They Walk Among Us

[Foxy Lady]

Very Good Freddie!

[LordTheNightKnight]

People in Youtube videos.

 

They walk among us.

 

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If you follow gaming news, you may have heard about the Xbox 360 launching with a design that puts the GPU, a heat generating component, directly under the disc drive, another heat generating component. Not only did the designers not put two and two together, they then used a half-sized heat sink to make the GPU fit.

 

That is the major cause of 360 failures.

 

They walk among us.

 

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On the other hand, some Xbox 360 owners thought they had a total system failure (known as the Red Rings of Death), when they just had a loose A/V plug. They actually sent the systems in for repair, instead of checking every plug first.

 

They walk among us.

 

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Some hard right people actually think Stephen Colbert is one of them. Some of those people are why he was invited to that White House Corespondents dinner.

 

They walk among us.

[JGalanos]

A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car.

 

Very funny!

 

Except for that automated speed trap thingy. Is that for real?

[Guest]

I got one doing 30 in a school zone.

 

No one was around

 

 

 

OFF

[ReFur]

When I was in Switzerland a lot 20 years ago, it was used as a normal speed control method.

 

Linda

[silverfox57de]

Most european countries have such automated speed traps and the penalties are sometimes very hard.

Switzerland is one of the worst in that belong. Driving to fast may easily cost you up to three monthly incomes...if that is high enough 8)

You have to pay immidiately otherwise you are jailed until they have the money.

 

Finland has some problems with drivers that try to escape the police when caught by driving to fast. Solution: They equipped some police cars with harpoons that shoot a hook fixed on a cable into your cars trunk

 

Here in Germany you can be sure that at school start after vacations every city builds up speed traps around any school. The limit there is 30km/h (approx. 15mph) Driving the normal speed of 50km/h in such an area will cost 50 Euros and endanger your driving license if you are caught repeatedly.

[Worker 11811]

Finland has some problems with drivers that try to escape the police when caught by driving to fast. Solution: They equipped some police cars with harpoons that shoot a hook fixed on a cable into your cars trunk

 

Load the car's trunk up with about 5 kilos of ammonium nitrate pellets mixed with a generous sprinkling of finely ground aluminum powder and this practice will stop!

 

There are several problems with this, however. Namely, it's the kind of stunt you can only pull one time!

[JGalanos]

Most european countries have such automated speed traps and the penalties are sometimes very hard.

Switzerland is one of the worst in that belong. Driving to fast may easily cost you up to three monthly incomes...if that is high enough

You have to pay immidiately otherwise you are jailed until they have the money.

 

That just ain't right.

 

Not that I have a lead foot or anything. 8)

[White Fox]

They used to have that in parts of Canada but if was gotten rid of most everywhere. However, some people for some strange reason want it brought back.

 

The biggest problem I have with it is that almost no one is given a job. Some of these times when almost no one has a job and no one thus has any money, big business etc will realize their mistake! Give a person a job to do these things. It's time we smartened up.

W

[silverfox57de]

oh yes worker.....it would only need some loads of concrete to fill up the hole in the road.

 

On the other hand the people there are very sporty . I think its a little trial at all whose car is the faster one

 

For clarification JGalanos: The fine starts at a minimum of 6100Euro when driving 31 - 35km/h too fast IN the city or 36 - 40 too fast outside.

At the next ranges of speed excession the fine climbs up to 10000Euro PLUS 3 - 10 days jail.

Even if you drive only 1 f....ing km too fast costs 85Euro , more than 5km too fast 700Euro

 

 

Back to finland: A Nokia manager passed a red traffic light = 35000Euro

A owner of a large company drove 80km/h in a 40 Zone = 170000Euro

[Worker 11811]

The biggest problem with automated traffic enforcement devices is oversight.

 

If... IF... there is proper oversight where a human reviews each activation of the system (i.e.: speeding ticket) AND has the power to throw out any and all citations that appear out of place, automatic speeder cameras are okay.

 

If... IF... there is a properly trained human technician who oversees the operation of the system to ensure that it ONLY activates (i.e.: issues a citation) when a driver breaks the law AND he has the power to effect repairs on that system AND he has the power to take the system out of operation in the event that it stops working properly, automatic speeder cameras are okay.

 

If... IF... there must be fair warning that automatic devices are used to enforce traffic regulations by signs posted prominently and at regular intervals throughout the area where the devices are used.

 

Further, these three clauses must be written non-severably into the law that authorizes the use of automated traffic enforcement devices so that, if they are removed or substantially altered in meaning, the ENTIRE statute becomes invalid, thereby making the use of automatic detection devices ILLEGAL.

 

Anything other that this amounts to the state or municipality using the devices as a money-making machine. They just put up the cameras and let the computer issue tickets without regard to whether the citations are actually valid. It's just another revenue stream.

 

And, that being the case, this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL by reason of Taxation without representation.

 

People from outside the jurisdiction are BOUND to be caught in an unfair speed trap. Those people will be issued a citation which specifies a fine that they must either pay or contest at a court appearence.

 

Now, let's say the fine is only $100. $200, even.

 

If I am from out of the jurisdiction, I must take a day off from work and travel a long distance to another state or town to explain why I should not be fined. I don't know about you but, that day's journey is bound to cost far more than 100 or 200 dollars! I would be more likely to sign on the dotted line and pay up than take the day off work and travel several hundred miles and spend the day in court to MAYBE get out of a fine!

 

If I am from out of the jurisdiction, I can't vote against the use of automated traffic enforcement devices in that state or town. Neither can I vote against the person who enacted the law.

 

But I must still pay an unfair tax.

(Remember: You don't have to call it a "tax" for it to actually BE a tax.)

 

As long as conditions are satisfied that make it so ONLY violators are cited and fined, automated devices are fair. But, if even ONE person is unfairly fined because of lack of oversight, they are WRONG!

[LordTheNightKnight]

That's the internet. One minor part of the OP becomes the whole discussion.

[White Fox]

Worker, you missed the biggest problem with it there. Although I may have missed it in your description due to being short on time.

 

Here at least if it is used the fine goes to the owner of the car. If you are the owner of a car and your son takes it for a "Joy ride", and gets a $500 fine, it is you who gets the bill and not him! That is why I have always been so against it. They say that a car owner must be responsible for his car at all times.

 

But just think. If people think that way. Then, a knife owner would be responsible if someone used his knife to kill someone. Opens up a huge new area that is very, very dangerous indeed.

 

W