Albuquerques, Goverment SUCKS!

sparkgap

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Well in my trip to Phoenix last week I got a speeding ticket in Albuquerque and in a construction zone on top of that. 57 in a 45 it's going to cost $75.00 and no report to my insurance company or points on my driving record. Now that's what happened. I did the deed, I'll pay the fine.

But here is the stinky stuff that makes me mad. It was a photo stop ticket. The deed was done on May 13, 2009, the ticket was issued on May 21 and I found out I committed the crime on May 26.

Now I'm wondering how many of these photo stop tickets they issue every day without having any affect on slowing down traffic and making our highways safer and in a work zone on top of that. I know for a fact, that I might well have continued down the road speeding and many others just like me might be doing the same.
Now under the old rules, I would have been setting along side the road, the cop behind me with his lights on, and I'm sure after that I would have been very careful about my speed and the other result would have been that all the other speeders would have slowed down.

So, the result of this is that in Albuquerque … the cops and the city fathers don't give a rats behind about your safety or mine. They only care about money, about the revenue they receive from these type of tickets. And that should be criminal!
And it's renewed my belief that traffic cops are told how many tickets to issues each day.
I remember a few years back, when everyone had a CB radio and an old Missouri Highway Patrolmen would start work about the same time in the morning as I did. As he hit the ramp, he would grasp the mike and report on 19 a Smoky north bound on 67. The first time I caught that, I said, that was the first time I'd seen a Smoky, report a Smoky on the highway. Old PaPa Bear said yep and it slows em down.

I pass through and eat, sleep and fuel in Albuquerque about 8 times a year in my trips west, well guess what after I send in my $75.00, that will be the last they see of my money.

And if anyone wants to know were this photo stop camera is, slow down going west on I-40 at Louisiana.

As a side note this was the first ticket I have received since June of 1970 in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. That highway patrolman was very nice, he didn't say a word about the guns and the trunk full of Coors. It's not that I like Coors, I just couldn't buy it in Missouri then.

This also brings up another of my pet peeves. Back in the olden days before there was state sponsored gambling in Missouri and other states, all the bars, lodges and halls I bummed in had some type of gambling. You know, one armed bandits, electronic poker and slots, pin ball machines and pull tabs. And on a fairly regular schedule, the county or city raided the joints, pulled out the machines and that was it. Oh, of course they sold the stuff where it was legal and kept the proceeds and the cash in the machines.

It was just the cost of doing business for the machine owners and bar keeps, and the State said it was done because of how terrible gambling was on families. You know guys stopping after work for a cold beer and dropping a ten spot in the poker machine or worse.

Well here we are 2009 and guess what, you can't go hardly anywhere in Missouri without being able to gamble. Lottery, pull tabs, machines, and Keno and lets not forget about all the Casinos! Yes, that's right the old man and his bride can and do spend all their money on gambling and in some cases it's our money. And the state, well they don't give a holy smelly stuff about your family, just as long as they get their cut.

This in a little different form will go out with my $75.00 and will also get sent out as a letter to several newspapers.

I've been on this forum for a long time and this is my first rant and I hope it's my last.

Bob
 
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Are moving violations considered criminal or civil? I guess it depends on whether felony or misdemeanor? Am I correct in that with these machine generated 'tickets' your not paying the state/county/city but a private company who gives the gov't a cut?
 
Now I'm wondering how many of these photo stop tickets they issue every day without having any affect on slowing down traffic and making our highways safer and in a work zone on top of that.

Really? Bet you slow down in construction zones for awhile.
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Emory
 
I think you figured it out,,,all the camera crap is just a money grab,,,,,it has nothing too do with traffic safety
 
I couldn't agree more with your rant. I make every effort to avoid doing business or traveling through any town or city with cameras or speed traps. It's all about revenue.
 
So let me see if I have this right.

You were speeding (breaking the law) knowingly.

You know that the possibility of getting a ticket is one of the risks of this behavior.

Wait...you did get caught..and now it is costing you some money.

Somehow it is not your fault you got the ticket, yet the fault of the City of Albuquerque?

I don't see the need for a rant, other than the fact you were caught in a revenue generating scheme endorsed by the city by knowingly violating the law.

Excuse me if my sympathy meter doesn't twitch.

