorbed asshats who seem to consider themselves to be on a holy mission from god to never drive slower than the number written on the maximum speed signs and that the red traffic lights don't apply to them.
7. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 02:02 · Score: 2
  
  Now we know you're lying or you drive while the right color and not looking poor.
  Wow, speed cameras have the technology to see whether the driver looks poor ?
8. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Anonymous Coward · 2019-01-11 02:02 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Death rates are lower on the Autobahn. Perhaps instead of going after speeders, go after people who hog the left lane which impact those behind them. Maybe go after those who don't signal their intent which can also affect those around them.
  Speed doesn't kill. Idiots do.
9. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Quakeulf · 2019-01-11 02:03 · Score: 2
  
  Explain the autobahn.
10. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 02:03 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  You live in a fucked up place if a contractor can levy random fines without legal recourse.
11. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by b0s0z0ku · 2019-01-11 02:25 · Score: 2
  
  Speed cameras have their place -- in residential areas where car traffic mixes with pedestrians and cyclists. Problem is that some areas implement them on highways with already ridiculously low speed limits.
  In residential areas, speed cameras are actually better if they can replace human cops who have more "discretion" to stop people because their car looks "suspicious." (Driver wrong color, car not new/posh enough, etc). At least speed cameras can't go on fishing expeditions, run the papers of all passengers for unpaid parking tickets from 1984, shoot someone while "resisting arrest", or plant politically-incorrect plant products during a search of the vehicle.
12. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by b0s0z0ku · 2019-01-11 02:28 · Score: 2
  
  The difference is that European motorways tend to have higher speed limits in the first place -- outside of a few Western states (Utah, Texas, Nevada), US motorways tend to have speed limits around 110km/h. Drivers are less likely to be stopped, but since almost everyone breaks the limit, it gives police an excuse to harass anyone whose looks they don't like.
13. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Pascoea · 2019-01-11 02:37 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  [outside perspective here, I live in the US] The autobahn is a limited access freeway system designed specifically for high speed with strictly enforced laws that are implemented to avoid crashes (no riding in the left lane, for instance)
  Most of the crashes I've witnessed or read about on our road system involve someone doing something stupid at an intersection, like turning left in front of someone (personally experienced that one), running a red light, pulling out in front of someone, improper lane changes, crashing into light poles, things like that. Most of those things aren't a problem on a limited access freeway system. I would guess that the vast majority of the freeway crashes we see here are the result of people not paying attention. It amazes me how I STILL see people texting, doing their makeup, reading, or one of 100 other stupid things while driving.
14. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by cascadingstylesheet · 2019-01-11 02:38 · Score: 2
  
  Problem is that the greater the speed in an accident the more likely someone is to be seriously injured or killed. Further the *PUBLIC* roads are just that a shared public resource.
  Your rights to go as fast as you want stop at my nose.
  Get back to me when you are a happy for killing someone in an accident to be treated as murder.
  In the meantime speeding is a crime, and speed cameras only punish those who choose to recklessly endanger other people for their convenience and/or pleasure.
  I would share your view (about the existence of speed limits anyway, if not of cameras) if speed limits in the US were reasonable, and if enforcement were uniform.
  Instead, the reality (and everyone knows it) is that speed limits are set too low, and therefore almost everybody speeds an "acceptable" amount, except for a few antisocial types who think they are doing good by driving under the limit but who actually create danger through the high speed differentials that they create.
15. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by JaredOfEuropa · 2019-01-11 02:39 · Score: 2
  
  The problem is that it's a revenue stream at all. Over here, income from fines used to be off-budget and got dumped straight into the national debt. Then they changed the rules and added the income to the budget. And every year the take from fines has gone up, both nr of fines issued and the amounts have been increasing steadily.
  
  Now, if this was to improve road safety, you'd expect them to do 2 things: issue loads of fines to speeders to remind them that they're being watched, and have speed traps in places where people often drive dangerously fast. And no, those 2 things are not the same, and the speed traps are placed almost exclusively to cover the first case. Do 5km/h over the limit on a highway where it is perfectly safe to do so and you are likely to get a fine. Do 60km/h on a road that is built for traffic at 80km/h but happens to be within the city limit so it's a 50, and you are likely to pass a speed trap (cops love those roads). Do 60km/h on a quiet narrow road where even the posted limit of 30km/h is on the fast side... and you're safe. No cop will ever post there.
  
  Case in point: a few years ago the cops posted at the end of a stretch of highway with reduced speed limit due to road works. They reported that to their horror, 80% of passing drivers were exceeding the speed limit. And my initial reaction was the same: wow, 80%, idiot drivers. But then I thought: if you are all about traffic safety and you notice this, wouldn't it occur to you that perhaps the speed limit reduction might not have been posted clearly enough? Wouldn't the better course of action not be to sit tight and rake in fines, but to move your speed trap to a very visible spot at the start of the road works? You probably wouldn't grab a single fine but you'll slow everyone down nicely.
  
