Red-Light Camera Ticket Revenue and Short Yellows 976
NicknamesAreStupid writes "A Fort Meyers news station reports a nerdy husband getting his wife out of a red-light camera ticket by proving the light was set with too short of a yellow. Then he goes out and proves that nearly 90% of the lights are set an average of about 20% too short. Is this a local incident, or have local governments nationwide found a new revenue source? What puzzles me is how a single picture can tell if you ran a light. If you are in the intersection before the light turns red, you have not run it, even if it takes a little while to clear it (say to yield to an unexpected obstacle). Wouldn't you need two pictures — one just before the light went red showing you are not in the intersection, and another after the light went red showing you in the intersection?"
Re:Depends on the location (Score:3, Funny)
So when you're traveling the speed limit and the light turns yellow when you're 6 inches from the intersection, your vehicle is still able to stop before crossing the line?
Re:-1 False Assumption (Score:4, Funny)
That's Florida though, it has its own Fark tag for a reason. In every state that I've lived in you have to be clear of the intersection when the red light comes on or God help you if a cop is there cuz you're about to get butthurt.
In Florida, the requirement is that you drive as slowly as possible with your left turn signal on at all times.
Re:-1 False Assumption (Score:3, Funny)
(1) Three lefts make a right
(2) I live in NJ. One thing I gotta say about NJ, the state looks out for people who turn left. Protected turns, jug handles, etc.
[1] Drivers, I mean. People who turn left politically only get looked out for about half the time.
Re:-1 False Assumption (Score:3, Funny)
As Jeff Bridges said in the movie Starman.
[Starman is driving the car, and speeds across a recently turned red light, causing crashes for the other motorists]
Starman: Okay?
Jenny Hayden: Okay? Are you crazy? You almost got us killed! You said you watched me, you said you knew the rules!
Starman: I do know the rules.
Jenny Hayden: Oh, for your information pal, that was a *yellow* light back there!
Starman: I watched you very carefully. Red light stop, green light go, yellow light go very fast.
Re:-1 False Assumption (Score:5, Funny)
Nobody would ever be able to make a left turn in Chicago if they had to be out of the intersection when the light turns red.
Re:-1 False Assumption (Score:3, Funny)
That's only in the retirement areas. Some places are speedways. I joke about "The Florida Speedway", which is a long loop. I-75 South starting at I-10, continuing the length of the state. It then turns East across the southern part of the state, switches to I-595 just as you exit the Everglades, and then turns North onto I-95. When you reach I-295 in Jacksonville, head West, and catch I-10 West.
Re:That's not true everywhere (Score:3, Funny)
Or how about NOT entering the intersection until you can safely complete the turn in the same cycle.
Or, to put it more succinctly, never turn left. NEVAR.
(as apparently some states and other jurisdictions do).
[citation required]
You forgot to put IANATE* into your comment.
*I Am Not A Traffic Engineer
Re:if you're in the intersection and it's red (Score:3, Funny)
Re:if you're in the intersection and it's red (Score:4, Funny)
Incidentally, learn how to drive.
Re:Only not. (Score:3, Funny)