Photo Radar is simply wrong, and no one cares.

I would like to get some feedback from members. I live in Alberta, Canada. I originally lived in eastern Canada. They had originally toyed with the idea, in Ontario of having photo radar. People were worried about the abuse of it by politician's and police. For the short time it was in effect, the police made a point of using plain white vans and making sure the main point was to "slow people down", not raise money.

Now, having moved to Alberta, I have to be honest; the municipal politician's and RCMP are about as corrupt and sleezy as I have ever seen.

Cops hide in construction sites at midnight and hand out ticket; they stand 100 yards past a sign that drops from 60km to 50km and jump out and hand tickets, they put ridiculously slow speed limits (I am convinced this is part of a plan), and them lie in wait. In addition, photo radar van's are well hidden to maximize tickets.

From what I have read, with all this being done, Alberta has some of the worst driving statistics in Canada, the revenue keeps going up, the accidents do not decrease etc. And this is working how?

The politician's in Alberta then lie to the public and say "we have the lowest Provincial tax rate in Canada!" Maybe, but they are goons who hide in waiting, have nickel and dime service fee's ect.

This is pure sleeze and corruption as far as I can see. However, whenever they do public opinion polls, about 50% of the idiot proletariat comes back with "If you don't like it don't speed." It seems beyond these people that the police and politician's could conspire to put artificially low speed limits to maximize profit. With this logic, why not hide in bushes at 3am and give jay-walking tickets to teens coming home from dances? And we could all say, "hey, if you don't like it, don't jay-walk.

It makes me wonder if their is a connection between the increase corruption within the Police Forces in Canada and the swing to making RCMP and local police corrupt tax collectors.

Am I missing something? I have lost all respect for the "meter-maid" RCMP in Alberta, and the municipal politician's

Thoughts?

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This world is a strange place the difference between organised crime and government is negligible so if you take that onboard and realise that a politician is just a legalised gangster then you will have the gist of the reality we live in.What to do about it- no idea. Just try to live as best you can.

I agree with you100%. Im in BC, and as far as i know, we do not have photo radar anymore (or i have been fortunate not to come across it in some time) As far as greasy pigs being greasy pigs, well, they are greasy pigs. Our government needs money like a junkie needs a fix. I wouldnt expect any drastic changes no matter what, especially now that the oil baron has a majority. Chances are it will only get worse as Harper 'tough on crime' initiative will begin soon.

Where I live, the camera has been in use for many many years.
The state earns over half a million dollars in revenue.

Butr here's a novel idea - dont speed, and you wont get fined.
I've never been fined in the last 20 years, despite a LOT of driving that I do.

I don't get photo radar tickets either, because I know where they all hide. But, you have fallen for the fallacy of the lie the police spread: PEOPLE ARE NOT SPEEDING!

They are driving a reasonable speed based on the circumstances and the police are taking advantage of that. Generally speaking, everyone in Toronto drives 120km an hour on the 401, although the speed limit is posted a 100km. The police will not bother you unless you go well over 120km. Alberta police "purposely" find ways to give tickets out and ambush drivers. There is a huge difference.

Just another corrupt money making racket by your local, state and federal government......Welcome to Amerika....and Canada.....and on and on and on.....

reply to post by Ultraman2011


sucks!

Originally posted by alfa1
Where I live, the camera has been in use for many many years.
The state earns over half a million dollars in revenue.

Butr here's a novel idea - dont speed, and you wont get fined.
I've never been fined in the last 20 years, despite a LOT of driving that I do.

What makes you think speed limits are valid?

States routinely post low speed limits in order to raise revenue without doing the federally mandated traffic studies in order to determine speed limits.

Originally posted by ViperChili

Originally posted by alfa1
Where I live, the camera has been in use for many many years.
The state earns over half a million dollars in revenue.

Butr here's a novel idea - dont speed, and you wont get fined.
I've never been fined in the last 20 years, despite a LOT of driving that I do.

What makes you think speed limits are valid?

States routinely post low speed limits in order to raise revenue without doing the federally mandated traffic studies in order to determine speed limits.

That, my friend is part of my point! It's not done to save lives or make driving safer (do some reading--it has the opposite effect), and in the meantime, something that would really make a difference it not done. Cops are lazy and take the easy way out, pretending to do something.

I am also saddened by the nation of Sheep I live in, and how easily they are tricked by corrupt forces. Where is the outrage?

Originally posted by ViperChili
What makes you think speed limits are valid?

I dont think many limits are valid. I find quite a few of them to be completely rediculous.
But I stay beneath them.
I dont get fined.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by ViperChili
What makes you think speed limits are valid?

I dont think many limits are valid. I find quite a few of them to be completely rediculous.
But I stay beneath them.
I dont get fined.

