Phony Speed Cameras in MD

Fred,

Are YOU going to stop your car every time you see a camera box and check if there is a camera installed? I doubt it. The empty camera box has been used for quite a while in other places. I seem to remember a discussion about empty camera boxes being one in NY a while back. The problem is you don't always know when the "empty" will go live.

Either way, Real or Phony, it WILL Slow down the Speeders. I do not object to Phony Cameras in School Zones. The Police however, could maybe make some extra Money, by using Real Cameras to Catch the Culprits with no Respect to Kids or the Law.

Great idea.

... there's no money in fake cameras. MD prefers to put up the real thing with inaccurate readings, tickets for parked cars, constantly "on" school and work zone cameras, and fat kick backs from contractors.

Am I correct in assuming that the speed cameras are using radar or laser? If so, then a radar/laser detector would be good enough to avoid a ticket from these cameras, and you wouldn't have to worry about it being real or not. If you are alerted, slow down.

I wan't aware that there were others, BoxCar. In my area, if I report a camera, I will check it out more than just saving coordinates.

I was just identifying a "new" strategy in my general area that I thought folks would be interested in.

As for forgoing revenue from the fakes, I'm sure they wouldn't do it if they had another option.

Are such things going on in other States?

Fred

Fairly easy to argue that a fake camera is for safety rather than revenue!
Mark

State trooper car with a manikin in uniform in the grass on the north side of I95 before you reached the Maryland House choke and puke.

They used to have an unmanned State Police car on one of the Tollways here in Chicago. It worked for a while but eventually some wisea$$ put a Dunkin Donuts box on the hood.

I'll agree with that-

Funny

Good to know but not sure about making people stop in the middle of the road to check to see if they're real or not when posting on POI. I'm happy people are posting red camera locations in general.

AGREED! Maryland lives and breathes this stuff, we got all the phony phony right here and D.C. is just as bad. There were a lot of short timed yellow lights early on and they are here to stay! Every time their attempt to improve only results in further gridlock! Would be funny if not so sad!

Maryland is a pathetic war zone all the time. Either you get to gone only one block before another red light of ridiculous length or besieged by relentless red light and speed cameras as well as work zone photo traps. No way to get decent gas mileage when all you do is STOP!

The Atlantic City Expressway in NJ had a couple unmanned cars off to the side parked in the same way a "live" trooper would be on the road heading toward Philly. They'd move them once in awhile to different spots. Back then there were more troopers really on the roads so the dummy cars always made you slow down.

A radar/laser detector should be able to verify.

Pennsylvania would do this too. The real officer would be in a construction truck about a half mile past, just when the speeders thought they were safely past the cop car.

I've seen unmanned police cars parked in various areas, i.e., close to school zones. It works. Slows people down. I just don't like being "duped". But it beats a potential ticket.

How Comical of Someone placing a Dunkin Donuts Box on the Hood was very Wise, indeed. Was it a Fake Box or did it have real Donuts in it?

Funny!

Years ago when I was younger they would have a watch booth on high stilts with one way mirrors on them they even parked a highway car down below it.
You never knew if there was somebody up there.

I recently drove in Montgomery County Maryland. I was often on a street with a real speed camera (saw the flash go off several times over a few days). I got beeped, brights-flashed and cursed at for doing the speed limit in the vicinity of the camera. The license plates of the unhappy motorists were all Maryland!

Here in Des Moines Iowa area there are no phony cams that I am aware of. All of the municipalities are getting unmanned mobile units. I guess the money is good.

In Baltimore County, MD, I know of one speed camera where it is claimed the camera is installed every Monday morning and removed every Friday evening. I am not sure how that makes sense, but it would qualify as a weekend only phony. Also, the camera has two mounting pedestals on opposite sides of the street. Every few weeks, the entire box is supposedly moved to the opposite side.

I have no problem with speed cameras, provided the speeds are properly marked. If the signs say 50 MPH and someone wants to do 70 because they feel the set speed is too low, they can pay the ticket.

The money is too good because people don't read the speed signs.

those dirty bums!!!

if they find a way to ticket you with the fake cameras

Don't see authorities here on LI (NY) going for the phony cars or speed cameras as there is too much money to be made with the real thing. Frankly I am amazed there is not many more of them. It is found money. You get a ticket and even though it is technically a moving violation there are no points assigned so most don't fight it and just pay.

you would know if it is real when you pass it ....
with forty buck tag.

Yeah, the workzones cameras are becoming a real nuisance. They are usually unmanned and happy to snap even when no work is in progress. Maryland stinks.......

That's funny.

Empty boxes are certainly way more cheaper than a full box for both sides! and it slows most people down at the same time!

I heard that the ones screwed to the ground are moved around in Balto. Typical shell game.

I was in Venice Fl two weeks ago and they park an empty police car in the median of the main drag heading into town.
I like the donut box idea! I think I"ll take one along next time I"m visiting there.

I have always opposed red light and speed cameras as nothing more than a revenue generator. But a fake camera in a school zone is hard to argue about revenue. If it slows folks down then I can agree with that.

Several school systems in Florida have installed cameras in their buses to keep the kids from causing trouble. Just as with these speed cameras, only a few of the bus cameras are real. Most are fake cameras to save money.

No need for fake anymore, cams are so cheap,