It's Cameras All The Way Down
Mollie Hemingway, Ed. ·
September 14, 2012 at 4:33pm
The Washington Post reports that a local county is mounting cameras to monitor its traffic cameras.
As David Freddoso writes, "Anyone notice the slight problem with this plan?"
Either way, the camera plan was hatched after some patriot(s) in Prince George's County shot a camera with a gun and set another on fire.
These cameras might raise all sorts of safety and civil liberty concerns, but they are huge moneymakers for the county. Sigh.
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Apr '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
So cameras are now equal to road repair crews where 5 people are paid to watch 1 person work. Woo-Hoo, Government Ingenuity.
Nov '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Or is it a money maker?
Jun '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
I have myself pondered camera vigilantism. Instead I crack wise every time the morning news person shows us a live picture of cars going by at a random point in the local interstate system. And then switches to another view 12 miles away where, guess what?, cars are going by...
Aug '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
All these robotized traffic cops, but has there been any reduction in the number of traffic cops ?
I saw a figure the other day that there are half as many house fires these days as there were in the 70s. This is mostly due to widespread use of smoke alarms . But in my community we have as many ,or more firefighters now than we did in the 70s.
In order to keep them busy, they now chase ambulances, literally.
Edited on September 14, 2012 at 4:47pmDec '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
We can kvetch all we want about the cameras, but every day (literally, not figuratively) I see at least three cars go through a light after it turns red on my way home from work. I hate the cameras and their implications for liberty, but I hate the drivers who create a valid argument for them just as much.
"But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of licence..."
Apr '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
"Out west near Hawtch-Hawtch there's a Hawtch-Hawtcher bee watcher, his job is to watch. Is to keep both his eyes on the lazy town bee, a bee that is watched will work harder you see. So he watched and he watched, but in spite of his watch that bee didn't work any harder not mawtch. So then somebody said "Our old bee-watching man just isn't bee watching as hard as he can, he ought to be watched by another Hawtch-Hawtcher! The thing that we need is a bee-watcher-watcher!". Well, the bee-watcher-watcher watched the bee-watcher. He didn't watch well so another Hawtch-Hawtcher had to come in as a watch-watcher-watcher! And now all the Hawtchers who live in Hawtch-Hawtch are watching on watch watcher watchering watch, watch watching the watcher who's watching that bee. You're not a Hawtch-Watcher you're lucky you see!” -- Dr. Seuss
Nov '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
That's a good title, Mollie.
May '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Jan '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
This is about the only time that teenagers come in handy.
May '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
This is me, watching you, watching the camera watching you. And who's watching me?
Dec '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
For the camera manufacturer, yes
Apr '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
A lot of studies have been done that show that most red light violators are doing it by accident and that increasing the time of the yellow light by one second eliminates the vast majority of violations in troubled intersections. Decreasing the length of the yellow light vastly increases violations, which is why several municipalities have done exactly that when they install red light cameras. The companies that install the red light cameras (and get a commission based on the number of citations issued) will frequently specify in the contract that the city is forbidden from increasing the time of the yellow lights. It's not about safety, it's about revenue. Furthermore, most studies show no decrease in accidents after the cameras are installed. You might get a slight decrease in T-bone accidents but get more rear-end collisions.
As a side note, I understand that in California, legions of state employees are exempt from being ticketed by cameras.
Dec '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Is it possible to kill two birds with one stone? Or might it take an RPG?
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
I stole it from someone on Twitter yesterday but there was no way I could remember who. I tried to come up with something else but it was the only option, really.
Oct '10
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I stole it from someone on Twitter yesterday but there was no way I could remember who. I tried to come up with something else but it was the only option, really. · 4 minutes ago
It was Jonah of course.
Jul '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Good, more targets. It is cheaper than buying them at the store.
Jun '12
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I stole it from someone on Twitter yesterday but there was no way I could remember who. I tried to come up with something else but it was the only option, really. · 9 minutes ago
The original phrase, "It's turtles all the way down" is apparently somewhat older, depending on which of the stories you subscribe to. :)
May '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Probably, the second camera has 360 degree coverage so anyone shooting either it or the traffic camera (focused narrowly on the road) will be recorded.
Thus, rather than shooting the camera, one must attack from above with a drone.
Nov '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
ConservativeWanderer
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I stole it from someone on Twitter yesterday but there was no way I could remember who. I tried to come up with something else but it was the only option, really. · 9 minutes ago
The original phrase, "It's turtles all the way down" is apparently somewhat older, depending on which of the stories you subscribe to. :) · 43 minutes ago
Yeah, I think we all got that. I said the title out loud and looked at the picture and thought you could just shoot out the second camera and then the first. Then in my mind's eye I saw an infinite line of cameras watching each other.
Nov '11
Re: It's Cameras All The Way Down
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I stole it from someone on Twitter yesterday but there was no way I could remember who. I tried to come up with something else but it was the only option, really. · 56 minutes ago
Good writers barrow. Great writers steal.