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L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:04 pm
by Rick Brown
Throw it away. Do not acknowledge it at all. Do not respond to the failure to appear notice. There is no penalty if you ignore it. Heard this on the news today. But this is only for Los Angeles county.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:15 pm
by Jeff Shyu
i don't have much qualms about "speeding" since i consider it a pretty stupid law, when everyone breaks it, and only enforced when the cops feel like it.
however, I would never intentionally run a light.. >_< the safety risk (not just to myself, but others) is just too high.
I'd love some sort of backup information on this though. I wonder what would cause this non-enforcement policy.. must have lost a law suit or something big.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:24 pm
by Lily Liu
Rick Brown wrote:Throw it away. Do not acknowledge it at all. Do not respond to the failure to appear notice. There is no penalty if you ignore it. Heard this on the news today. But this is only for Los Angeles county.
Ah I wish this would have come out earlier. I'm currently fighting one, just submitted my trial by written declaration form last week.
By the way, a class action suit was filed against RedFlex and the other company (forgot their name) for illegal contracts with the cities.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:41 pm
by Bob Pl
Rick Brown wrote:Throw it away. Do not acknowledge it at all. Do not respond to the failure to appear notice. There is no penalty if you ignore it. Heard this on the news today. But this is only for Los Angeles county.
I heard the same show, true, but the city may use private collection companies to try and collect. The court(s) decided the city had set the fines at a ridiculous high level & are declining to try the cases if they come before the court (so the story goes), but I think there must be more to this?

Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:17 pm
by Kurt Rahn
This makes the point moot

- PB_mainproduct.gif (7.83 KiB) Viewed 5475 times
Photoblocker spray uses the flash of the camera to make your plates unreadable. Works really well.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:40 pm
by Bob Pl
Kurt Rahn wrote:This makes the point moot
PB_mainproduct.gif
Photoblocker spray uses the flash of the camera to make your plates unreadable. Works really well.
Myth Busters episode:
Plate blockers
Myth: You can put something over your license plate that only obscures it to speed cameras
Adam took photos of it with his Canon SLR
Glitter license plate: contains 'microcrystals' to deflect the speed camera's flash.busted
Lenticular plastic cover: distorts the plate when viewed at from an angle. The plate remained legible, though partially distorted, for both Adam's camera and the speed camera busted
Plastic wrap: very legible busted
Commercial spray: very legible busted
Hair spray: very legible busted
all busted
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:03 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Bob Plante wrote:Kurt Rahn wrote:This makes the point moot
PB_mainproduct.gif
Photoblocker spray uses the flash of the camera to make your plates unreadable. Works really well.
Myth Busters episode:
Plate blockers
Myth: You can put something over your license plate that only obscures it to speed cameras
Adam took photos of it with his Canon SLR
Glitter license plate: contains 'microcrystals' to deflect the speed camera's flash.busted
Lenticular plastic cover: distorts the plate when viewed at from an angle. The plate remained legible, though partially distorted, for both Adam's camera and the speed camera busted
Plastic wrap: very legible busted
Commercial spray: very legible busted
Hair spray: very legible busted
all busted
It's worked for me twice in the year since I've put it on my license plate (at least I assume so, since I was snapped twice and received no ticket). I never saw the episode you're talking about, but I'd have to see what his methodology was before I was convinced. You mentioned the camera he used, but not the flash. That's the most important part.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:46 pm
by Bob Pl
Kurt Rahn wrote:Bob Plante wrote:Kurt Rahn wrote:This makes the point moot
PB_mainproduct.gif
Photoblocker spray uses the flash of the camera to make your plates unreadable. Works really well.
Myth Busters episode:
Plate blockers
Myth: You can put something over your license plate that only obscures it to speed cameras
Adam took photos of it with his Canon SLR
Glitter license plate: contains 'microcrystals' to deflect the speed camera's flash.busted
Lenticular plastic cover: distorts the plate when viewed at from an angle. The plate remained legible, though partially distorted, for both Adam's camera and the speed camera busted
Plastic wrap: very legible busted
Commercial spray: very legible busted
Hair spray: very legible busted
all busted
It's worked for me twice in the year since I've put it on my license plate (at least I assume so, since I was snapped twice and received no ticket). I never saw the episode you're talking about, but I'd have to see what his methodology was before I was convinced. You mentioned the camera he used, but not the flash. That's the most important part.
Hmmmm,
Well maybe I'll spray some on, can't hurt.
But the technology of the cameras & flashes has no doubt improved. Not sure the spray has improved.

Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:37 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Bob Plante wrote:Hmmmm,
Well maybe I'll spray some on, can't hurt.
But the technology of the cameras & flashes has no doubt improved. Not sure the spray has improved.

They say a can is good for 4 plates. I used the whole can on my two. I'm a big believer in overkill ;)
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:47 am
by John Stimson
Kurt, were you breaking a law at the time? I've had a camera flash at me when I was not violating the law, and did not receive a ticket. There was no special treatment on my license plates. Perhaps you did not get a ticket because your face was not visible in the frontal shot.
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:32 am
by Kurt Rahn
John Stimson wrote:Kurt, were you breaking a law at the time? I've had a camera flash at me when I was not violating the law, and did not receive a ticket. There was no special treatment on my license plates. Perhaps you did not get a ticket because your face was not visible in the frontal shot.
Both times, the light had just turned red. I usually don't take the chance traffic lights, but in the case of this intersection, they're "mysteriously" quick to turn from yellow to red. :unimpressed: It's always possible that the camera didn't catch my face. All I know is I didn't get a ticket either time. :gpower:
Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:41 am
by Lily Liu
Kurt Rahn wrote:John Stimson wrote:Kurt, were you breaking a law at the time? I've had a camera flash at me when I was not violating the law, and did not receive a ticket. There was no special treatment on my license plates. Perhaps you did not get a ticket because your face was not visible in the frontal shot.
Both times, the light had just turned red. I usually don't take the chance traffic lights, but in the case of this intersection, they're "mysteriously" quick to turn from yellow to red. :unimpressed: It's always possible that the camera didn't catch my face. All I know is I didn't get a ticket either time. :gpower:
There is a minimum requirement of 3.0 seconds for the yellow. Tickets with a yellow of less than 3.0 s are usually not mailed out . You got lucky!

Re: L.A. Automated Red Light Ticket?
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 12:45 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Lily Liu wrote:Kurt Rahn wrote:John Stimson wrote:Kurt, were you breaking a law at the time? I've had a camera flash at me when I was not violating the law, and did not receive a ticket. There was no special treatment on my license plates. Perhaps you did not get a ticket because your face was not visible in the frontal shot.
Both times, the light had just turned red. I usually don't take the chance traffic lights, but in the case of this intersection, they're "mysteriously" quick to turn from yellow to red. :unimpressed: It's always possible that the camera didn't catch my face. All I know is I didn't get a ticket either time. :gpower:
There is a minimum requirement of 3.0 seconds for the yellow. Tickets with a yellow of less than 3.0 s are usually not mailed out . You got lucky!

Either that or the spray stuff worked. Whichever one, I'll take it!
