Baltimore Scamera Cited Non-Moving Car For Speeding

This is the latest in a rash of stories about millions of dollars in fines being collected from faulty cameras.

Baltimore City's speed camera program continues to be pummeled by bad news about erroneous speed camera readings. The Baltimore Sun reports that one camera located at 1700 E Cold Spring Lane issued a speed camera citation to a Mazda 5 which was STATIONARY at the time. The citation, dated April 24 2012, accused the vehicle of traveling 38mph in a 25mph zone, when in fact both the citation images and the recorded video prove it was completely stopped at a red light and not moving at the time. The motorist in question requested a court hearing, scheduled for December 14.

stopbigbrothermd.org


I think it is important for everyone to pay attention to the status of these scameras, whether speeding or redlight.

If you don't have any in your area, just wait, they are coming, because they are HUGE revenue makers.

Here, the paper found that a camera was known to be malfunctioning, but was let to continue for months
Here are the previous problems that the scameras have caused:

city's lucrative speed cameras dogged by problems

Except the truck wasn't going 70 mph that September morning — or even fast enough to get a ticket, The Baltimore Sun determined after examining the camera's time-stamped photos and measuring how far the vehicle traveled. Simple math proves the automated camera was off the mark.

Scamera had been misfiring for months, in fact. And city officials knew it.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I hope someone attempts to take the local authority to court for massive damages if it is found they are attempting to illegally elicit money with impropriety and malice aforethought.
If they know the camera is malfunctioning and let it continue to generate revenue through nefarious and illegal presentation of skewed data and facts, then surely RICO statutes must apply to them.

Personally, in my years of trucking all over, I came to have pretty hard feelings about automated traffic control devices like these cameras. On one hand? They ARE needed. Badly needed. On the other? NOT like this. This isn't about safety, it's about money. Pure and simply MONEY.

Look at the laws in many, if not most places. To make this work and pass Constitutional muster, they've had to admit they can't even call these traffic violations. They can merely call them minor infractions that carry no points. Only a fine. Points would demand due process and the power of law to fight it. Infractions? Bahh...not the same thing and thats important to note because the rights and options of the accused are radically different.

Now how I think these are NEEDED is first..outside of the cities. NOT inside cities on surface streets. People do stupid stupid stuff to avoid the cameras, even when it's not an issue. I've seen too many near rear-end or actual accidents here in this city, trying to avoid the shutter from clicking a yellow...not even a red.

OUTSIDE the cities though?

I can't tell you how many times across I-40 or I-70 or I-80 between the West Coast and Ohio Valley I was cruising in my 18 wheeler to literally be BLOWN OVER A FEW FEET in my lane ...and yes..that literally DOES happen by the way.....by other trucks coming by my 75Mph cruise control at 100-125Mph. The "trailer wash" alone at that speed differential can be dangerous as hell if one isn't expecting the slam as they clear at that speed. We need not even get into cars doing that or higher...and that was every day.

^^^ If they want to be SERIOUS on this, fine. I have a way to be serious and not be glorified meter maids in R2-D2 form. Make the fines a flat $100 flat rate. Period. It's not ABOUT money. The money is just a placeholder to remind people of the experience. Then give people 1/3 of the points to a suspension on a red light violation and 1/2 the points (Point systems vary by state) to a suspension on anything clocked over 15 past posted speed limit. Automatic suspension for anything 25 over and above.

THAT would be a real solution that would bring REAL results in a year or less. I'd put money on it.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


You are absolutely right it is nothing but a money maker.

These are going up like crazy all over the state.

You can't even request the surveying officer to come to court.

Those people who do take this to court, the judges are throwing the majority of them out. Especially if there are more then 2 cars in the picture. Why? The camera can't differentiate between the cars. So if the car in the pic next to you is only going 15 mph. Then you both get the ticket.

reply to post by nixie_nox

I beat a red light ticket here in town. I was told at the time I was among the only they'd actually seen do it and make it work. How? Umm.... It required proving I didn't even own the car at the time, let alone could have been driving it. (I forgot to pull plates off the car..having grown up in a state where plates follow the CAR, not the person) If ownership change couldn't have been established with proof from the State itself? They told me that showing up at all is a great way to waste a morning but no one....NO ONE....wins them. The system doesn't even try to play like they care. It's an infraction after all...so they see it. I see it as one enormous tax that drops without warning to just blow apart household budgets. In trucking, tickets were a 'cost of doing business' from the DOT and State speed cops. In my personal vehicle and own town? Hey...This is getting old, quick..You're 100% right.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The local racket for me is that they actually have a moveable camera. It is a silver box about 3 feet high. To keep drivers guessing, they would pick it up everyday, and move it to a different spot.
This isn't done by technicians, it is just done by county workers.

Now how do you justify, picking up sensitive equipment, putting it back in a pickup truck, and driving it around, and setting it down again, without calibration?

The fine says enough, it is just enough for revenue, but not quite enough to bother taking off work to contest.

reply to post by nixie_nox

The ones I saw that had any real use at all were what Arizona used along the highways. They were either small Motorcycle size trailers with a boxed unit encased in armor or they used a regular State Police unit with special equipment set up to record speed and photograph the speeder.

The ones down in the Phoenix area were outright stupid and nearly caused accidents I personally saw. Especially the flashes going off at night on the interstate. What were the idiots thinking!? The ones I describe first though were in the middle of nowhere on I-40 outside Winslow and Kingman. Places where that sort of thing makes sense and the only problem I saw was that they could be seen at all. Making them small enough to NOT be seen but random in placement is what would get people to actually follow speed limits. ...with all above said for points/suspension vs. simply money. We mean it or we don't...and right now? They don't mean anything but pay up.

* I can't believe I am alone in flagging your thread. This was a real good point and issue. The attentions of ATS are a mystery sometimes.