Maryland Speed cameras

[Suvhater]

Quote Originally Posted by Judai View Post
They are not voluntary fines, you have to pay them or risk further penalties.

They never tell you that they are voluntary, the correspondence is actually quite the opposite. There are threats of increased fines and further penalties, except the threats are hollow and cannot be enforced. I am unable to post links as i dont have the number of posts required. See LA Times article "Red-light camera tickets? You can ignore them, L.A. officials say" dated July 11, 2011. perhaps someone would post the link after this post.

[hey]

They never tell you that they are voluntary, the correspondence is actually quite the opposite. There are threats of increased fines and further penalties, except the threats are hollow and cannot be enforced. I am unable to post links as i dont have the number of posts required. See LA Times article "Red-light camera tickets? You can ignore them, L.A. officials say" dated July 11, 2011. perhaps someone would post the link after this post.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...cials-say.html

[Apelila]

Obamas police state agenda

I know this is a troll but I'll bite. This shit originated well before 2008, and in many cases from Republican states. Also, its the states not the federal government rolling out the systems; in many cases they are sold onto the idea of a revenue stream by the company that owns/builds/maintains said system. Then, said company typically helps write the bill and takes a hefty fee for administering said system so the states do not have to.

[arus2001]

Could've sworn I remember reading something about camera tickets not being official without a presiding officer on scene to actually stop you, but that also might've just been some rhetoric for people fighting against them as they were a bit of a hot topic here a few years back before seemingly getting decided against.

[Lucavi]

Fuck Maryland, I think you should stiff them.

Good luck with trying to get your tags renewed. You can't get out of these fines, OP. I've been in MD for my entire life and have yet to meet anyone who has gotten out of one. Typically you won't find these cameras on highways; usually they're on a road that has either a college or a public school located somewhere on it. My mother was hit with one a few months back for going 12 over on a street leading to the college where she's worked for 30-something years. They seem to be more prominent in and around the Towson and Baltimore County areas.

You'll have to suck it up, pay it, and keep it in the back of your head from now on. You aren't getting out of it, and its best to not have to worry about it later. You can pay it via credit card directly over MD's website if you want.

[Fhqwghads]

I can't even read more than a few articles on that site. Shit like that makes my blood boil.

[Judai]

They never tell you that they are voluntary, the correspondence is actually quite the opposite. There are threats of increased fines and further penalties, except the threats are hollow and cannot be enforced. I am unable to post links as i dont have the number of posts required. See LA Times article "Red-light camera tickets? You can ignore them, L.A. officials say" dated July 11, 2011. perhaps someone would post the link after this post.

Obviously the Red Light cameras in LA are different then the Speed cameras in MD. My brother didn't pay two he got the same week and ended up having to jump through hoops once his license was suspended for it. He's also tried to go to court and fight them several times and never won. The threats are not hollow, they will increase your fines by hitting you with late fees and eventually not allow you to renew your license and even suspend it.

[Necronus]

Could've sworn I remember reading something about camera tickets not being official without a presiding officer on scene to actually stop you, but that also might've just been some rhetoric for people fighting against them as they were a bit of a hot topic here a few years back before seemingly getting decided against.

While there are lots of automated red light cameras and such in MD, in many work zones, the cameras are mounted on the hood/grill of easily identifyable MD Transportation vehicles which they move around the work zones to avoid people from adapting to their locations. As far as I know there is always someone in these vehicles who monitors the photos and can approve/deny them on the spot. (Although with how much the damn camera go off at night, I have no idea how they can keep up)

Apparently one of those monitor guys was assaulted on 295 between DC and Baltimore by an angry guy with a shotgun who got a ticket from that vehicle.

[arus2001]

While there are lots of automated red light cameras and such in MD, in many work zones, the cameras are mounted on the hood/grill of easily identifyable MD Transportation vehicles which they move around the work zones to avoid people from adapting to their locations. As far as I know there is always someone in these vehicles who monitors the photos and can approve/deny them on the spot. (Although with how much the damn camera go off at night, I have no idea how they can keep up)

Apparently one of those monitor guys was assaulted on 295 between DC and Baltimore by an angry guy with a shotgun who got a ticket from that vehicle.