  --
  If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
16. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by kilfarsnar · 2019-01-11 02:41 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It is illegal to drive over the speed limit. If yu break these laws you can be fined. Speed cameras are an automated method of fining people for breaking the law. If you don't want to pay the fine then don't break the law.
  Simple solutions for simple minds. The speed limit on most highways is too low. Modern cars a requite capable; they handle and stop very well. The fact is, traffic flow in my area is regularly at about 80 MPH on the highway, even though the limit is 65. When ~75% of people see no problem with breaking the law, it's not the people who are wrong, it's the law.
  
  --
  "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
17. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Pascoea · 2019-01-11 02:44 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I know how fast I can drive safely. If I'm in error, charge me when I do so.
  Did you really just make the "I should be allowed to drive as fast as I deem safe until I cause an incident." argument?
  
  That's all speed limits are. People who think they know better.
  Are you under the impression that speed limits are just made up at random? Or are you actually aware that there are scientific methods, formulas, and guidelines used by engineers to determine what the proper speed for a particular stretch of road should be?
18. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by shilly · 2019-01-11 02:48 · Score: 2
  
  Obviously it's not a coincidence. It's also not a conspiracy.
  It's road engineers looking at crash data and determining that people are consistently getting injured and killed on a section of road and a lower speed limit and better enforcement are needed.
19. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by b0s0z0ku · 2019-01-11 02:54 · Score: 2
  
  Setting speed limits in the US tends to be done by politicians, not by engineers. Outside of a few Western states, they're set so that people exceed them by 5-10 mph, giving police an excuse to stop and run the IDs of virtually anyone in a car. That's one of the reasons police unions opposed higher limits, since it removed "probable cause" to look for drugs or 90% of the other bullshit that American cops do.
20. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by swillden · 2019-01-11 03:02 · Score: 2
  
  [outside perspective here, I live in the US] The autobahn is a limited access freeway system designed specifically for high speed with strictly enforced laws that are implemented to avoid crashes (no riding in the left lane, for instance)
  Also, only about half of it has no speed limit, and even those portions have an "advisory speed limit" of 130 kph (~80 mph). It's not illegal to exceed this speed, but if you exceed it and there's an accident you're presumed to have acted unreasonably for purposes of any liability evaluation.
  In addition, since we're talking about speed cameras, though, it should be pointed out that those are rarely, if ever, used on limited access highways, so the autobahn is a red herring.
  
  --
  Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
21. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Pascoea · 2019-01-11 03:04 · Score: 2
  
  In my area they would shorten green lights to 1 second on busy roads with no side streets to cause multi-hour delays, then they'd ticket drivers in the thousands who reasonably treated the signal as malfunctioning.
  I hope this is an exaggeration. If not, do you have any articles on the subject? That seems like it would be a situation where pitchforks and torches would show up at the governors house.
22. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by dfghjk · 2019-01-11 03:33 · Score: 2
  
  Your comment amounts to "as long as your victimizing someone else I'm cool with it". Not a good look.
  Imagine a society that's paid for on the backs of the poor by telling them they are criminals and levying fines on them. Sounds like a society you prefer and that says a lot about you.
  Also keep in mind that when faced with a revenue shortfall, the "posted speed limit" is lowered until you're a tax payer too. That's how it works now at least in the US and sounds like it works that way in France, too. It's not that way in many places where people see the problem with your selfish way of thinking.
23. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by thomn8r · 2019-01-11 03:41 · Score: 2
  
  It's road engineers looking at crash data and determining that people are consistently getting injured and killed on a section of road and a lower speed limit and better enforcement are needed.
  Now that's funny!
24. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by AmiMoJo · 2019-01-11 04:22 · Score: 2
  
  Unless they try to trick you into speeding. Say with a two lane open road that is normally 100 kph, then suddenly goes down to 80 with poor signage and the camera hidden behind a wall.
  I think people would be mostly okay with speed cameras if they appeared to be honest attempts to reduce road accidents.
  Also the mobile ones are just random number generates, totally worthless.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
25. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Pascoea · 2019-01-11 04:25 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  That's why stretches of highway will go from 65mph to 35 when going through a small town in places like central LA.
  You mean it isn't safe for highway traffic to flow as fast in a populated area? Holy shit, stop the presses, this must be some kind of conspiracy! Literally every highway (and I'm not talking about limited access freeways) I have ever been on lowers speed limits when you enter a city vs rural. Every single one.
  This is not a revenue thing, this is a safety thing. The fact that these speed change zones are prime locations for speed cameras (or police officers) is completely logical. On ever road, prior to speed limit changes there are signs that say "speed limit XX ahead" with plenty of time for you to slow down before you get there. I've been busted before when I've missed a speed change, so I understand people's frustrations, but you know what happened next time I drove past that area? I slowed the fuck down when I was supposed to.
26. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by dryeo · 2019-01-11 05:11 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Here in BC, a couple of years ago the government increased the speed limit on some highways, from 100-110 to 130 km/h IIRC. This year they decreased over half back down due to the increase in number of accidents. These were mostly limited access highways.
  
