Spray aims to foil toll, red light cameras, cops say it's illegal

[The Straight Story]

Spray aims to foil toll, red light cameras

10:48 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 28, 2005

By BRAD WATSON / WFAA-TV

With high-tech cameras now monitoring intersections for red light runners and watching toll plazas for motorists who fail to pay, police and lawmakers are taking a look at a low-tech scheme designed to foil the surveillance systems.

It's a special spray designed to make license plates invisible.

Garland installed cameras at five intersections in 2003, and police said the observation system reduced red light running by about 20 percent. The Texas legislature rejected attempts to ban the cameras in this year's session.
Also Online

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Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said the technique is ineffective and illegal. "If you put anything on a license plate̬any kind of a plastic cover or if you spray anything on there that causes a license plate not to be able to be read—that's against the law," he said.


http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa050628_wz_photoblocker.5390d6fb.html

[sniffa]

1. good idea

is there a Link?

[The Straight Story]

3. Doh - added link on edited, thanks for pointing it out!

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa050628_wz_photoblocker.5390d6fb.html

[Massacure]

2. Invisible to cameras or invisible to the human eye as well?

[The Straight Story]

5. Here is product website:

http://www.photoblocker.co.za/

[SouthernDem2004]

4. It would be illegal in my state also and I believe most states if not all.

[meegbear]

6. It's ineffective and illegal?

If it's ineffective, why would it be illegal?

[Not_Giving_Up]

7. Texas passed a law last year that said that an obstructed license plate

was reason to pull you over. What do they consider obstructive? The main issue are the frames that go around your license plate - supporting your alma mater, or your favorite sports team, or advertising the dealership where you bought your car. The law was already in effect before most people knew about it. I went to court for a speeding ticket once, and there was an elderly man there ranting that his license plate was NOT obstructed. It seems that he thought he had only been tagged for speeding, then the judge pointed out that he was also charged with O.L.P.

[MadHound]

8. A much simpler and cheaper low tech way of achieving the same thing

Go splatter some mud on your plates. It not only makes you license plate illegible, but you also can't get a ticket over it, especially if you car gets a little dirty. Cop may pull you over, but they certainly won't give you a ticket.

[sweetheart]

9. Its hard to fake a muddy car

I've got a dirt driveway with mud puddles, and my 4wd has a permanent
coating of mud on it. Well, i wiped some off to check if there was
what i thought was a scratch... and then i wanted to restore the mud
a bit, so it at least looked normal... and its really quite hard to
fake it...

I did find, whilst living in colorado, that snow can be caked on to a
registration sticker to keep an unreg'ed car from being pulled over...
but covering the whole plate's a bit suspicious.

From what i hear, those sprays work a charm, and only "reflect" when
presented with a flash bulb... otherwise, they're undetectable. The
reason the police state wants to make it illegal, is that it works.

[-..__...]

15. But wait!... order now and you'll receive a bonus gift!

This is almost as bad as the RonCo GLH- Formula #9 spray on hair.

(I guess #'s 1-8 didn't work out to well :smoke:}.





http://www.sprayonmud.com/index.html

Sprayonmud is NOT to be used to obscure number-plates or the lights on your vehicle. This, of course, is illegal and while it is not an endorsable offence, if your number plates cannot be read at a reasonable distance – or photographed by a speed camera – you could face a hefty fine."

Note: this is from a British website. The law may be different in
our 50 states (I kinda doubt it though. Most states require that the palte number be unobstructed).

[ISUGRADIA]

10. An even simpler idea: Don't run red lights

[GeekMonkey]

12. and hope the cameras are funtioning properly

this is surveillance wihtout probable cause and so any measures to fight back are mandatory for any patriotic american

[Massacure]

13. Don't need probable cause to set up a camera.

Its the same effect as if there was a live police officer there. You can disagree but don't complain when soemthing bad happens to you over it.

[Liberty Belle]

17. In some areas they rig the light to be sure you get ticketed.

A community in our area was caught in cahoots with the makers of the red light cameras to boost revenues, intentionally timing the yellow light to be too short for any car to make it through.

[msmcghee]

11. An even simpler way guaranteed to avoid tickets . .

. . is don't run a red light.

Ooops ISUGRADIA Beat me by a few seconds. So I'll secong his/her thoghts.

[ISUGRADIA]

14. After I posted today I was out and saw not one but three

individuals run red lights. And not 1/2 second after it turned either. One guy came to a stop then proceeded to go through a red light when no cars were coming.

At another intersection I come to the red light and stopped as it went from yellow. Two seconds later a motorcycle comes speeding through, not slowing down. Another two seconds later his buddy does the same. I'm glad the mother and two kids on bikes at the intersection saw them coming and waited.

Cops can't man every intersection. I'm willing to see these cameras given a chance.

[-..__...]

16. To those who suggest not running red lights to begin with...

it's not that simple. There can be and are extenuating circumstances when running a red light is unavoidable (and I'm not talking about blowing full speed ahead through the light with no regard to safety).

WRT red light cameras, a picture isn't necessarily worth a 1,000 words nor do they fully explain the circumstances or situation.

At least if there's a police officer present there's some human contact to evaluate and use discretion at the scene.

One other problem is that the use of red light cameras is just another revenue generating scheme used by municipalities and private contractors.

If you wish to read up on it a bit more;here's one sarting point...

http://www.highwayrobbery.net

There are others as well.

[msmcghee]

18. I disagree. It is that simple.

There is no reason to run a red light . . ever.

If you don't have time to stop after seeing the red then you are traveling too fast.

I have no patience with those who see traffic laws as some kind of a game between you and the cops to see what you can get away with. You are endangering my life and the life of my family and others' lives when you run red lights.

[-..__...]

19. "There is no reason to run a red light . . ever."

"Ever"? Be very careful here.

I guess the next time an emergency vehicle is stuck behind me at a red light (and using proper judgment I can safely run the red light), I should just ignore them and sit and wait for the light to change?

Or, if I happen to get caught in the middle of an intersection during a fast yellow light and the asshat in front of me comes to a sudden stop because another asshat pedestrian decides to cross against the light?

There are circumstances and situations beyond our control and red light cameras don't take that into consideration.

The predictable response will be something along the lines of "you have the right to challenge the citation in court and a fair and understanding judge will rule in your favor".

Yeah, right :rofl:.