Still feel like that, due to it being a law enforcement, an actual police officer should be involved on top of human interaction at the issuing of the ticket. The cynical part of me doesn't trust some guy sitting in a van to properly monitor equipment or not have the means to manipulate the data between the incident and ticket mailing. Time stamps aren't infallible, and with enough time in photoshop, I could make a 500 pound guy look like he can run 80mph between two stills.

I can appreciate the intent of the cameras, but the element of absentee law enforcement just strikes me as problematic. If the photos also don't get a clear shot of the driver, pegging the ticket on the vehicle owner is also a bit unfair when it could be a relative or even some guy that jacked their ride.

[Meresgi]

Good luck with trying to get your tags renewed. You can't get out of these fines, OP. I've been in MD for my entire life and have yet to meet anyone who has gotten out of one. Typically you won't find these cameras on highways; usually they're on a road that has either a college or a public school located somewhere on it. My mother was hit with one a few months back for going 12 over on a street leading to the college where she's worked for 30-something years. They seem to be more prominent in and around the Towson and Baltimore County areas.

You'll have to suck it up, pay it, and keep it in the back of your head from now on. You aren't getting out of it, and its best to not have to worry about it later. You can pay it via credit card directly over MD's website if you want.

Yeah I kind of figured I would get fucked by it and end up paying it either way. Not even sure if school was in session on the 20th lol, fucking school zones.

[Acevalefor]

MD sounds like it sucks to get a camera ticket. Here in good old Beaverton/Tigard Oregon, they have red light cameras everywhere and make a good deal of money off of them because people are too lazy or dumb to fight the tickets. They are completely non-enforceable because they are unable to prove positive identification of the driver (i.e. nobody was there to check their ID). A photo of the driver is not positive proof of identification in Oregon because of a case a few years ago where a guy was getting tickets in the mail for a driver that had stolen his plates and looked kind of similar to the guy getting the tickets.

Remote cameras are a joke here and they get vandalized all the time because of how controversial they are.

[Baha]

I can appreciate the intent of the cameras, but the element of absentee law enforcement just strikes me as problematic. If the photos also don't get a clear shot of the driver, pegging the ticket on the vehicle owner is also a bit unfair when it could be a relative or even some guy that jacked their ride.

If someone else is driving your car, it's up to you to settle things with them, not law enforcement's responsibility.

As Enedin said, they've been standard in Belgium and other EU countires for a decade or so now. They've been vandalized (spraypainted the lens, or lit a tire on fire around them etc) a ton, there's countermeasures aplenty (the aforementioned strobes do exist, as do trackers, jammers etc) but by now everybody just deals with it.

[Salodin]

If someone else is driving your car, it's up to you to settle things with them, not law enforcement's responsibility.

...what?

[Acevalefor]

...what?

2nded...

How could this even enter the realm of coherent thought?

Don't worry guys! If your friend borrows your car, you are responsible for their actions. If they go and get drunk, it's your DUI, not theirs...why didn't I think of this long ago? It would have saved my friends so many DUI tickets if they had just borrowed someone else's car...

[Baha]

2nded...

How could this even enter the realm of coherent thought?

Don't worry guys! If your friend borrows your car, you are responsible for their actions. If they go and get drunk, it's your DUI, not theirs...why didn't I think of this long ago? It would have saved my friends so many DUI tickets if they had just borrowed someone else's car...

If a friend damages or totals your car, you take it up with them. If a friend gets a speeding ticket with your car, runs a red light or a parking ticket, you get the ticket in the mail, and you take it up with them. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

DUI or accidents with other people involved aren't even related, as there's no way for it to be unclear who's behind the wheel, and thus responsible.
Unless your friend does a hit and run of course, in which case they're still going to look for the car owner first.

