Maryland Teens Using Speed Cameras To Punk Enemies

[cgarison]

From Jalopnik http://www.Jalopnik.com

• Maryland Teens Using Speed Cameras To Punk Enemies
  By Matt Hardigree, 3:40 PM on Mon Dec 22 2008
  
  Tired of texting their sexcapades to their fathers, teenagers have turned to combining photoshop skills, speed cameras and cruelty in order to raise havoc and punish their enemies (and frenemies).
  
  Students at Montgomery High School in southern Maryland have apparently been reprinting copies of the license plates of people they don't like, attaching them to their own cars and driving past traffic cameras at high rates of speed. The result is a $40 fine sent to the hated peer or teacher.
  
  It's a sign of just how smart traffic cameras are when teenagers with photo paper and a color printer can fool them. Teenagers are calling this the "Speed Camera Pimping Game" proving once and for all kids neither understand the wholesomeness of the games we played when we where children nor the true unwholesomeness of the life of actual whoring awaiting them on the other side of their juvenile delinquencies.

[Hoosier Daddy]

That's actually a cool idea.

If there was ever a reason to totally abandon speed-tripped and red light cameras, well, here you go.

[cgarison]

I know I would be looking at a felony or two had speed cameras been around in 1990.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I've never agreed with these cameras. I think a police officer should be required to witness the actual violation and identify the driver of the vehicle before citing anyone. These devices are simply revenue enhancers that serve double duty by acting as "robo cops', replacing the actual officer with a machine, and further decreasing the "cost" of traffic enforcement.

I'm actually surprised we haven't seen a SCOTUS ruling prohibiting these devices everywhere.

[Tom Taggart]

Surprised that someone hasn't tried to argue that the photo shows a Ford Focus when the plate should be on a Toyota Camry....

[David Paleg]

From Snopes.com

In June 1991, the following squib appeared in San Francisco columnist Herb Caen's column:

Steve Barkley of Pebble Beach just got a $45 ticket and a photo of his car caught speeding
in one of those new and possibly unconstitutional photo-radar speed traps in Campbell. Not
to be outdone, he sent the Campbell Police Dept. a photo of $45 but I don't think it'll work either.

A week later, Caen had occasion to follow up with:

I ran an item a few days ago about Steve Barkley of Pebble Beach getting a $45 ticket for
speeding through the photo-radar "trap" in Campbell and sending the Campbell Police Dept.
a photo of $45. Well, Campbell police chief James A. Cost was equal to the challenge. He
mailed Barkley a photo of a set of handcuffs. Your move, Steve.

[Big Media]

I believe it is time we start parenting these douche bag kids instead of blaming "the system."

However, it does open up a burden of proof problem for the prosecution. I thought most of these speed traps took photo graphs of the car, the license plate, and the driver simultaneously from several cameras.