In Montana I knowingly broke the law by speeding on a regular basis, when I did get stopped I would hand over my license, my registration and insurance card. I would also get out a 20 dollar bill so when the officer came back I would post my "bond" and the ticket would go away. It is the way they do things there, anything under 10mph over and it will cost you 20 dollars. I sped, I got caught, I paid...end of story.

bob
 
So let me see if I have this right.

You were speeding (breaking the law) knowingly. No, Bob R I'm not sure at this time that I was speeding, perhaps If a cop would have stoped me, I might have found out. My normal speed is never over 65. I drive over 40K a year, and this is my first ticket in almost 40 years!

You know that the possibility of getting a ticket is one of the risks of this behavior. Of course I do, that's why I never drive over 65, I-40 in the west the normal speed is 75

Wait...you did get caught..and now it is costing you some money. Yes, I was caught and I'm not complaning about the ticket or the cost, I said, I did the deed, I'll pay the fine, no complaint.

Somehow it is not your fault you got the ticket, yet the fault of the City of Albuquerque? Why of course it's my fault, did I forget to say I was driving! It's not the citys fault. I don't understand why you would say that.

I don't see the need for a rant, other than the fact you were caught in a revenue generating scheme endorsed by the city by knowingly violating the law. Again, I still didn't knowingly do this deed.But, I must have.

Excuse me if my sympathy meter doesn't twitch. I didn't ask for your stupid sympathy. Thank You.

If I was looking for any replys to my post, then it was to see others view of the photo stops.

In Montana I knowingly broke the law by speeding on a regular basis, when I did get stopped I would hand over my license, my registration and insurance card. I would also get out a 20 dollar bill so when the officer came back I would post my "bond" and the ticket would go away. It is the way they do things there, anything under 10mph over and it will cost you 20 dollars. I sped, I got caught, I paid...end of story.

I worked for over 30 years as an electrican for a Missouri Sign Company. We installed many of the signs on our highways and if they were electric I was there. I don't knowingly speed (like you do) any where, and I don't knowingly speed in a work zone. I'm still not sure how I did this, but I must have.

bob

I guess that if you seen a poor person freezing on the street, you would just poor gas on him and light the fire, instead of building him a fire to warm him.

No need to reply, you have been added to my ignore list.

Bob

____________________________________________________
Build a man a fire and he will be warm for the night. But set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.
 
My wife, who is a wonderful and brilliant person, keeps getting tickets by roaring past these revenue-generating cameras here in Albuquerque. She, too, yowls about the system and how outrageous it is. I point out that she voted for the sinhuevo who put the cameras up.

Me, I think that most government action is just oppressive BS. Traffic cameras or taking fathers away from their families for smoking weed, it's all the same to me.
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Anyway, Albuquerque doesn't suck - government sucks. Enjoy the haute cuisine in Tucumcari or Gallup, though, if you decide to cut off your nose to spite your face and discontinue your stops here . . .
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The object of a ticket is to change behavior and reduce accidents. A camera ticket that doesn't even go on your record or affect your insurance is there for one thing...revenue. This is blackmail. "If you send us some money, we won't tell on you!" Look for more of this crap as all levels of government are low on cash because of the economy. There are probably constitutional issues here on having the right to face your acccuser. Can you prove who was driving the car? Who filed the charges? Who wrote the ticket? Who is going to testify against you if you want to contest the charges. Was your tag stolen? It happens. Tickets should be up close and personal and none of this camera computer crap.
 
Erich,
Is that old bar still open in Madrid, up on the old Santa Fe Road, it had a great collection of ball caps. Back in about 1984-85 I used to drive out there and camp and before I left we would load the camper up with junk from Mexico and sell it at shows in the mid-west. There were always sellers up from Mexico selling their wares in Madrid.I spent many a wild night in that old bar with the hippie chicks and artist.

I work at a mine museum in Missouri part time now and really enjoy visiting the old mines out west. And there are many in New Mexico.

Sorry about picking on Albuquerque, it was my first time with these stupid cameras. It could have been any place. I just think it's silly to allow people to continue speeding down the highway. With a cop you would slow down, at least I would.

Out side of the Convention Center in Phoenix, there was a group collecting signature on a petition about getting rid of traffic cameras.