  --
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
27. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by thegarbz · 2019-01-11 05:21 · Score: 2
  
  Funny how often that happens.
  It almost sounds like you are making a snide comment about the government rather than the speed cameras. From this we can conclude that the speed cameras aren't actually your problem.
28. Re: Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by Dr_Terminus · 2019-01-11 05:54 · Score: 2
  
  Good example of why the Autobahn is safer. It is illegal to pass on the right, which means you can only pass on the left. Furthermore, you can only be in left lanes if passing, so as soon as there is space on the right, you need to move over. Refusing to leave the left lane to allow a faster vehicle to pass is a finable offense.
  In any case, get over yourself. You are not the police, and you have no right to try and enforce the laws on the road. In fact, your pig-headed behavior makes things less safe for everyone else!
29. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by dryeo · 2019-01-11 07:19 · Score: 2
  
  Not every car on the highway is modern and well maintained. If 25% of cars are not safe speeding and go the speed limit, it creates problems due to the uneven speeds of vehicles.
  I've also observed that a lot of people, probably the majority, are idiots about slowing down when road conditions change. People still going 80 MPH in the pissing rain or snow. Enforcing lower limits corrects for this as well.
  Most people think they're better then average drivers, which can't be true. Often, they are good drivers but some days, not so much. being tired probably equals having a couple of beers. being preoccupied and such also lowers peoples driving skill.
  They tried raising speed limits on a bunch of highways here. Now they've lowered them on half due to the increase in accidents that happened with the higher limits.
  
  --
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
30. Re:Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by fgouget · 2019-01-11 12:31 · Score: 2
  
  I know how fast I can drive safely.
  You are no different from everyone else then. Everyone knows how fast they can drive. Everyone drives better than the majority of other drivers. Etc.
  
  If I'm in error, charge me when I do so. Don't charge me for a crime I didn't commit.
  They do: you're charged for endangering the life of others. Or would you want a plane pilot to not be charged for being drunk on the job until he's crashed the plane with every one on board?
31. Re: Speed cameras = dishonest taxation by mapkinase · 2019-01-11 23:26 · Score: 2
  
  Speed limits are correlated with real danger of speeding, but cameras are anti correlated.
  Speed traps are zones where there is a speed limit lowering without any reason or some kind of laughable reason. In the past, cops used to hang there to make their monthly quota of tickets. Nowadays it's speed cameras.
  
  --
  I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
Re: disruptions lead to loss of jobs by bistromath007 · 2019-01-11 01:18 · Score: 2, Insightful

Evidently, they believe there are more important things than having a job. It'd be nice if Americans thought that way.
Re:speed cameras are a revenue source by religionofpeas · 2019-01-11 01:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

Along with that, most are placed in areas where lower income people are. More than likely because they don't have the money or power to fight against it.
Really ? How much money does it cost to drive slower ?
Hit them in the pocket by Laxator2 · 2019-01-11 01:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

Such a large-scale action is not done without some central organization.
Obviously the union leaders know how much money the bosses pocked from the revenue generated by this cameras.
By cutting this revenue the bosses are much more likely to listen to their demands.
Also, it is a case of "You keep our pay low, we can lower your pay"
1. Re:Hit them in the pocket by JasterBobaMereel · 2019-01-11 02:42 · Score: 2
  
  They are not organised - they have no leaders - the action is not coordinated
  They do not have one set of demands
  They do not have one agenda
  The unions are not in control ...
  Some of them have no real demands ...they just like attacking stuff ...
  
  --
  Puteulanus fenestra mortis
2. Re:Hit them in the pocket by thegarbz · 2019-01-11 05:27 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Such a large-scale action is not done without some central organization.
  You'd be surprised how like minded people will copy good ideas from each other. Central organisation would be proven if it all happened at once. The yellow vests however have been best described as copycats at every stage of their protest.
  Oooh look 10 people in Paris occupied a toll booth! A day later you hear about gilets jaunes occupying toll booths over the country. It's very much a monkey see monkey do kind of a movement.
errors by fluffernutter · 2019-01-11 01:41 · Score: 2

I got caught on a speed camera once because it was in a mobile unit and it was set up behind the speed sign. It caught me in the photo visibly behind the speed sign and obviously braking hard. I remembered the incident and knew that I had slowed down to the speed limit exactly at the sign; I had known the truck was there but didn't expect it to be set up so badly. I went to fight it and there was a five hour wait. I quickly calculated the cost of the ticket and the cost for me to wait and I paid the ticket sit nce it was cheaper.