So you do exactly what the government tells you to?

Very liberty minded I see

Oh the pain of it all. I know exactly what you mean and feel your anger. The police here in my city in Florida are very predictable. We noticed they had accquired all new blue light bars. Well, they were low profile and sleek. Actually good looking, but hard to see. At the time, I told my friends to watch out because they now have to pay for them. Sure enough they rolled out the following week with orders to nail everyone for anything. Preferably that they can fine for. Me and some friends were coming out of a very popular bar and my friend spit in the bushes, out in the parking lot, on the way to his car. A cop in hiding jumped out and hand cuffed him, arrested him, and took him to jail for spitting in public!!! $200 fine! Now come on, what total BS! And this was back in 1985. They do things to pay for equipment, pensions, new cars, etc. Oh, and the taxpayers are taxed for it as well. I guess you aren't quite up to the scumbaggery of the police state yet like here in the US. I tell people all the time, the stuff we got away with when we were younger would land us in jail, if not prison, today. Another thing that really is wrong is they will confiscate cars, money, etc. just because they caught someone and charged them with a felony. If you have too much money on you, prepare for an interrorgation on the side of the road.

Now, this little story is to lighten things up a bit. I was remodeling my house and in FLorida it gets hot and humid in the summer. I had worked in a house with no AC all day and was hot, tired, and needed a shower. I was going back to the other house and people were going 45 in a 55. So, I safely was passing them and changed lanes a couple of times. People that live on the Island are a bunch of cry babies. They started calling in to the sherriff because I was "frequently changing lanes". Well, I got pulled over by 5 police vehicles. 3 marked units, and 2 under cover pick up trucks. One was a K9. This lady officer approaches (and she was the only one to get out of her vehicle the whole time) my truck and asks what the rush was? I said I am hot, dirty, and tired and was simply trying to get home, get a shower, and relax. She says, "I have been working all day and I am not hot and sweaty and tired". OK, this is where my past Military Police training and other law enforcement experience tells me she is looking for a confrontation. So, I just didn't say anything. She wanted to start an argument, get me off balance so to speak. So, seeing I am cool, calm, and collected. she asks me to get out of the vehicle. No worries. We go around the front of my truck and she asks the standard questions these days, :Any hand grenades, drugs, dead bodies, or anything else I should be aware of in your vehicle?" This is supposed to be a joke and people that act nervous and say no are probably hiding something. So, I smile and say no grenades, drugs, or dead bodies officer. She asks permission to search the vehicle. No problem lady, knock yourself out. So, she proceeds to search everything, tools and all for about 20 minutes. I am quite amused at this because I know there isn't anything in my truck. I don't drink or do drugs and she has no clue about my past or she would have left by now. Finally, she pops her head up and in this little sweet voice says, "You don't have any narcotics?" I couldn't help it, I busted out laughing at her. I am thinking, is this lady a rookie on her probationary period or what? Does she actually think that someone would answer that kind of question in the affirmative? Like, Oh I hid it over here, let me get it out for you. Unbelievable!! She is humiliated now at looking totally stupid and having all these cruizers and UC trucks on scene for nothing. Then, to top it all off she comes back with a ticket for following too closely, which is not what she claimed she pulled me over for in the first place and I wasn't following too closely anyway. So, as I am signing the ticket (my lawyer will have it dismissed without me even having to do anything) she has this bipolar moment and says,"If you try to take this to court, I'll hang your ass!" I almost fell out of my truck on that one. Now she thinks this wrongfully issued citation is some major crime that we are going to have a Jury Trial over, or at least that is how she acted. I just shook my head and laughed to myself. Then it was back to the other extreme, "Have a nice day and be careful going home".

Unbelievable! And when legislatures give them far too much power, like the Patriot Act, there exists a serious danger to citizenry for abuse to occur. Unfortunately, I have seen it far to often. Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely!

OP, you are correct to be worried. Nothing more than speed traps to make the city and state extra money without having police determine the situation.
IN the US some states have stopped the cameras from being in use by presenting it's against state constitution, being illegal.
Depending on where one lives in Canada the same rules might apply, best look into that and put the word out.

Thanks for our detailed response Spirit Horse. When I used to live in Calgary, the police used to hide behind telephone poles at lunch and give people tickets for crossing the street when the light was flashing not to cross. And, I actually had a guy tell me he once got a ticket for "public swearing" or some such nonsense. He was on a bus, going to a hockey game, and exchanged words with a fan out the window. Next thing you know, some cop boards the bus and tickets him!

Ironically, a lot of Albertans think they are like Montana libertarians or Texans, but they have this petty mean streak where they support this sort of crap.