[Ksandra]

If a friend damages or totals your car, you take it up with them. If a friend gets a speeding ticket with your car, runs a red light or a parking ticket, you get the ticket in the mail, and you take it up with them. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

he's kinda right. Usually when a friend drives your car, the law enforcement/insurance goes after the owner. The owner has to, in turn, seek the money damages from the friend like through small claims (if the friend refuses).

[edit] to clarify, DUI is different, obviously the drunk driver is the one that get in trouble. I'm referring to things like if the car were to get damage, or damage another car, and in the case of tickets.

[Judai]

I think several ppl don't understand these are cameras to catch speeders, not people running red lights(which we have also and you actually can fight those in court if you can make a good enough claim/excuse with evidence). The speed cameras only catch the back of your car and plate numbers, they don't care who is driving, the owner of the car gets a ticket. So my mom got a ticket when I was driving her car once. If you are driving another persons' car it's your responsibility to not be an asshole and get tickets. If you get a parking ticket in your mom's car, it is in her name since it's her car, and she has to get the money from you or pay it herself.

If your car is stolen or you can prove someone else was driving you can transfer the ticket to someone else or have it nulled(in the case of a stolen car) but you have to go to court for that. A DUI is a crime that you are caught in the act of, if you get a parking ticket, hit and run, speeding camera ticket, etc, those goes against the owner of the car and it's then their responsibility to prove someone else is at fault. Of course, if you are that much of an asshole that you borrow friend's and relative's cars and do stupid shit in them, you probably won't have friends and family for long.

[Gregorio]

No points are added to your license if you get those tickets...I think you could theoretically get a hundred of them and still just get fined without losing your license. Just like a parking ticket like someone compared it to earlier. If someone borrows your car and gets a ticket, it's a civil matter, not criminal.

And yes there are a few of them on the east/west northern parkway near most of the school areas. I see the one at Saini Hospital nailing people all the time. There's also a bunch on 695, but those are usually decently easy to spot.

[Acevalefor]

he's kinda right. Usually when a friend drives your car, the law enforcement/insurance goes after the owner. The owner has to, in turn, seek the money damages from the friend like through small claims (if the friend refuses).

[edit] to clarify, DUI is different, obviously the drunk driver is the one that get in trouble. I'm referring to things like if the car were to get damage, or damage another car, and in the case of tickets.

So I was being facetious about the drunk driving thing in case you didn't catch that. The idea I was talking about is that when an officer pulls you over for speeding, he doesn't write a ticket to the owner of the car, he writes one to you, the driver. This is the problem with absentee camera tickets. They place blame without any proof of who is driving the car. Whether the car was borrowed without my knowledge, stolen, or grandma took it to the store and missed the school zone sign, it should not be (and isn't in Oregon) legal to ticket the registered owner without being able to provide positive proof of identification. This also applies to fleet vehicles registered to the business owner. You still have to respond to the ticket/summons, but there is a little box that you check that says you were not the driver and/or this is a fleet vehicle.

[Ksandra]

So I was being facetious about the drunk driving thing in case you didn't catch that. The idea I was talking about is that when an officer pulls you over for speeding, he doesn't write a ticket to the owner of the car, he writes one to you, the driver. This is the problem with absentee camera tickets. They place blame without any proof of who is driving the car. Whether the car was borrowed without my knowledge, stolen, or grandma took it to the store and missed the school zone sign, it should not be (and isn't in Oregon) legal to ticket the registered owner without being able to provide positive proof of identification. This also applies to fleet vehicles registered to the business owner. You still have to respond to the ticket/summons, but there is a little box that you check that says you were not the driver and/or this is a fleet vehicle.

What about parking tickets though? It's the same thing. They give it while you're out shopping but what if it was grandma who took it to the store and didn't park it correctly?

When it comes to stolen vehicles, you get the ticket initially but once you prove it was stolen then charges can get dropped. However, if you let a friend drive tickets are something you have to be aware that you're putting yourself at risk for.

Again, let's say it was a friend, and you got sent the ticket. You then can go to small claims and try and prove it was your friend driving, so they have to pay for it.

You may not like it, but it's really not that "unfair".