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April 13, 2008
Stop Lights, and Tickets, for Everyone!
It was Christmas Eve and I was laying around back home in Kingsport, Tennessee when my dad came into the room saying that I had received a piece of mail from the city of St. Louis. "Wow!" I thought, "Mayor Slay must have known that I was going to be away during the holiday season and therefore, sent me a card wishing a blessed Christmas for me and my family!" To my surprise, it wasn't a card colored with red and green and glitter, but, just the opposite...a ticket for running a red light, with a picture of my car "running the red light" attached. The bill was for $100. The funny part is that there are actually three pictures in which one of them I'm stopped at the red light before I make the turn. "Merry Freakin' Christmas to me," I thought. Before I go any further it should be mentioned that my "running of the red light" occurred at an intersection where I was the only car present...oh, and I was turning right. That's right...no cars, and I was turning right on red...at 11 a.m. in the morning, not exactly rush hour. There are cameras taking pictures of people running red lights all over St. Louis like this, 21 to be exact...and more to come.
When I received the letter and saw that there were pictures of me at first I was mad, but then I felt a little insecure, like someone had been following me to watch my every move...it was very Big Brother-like. I know the idea is that these types of machines are there to keep streets safe, but I can't help but think of the amount of revenue that is made along the way. According to the Riverfront Times, St. Louis has made $1.9 million in the first ten months since the instillation. In an article I read from RFT they say, "City Hall is also hesitant to advertise the additional $900,000 that's gone to Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions (ATS), the private company that installs and monitors the cameras, and then splits the fines with the city." Wow! This is a virtual money-making machine! Seems like there is a conflict of interest.
As I look into this new way to bring justice and safety to our town, I see the good, but I see the negatives as well. If running red lights is such a problem in St. Louis, which I'll agree that it is, then why are these gizmos located at intersections that may not be the most dangerous locations? Furthermore, if there is a ticket mailed to you with a picture of your car, who can prove that it's you in the driver seat? Your image is not going to appear in the photographs. Some say that this is a violation of your 5th Amendment rights. Many questions left to answer leaves me to ask what is the line between using this type of machinery and finding a fair way of punishing those that break the law?
Don't get me wrong...I'm fine with giving people what's coming to them when it comes to breaking the law, I just think that this mode is not appropriate. When you look at the data of how this equipment has been used in other states it doesn't necessarily show that drivers become safer. I think policemen should be giving the tickets. The use of cameras leaves things to a very black/white way of practicing justice...leaving no room grey areas such as my own experience.
Anyway, the red light fiasco is behind me personally. I can't believe that there are people at private companies that are getting rich on these things. I also can't believe that some of the intersections were chosen over other ones...and finally, I can't believe that people are actually going to stop when they remember, "Oh crap, this is one of those lights where you get the ticket."
| By Nathan Gemayel | 8:04 PM
Comments
Lights, camera, action! I, too, have been the victim of red-light camera justice. In the first picture, the light was yellow, but my "tires were past the line." What was so ironic about my situation was that I was on my way to volunteer with single mothers and teach them how to follow and comprehend laws! (Well, educational laws, but it's still comical).
Anyway, this is a hot topic in Kingsport, too. In fact, it was the #1 commented about topic on www.timesnews.net for 2007. Even in podunk Tennessee, we're not immune to camera enforcement.
Posted by: Raaaaaaaaaaaaay at April 13, 2008 8:58 PM
It's a travesty all over the country apparently. That is a story that could only happen to you Rachel. Ha!
Posted by: Nathan Gemayel at April 13, 2008 11:16 PM
Interesting! I HATE those light photos... I wonder how all this stuff got passed into action without any kind of vote- must have been approved by the City Council or something...
I visited my brother in Phoenix- call it the "Big Brother State" because they are watching you there, they even have one spot where there is a speed camera on the highway- what a joke. Everyone slows down around one bend in the road and then speeds back up.
There's even a sign to warn you: Warning, Automatic Speeding Enforcement Zone Ahead!
Posted by: Heidi H. at April 14, 2008 10:14 PM