So, no, I am not a fan of speed cameras either.

--
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Re:Why not just drive the speed limit? by fluffernutter · 2019-01-11 01:46 · Score: 2

The lesson here is that people do unpredictable things when they are unhappy, so keep them happy.

--
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Re:speed cameras are a revenue source by 91degrees · 2019-01-11 01:55 · Score: 2

You can probably afford the speeding tickets then.
And as a result drivers are speeding up by neutrino38 · 2019-01-11 01:56 · Score: 2, Informative
These devices may not be able to take pictures but they still measure speed. And the results are damning:
They detect a 30 % increase [fr] of rides above the speed limit. The lessons of all this are clear:
- Speed cameras work. It is not only a revenue source. It enforces the speed limit
- 30% more french drivers are breaking the law and putting others life in danger
1. Re:And as a result drivers are speeding up by dfghjk · 2019-01-11 04:03 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  "30% more french drivers are breaking the law and putting others life in danger"
  If you set the limit to 0 then 100% of drivers will break the law, yet that doesn't put "others life in danger". This is nothing but rhetoric.
  The percentage of drivers speeding is an indicator of the reasonableness of the limits, not of the behavior of the drivers. This has been known since at least the 70's, likely much longer.
Re: disruptions lead to loss of jobs by rastos1 · 2019-01-11 02:03 · Score: 2, Insightful

Some of them do. See: the Trump's Wall.
under posted speed limits are the issue 70+ in 55 by Joe_Dragon · 2019-01-11 02:13 · Score: 2

under posted speed limits are the issue 70+ in 55 zone are very common. And some of the work zone 45 is just asking to get blow en off the road for trying to go that slow.
Also the 24/7 work zones when no one is working and / or there are walls in place.
If we real speed limits and did not over do the work zones. On road with an posted 70 you don't drop that 45 for an work zone unless it's really needed. and 2 lanes each way on half of the road work zones is not really ok to be lowed to 45.
Re:speed cameras are a revenue source by drinkypoo · 2019-01-11 02:45 · Score: 2

My commute varies, but even when it's long, it's cheaper just to stay under the speed limit. It saves gas too.
Someone with a two hour commute (which is not uncommon) can save substantial time per year by speeding, if they don't get caught or crash. I didn't ask you about fuel costs. I asked you about life costs. How much of your life are you spending commuting? For some people for whom it is a significant percentage, it's worth the risk. You're not really living if you're spending your life commuting.

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"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re: disruptions lead to loss of jobs by kilfarsnar · 2019-01-11 02:46 · Score: 2

Some of them do. See: the Trump's Wall.
Very few people who are going without pay actually support it to get the wall. What Trump's wall actually represents is his willingness to let hundreds of thousands of people suffer because he can't get his way.

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"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
Re:speed cameras are a revenue source by dfghjk · 2019-01-11 03:53 · Score: 4, Informative

Depends on what the speed limits are. You like to pretend that's not part of the equation but it's essential to this form of taxation.
Also, it simply doesn't work this way except for sociopaths like you. People drive at speeds reasonable for prevailing conditions and drivers are consistent in their perception of safe speeds. When speed limits are reasonable, compliance is high. When limits become sufficiently low, drivers tend to ignore them. Governments exploit this when they set limits. They want an adequate supply of speeders so they deliberately set limits too low. If they aren't getting enough, they lower limits. Happens everywhere in the US.
Understanding this, it's clear to see that the cost of this is actually high. People waste time, safety is actually worse and expensive infrastructure is underutilized.
Re:Speed cameras by thegarbz · 2019-01-11 05:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

You mean like this study which says they reduce accidents and fatalities? http://www.lse.ac.uk/News/Late...
Or maybe the one that specifically looked at Arizona and found no difference in number of collisions (though didn't look at injuries) and certainly didn't find a negative impact? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...
Maybe you want a wide spread study of some 550 speed cameras which showed a reduction in accidents and fatalities and at the same time directly looked at the very speed cameras that the Daily Mail and some other worthless rags claimed (incorrectly) increased accidents? https://www.theguardian.com/uk...
Or this one from America that said also accidents are reduced and overall driver behaviour in the area improves: https://www.dailysignal.com/20...
I would give you result number 5 from my Google search but it's the same study as result number 2 and I don't want to waste your time.
Re:Bout time by Z00L00K · 2019-01-11 08:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

"Vive la France" is the correct writing.
Overall this shows that there's a threshold on how high pressure the politicians can put on the population. They often tend to forget that they actually are placed there to serve the citizens, not being the masters.

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If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Re:Speed cameras by Uberbah · 2019-01-11 17:10 · Score: 2

You mean apologia for revenue generation that ignores that increasing yellow light and all-red times slightly provide all of the benefits with none of the ticket nazi action?