Back on September 10th, 2007, I stood as the spokesman for the Baytown Concerned Citizens group and spoke to the police department, our concerned citizens, city council, and with the media and pleaded with them to address the speeding and traffic violations as a top priority. My exact phrasing was "stop it by hook or crook".
The red light cameras are a direct result of this. Thus I am voting against Prop 1. I want to keep the red light cameras.
The reason people are running red lights and taking rolling turns on red lights is because they are not paying attention, distracted, and careless drivers, plus they are endangering everyone, especially children (I had to throw that in, as that is always the trump card, but true none the less).
The BCC as a whole, which it appears is not exactly the same as it was 3 years ago, is still and should be a logical approach to crime, but to some, the red light cameras are viewed much the same way a stop sign was, back in the day when they first appeared. ("What? Who says I have to stop?"). They are not taking away our rights, but are an enforcement tool and for most of us, the $75 fine is adequate enough to make us pay attention.
BPD cannot be everywhere at once, so it falls upon us law-abiding citizens to do our part and actually drive the way it was taught in driver’s education. Stop talking on the cell phone, eating hamburgers, and digging through our purses and pockets while we are driving...plus watch-out for all those people who don't and there won’t be a single violation on the law-abiding driver.
I DO NOT want to go back to the old system addressed in September 2007, where the chances are excellent that a cop is not going to be present when a red light/right turn violator runs through with impunity and make no mistake about it, that is exactly what will happen.
Take any weekday on the streets of Baytown and take the time to park and watch what goes on at any of our busy intersections and I promise you will see a constant flow of violations, even with the red light cameras.
The cameras are not the problem...distracted drivers are.
8 comments:
"Bert, my problems with the red light cameras are:
1. Innocent people are being ticketed, harassed, and forced to pay fines for something they didn't do just because the vehicle is in their name.
2. We are exporting over $100,000 a MONTH out-of-state. Well over a million dollars a year.
3. We've outsourced our legal system. Now we need to talk to someone out of state to address something that happened in Baytown.
4. The laws are being played with to violate our rights. You are now GUILTY until you can prove your innocence.
5. Running red lights have been changed from a moving violation to a non-moving violation (to circumvent the law).
6. It is WAY too convenient to issue a ticket now. Press a button and someone gets a ticket. Quality control is out the window. Yeah, someone REVIEWS the footage, then pushes a button and tickets get sent out.
Sorry, feel free to delete this comment. AB
No, I can't vote FOR Big Brother. If CITY COUNCIL had entered into this agreement in all honesty then perhaps I'd think differently, but THESE clowns KNEW they were screwing us with their freakin SHORT yellow lights. I've got a good idea, let's sue THEM and make MILLIONS!!!!!Oh....and put these clowns in JAIL where they belong.
Seriously, folks. Let's NOT let these idiots rule our world. We are all intelligent enough to drive safely down Garth Road. City Council needs to have their own bank accounts audited. Thank YOU!! DS
Apparently if u sell yr soul, u can have one on every corner of yr yard free....the thing needs to take pics from the front and show driver..until then, my car got the ticket,,,it can go sit out its fines...BDP
"I have paid 4 tickets that I did not deserve. I wasn't driving the car, yet these came in my name because my name is on the title. I'm tired of it. The cameras need to go." CMB
"They can't take the picture of the driver because years ago a guy was having an affair. When he ran the red light and they sent the picture to his house his wife found out and ended the marriage. They got sued by the guy. So, now they take a picture of the license plate and the registered owner of the vehicle gets the ticket. This is flawed for many reasons:
1. If you lend the car to someone YOU get the ticket.
2. If someone borrows your car without telling you, YOU get the ticket.
2. If you sell the car and the title doesn't get transferred, YOU get the ticket.
3. Someone can prank you and put a paper license plate with your license number on their car, YOU get the ticket. (it's not rare in some cities) http://www.facebook.com/l/c98e9;www.thenewspaper.com/news/26/2632.asp
4. If the car is stolen YOU get the ticket (granted you can go before the judge and you have to PROVE it was stolen - harassment of the innocent).
5. If you own a business and your driver runs a light, YOU get the ticket. (some companies have multiple drivers for one vehicle - good luck figuring out who it was)"
AB
what a see here is personal issues, that need to be solve driver-third party nobody else, do not expect the city to know everysingle citizens life(not its bussiness anyways), so please be responsable for ur selves. not drama .
i agree we need light cameras, if you have not 10 sec. to stop look out and wait then ur going to fast and been reckless.
Red light cameras are necessary for those idiots that risk theirs and others lives when running the lights!
1. If you lent your car to a friend or family member, go after them to pay it...please stop whining.
2. Fake a plate? Really? Sell your car, wait, move out of Baytown and the IQ will instantly go up!
I'm not suprised at the foolish comments here. If you obeyed the law, you wouldn't get a ticket. It is on video when they do it most times. Just don't pay it and let it go on your credit report. It probably wouldn't do any more damaged I suspect!
3. Quit trying to race others! People drive like it is a race and don't realize the consequences and additionally, your not going to the same place numbskull!
These cameras with their shortened yellow lights make intersections more dangerous. I'm always ready to floor it or slam on the brakes now. Why allow a private company to take half the money and decide guilt? I avoid areas which have them, so my money is spent elsewhere. If it were truly dangerous, why is it a civil fine, not a moving violation? Let's all get it over with and get micro-chipped already...
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