Bob
 
Got caught speeding in Mansfield Ohio. Doing 65 ... in my semi. 55's the limit for semis in Ohio.
Called 'em up and said I'd do a driving school or whatever to reduce the ticket and preserve a 30 year clean driving record.
Got a call back from a "justice administater " I believe the term was who said " Yeah. I'll reduce it, but its gonna cost ya. Ya still interested ? " No school no nothing. Reduced to an equipment violation .. no tail lights. Oh yeah and that'll be just about double for what you would have paid for speeding.
Close to $300.00
Felt like saying ... I'll tack on an extra $50 ... make the check out to you personally, and we'll forget the whole thing. Cousre I didn't ... instead I ate the crow and sent the check. Talk about a money maker.
 
Originally posted by charlie sherrill:
The object of a ticket is to change behavior and reduce accidents. A camera ticket that doesn't even go on your record or affect your insurance is there for one thing...revenue. Tickets should be up close and personal and none of this camera computer crap.

And that was my point! I wasn't crying about the ticket, I'm one of the safest drivers out there, almost 40 years without a ticket or a chargeable accident. (Twice I had someone run into the very large red crane I was driving.)(sigh) Most of the time in these work zones if the speed limit is 75, they will post down to 65, then 55, then 45. I still wonder how I missed that. Any way it's not about my ticket. It's about our safety on the highway. If they start that smelly stuff in my area, I'll start the fight to try and stop it, because it's our safety we should be concerned with.

Bob
 
Traffic Camera's used to issue tickets are mutiplying for one reason: money. They are installed with the same legal analysis that a crack addicted lady of the evening uses before she strolls out - if I do this I get money. Often they are illegal and if challenged, the ticket goes away, but 99% of the people, even those who know they are illegal, just pay because as a practical matter they do not want the hassle and have more profitable uses for their time. One does not have to spend long in traffic court to learn that deterrence and safety are nice concepts for the police out on the roads to discuss; but a blind, deaf man in a coma can see that it is certainly all about revenue once you get to court.

As for the gambling, the corruption of people and families is ok, or maybe a good thing, if it brings in revenue for the state. Gambling is only bad, immoral or illegal where it is not properly taxed.
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Wait till the transponder in your car registers "points" with a central computer. Every time your car is involved in an "infraction", you'll get a bill in the mail. It's for "public safety" after all. Joe
 
Originally posted by pharmer:
Wait till the transponder in your car registers "points" with a central computer. Every time your car is involved in an "infraction", you'll get a bill in the mail. It's for "public safety" after all. Joe
Call me paranoid but I think it only a matter of time before this is proposed. The Easypay toll system has been used in court to show where a suspect was at a given time versus where he said he was. It is not a stretch to think if they have you at given times between two known distances (toll booths) that they won't start doing the math to see what your average speed was. Over the limit, you get a ticket. Not much different than red light or speeding cameras.
 
Originally posted by Forester:
Originally posted by pharmer:
Wait till the transponder in your car registers "points" with a central computer. Every time your car is involved in an "infraction", you'll get a bill in the mail. It's for "public safety" after all. Joe
Call me paranoid but I think it only a matter of time before this is proposed. The Easypay toll system has been used in court to show where a suspect was at a given time versus where he said he was. It is not a stretch to think if they have you at given times between two known distances (toll booths) that they won't start doing the math to see what your average speed was. Over the limit, you get a ticket. Not much different than red light or speeding cameras.

The Marine Corps already has a system like this. Our vehicles are equipped with GPS tracking devices. When someone get's bored they go through the logs and look for speeders. We have to sign the vehicle out and in so they know who had it and when.

As for the toll road speeders, there used to be a road like that in KY south of Louisville. We used to drive it to get to the lake. They would give you a ticket on entry and then you would pay the toll at the other end. If your time was too fast, they issued a speeding ticket.

Bill
 
Originally posted by charlie sherrill:
The object of a ticket is to change behavior and reduce accidents. A camera ticket that doesn't even go on your record or affect your insurance is there for one thing...revenue. This is blackmail. "If you send us some money, we won't tell on you!"

Charlie, it's the same system if you get pulled over by a live officer in NM. $75 payable to the Magistrate, no points. I know, 'cause I got one.
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I didn't hit the brakes hard enough, and passed the sign that said 45 doing 56. He wasn't interested in the fact that I was slowing down, that I was a heavy truck on a downhill and it's hard to slow down, or that a Volvo passed me doing 80 as he clocked my 56. Just send the $75 to the Magistrate, please.
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That's only if you're outside the city . . .
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Bob, sorry about the ticket - I truly hate the things, too - especially since Gina insists on getting them so often.
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Don't know about the joint in Madrid - I never got to like the town.
 

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