Subject: Video speed traps a hoax

From: [email-masked] (snopes)
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 15:40:38 GMT

THE HARTFORD COURANT                      
                              July 28, 1995 Friday 

            VIDEO SPEED TRAPS A HIGH-TECH HOAX, STATE POLICE SAY 

   Video camera speed traps on I-95 Conn. 

   The warning flashed across the Internet, angering on-line users
convinced that the state police had installed Big Brother-like cameras
on the state's highways. 
                                                                                
   The computer message is simply an urban myth -- and an old one at
that. It's the high-tech successor to a hoax that has been passed around
for a decade or more through more conventional means. 

   Only this time, when the rumor scurried through the Internet's gossip
channels, hundreds of people took it at face value. For the past four
weeks, the state police have been deluged with telephone calls from
individual commuters and representatives of large companies. 

   "This is nothing new, but now it's on the Internet. I'm getting calls
from citizens, from businesses who have fleet vehicles and large
corporations," said Sgt. Dale Hourigan, the state police spokesman.
"Within the last four weeks, it's become bothersome." 

   The Internet message apparently first appeared about a month ago in
Usenet News, where users hold discussions on various topics. It was
still a source of conversation on Usenet News this week. 

   The original message said radar and camera equipment would be
permanently installed. Cameras would take a photograph of the speeding
car's license plate and a ticket would be mailed to the owner. It listed
17 locations on major highways. 

   Hourigan himself has gotten about 10 calls a day, including inquiries
from Foxwoods Resort Casino and Pratt & Whitney. Some private citizens
were so convinced the message was true that they didn't believe
Hourigan's disclaimers. 

   "I'll tell them 'no.' And they'll say, 'Are you lying?' " Hourigan
said. 

   Hourigan said state police have no idea who started the Internet
version of the myth. 

   "Their concern should be for the trooper in the rear-view mirror," he
said. "Big Brother is not watching you, but the troopers are." 

   Courtney Connell, of Mindport Internet Services in Norwich, said
police could locate the e-mail address of the person who sent the
Internet message. But, Connell noted, there's no law against spreading
false information. 

   Andrew Kantor, senior editor of Internet World, a Westport-based
magazine, said inexperienced users can be taken in by false on-line
reports. 
                                                                                
   "Veterans know there is a lot of noise on the Net. But a newcomer
will say, 'It's on my screen, it must be true.' It's amazing what people
will believe," Kantor said. 

   One Internet user, who calls himself Squelch, read the rumor about
the cameras and wrote, "Constitutional?" 

   "There are all these cameras that just got installed on I-95 in
Connecticut. If anyone reading this is from the area or has a similar
situation where they live, what the hell is it for? How can they take a
picture of you speeding and know that you are speeding?" he asked. 

   While the Internet can spread myths with unprecedented speed, it can
also discredit such rumors quickly, Kantor said. "There is a discussion
area on the Net dedicated to debunking myths," he said. 

   Hourigan said the state police did not respond on the Internet --
they don't have the technology. Instead, they sent typewritten press
releases over their fax machine.

---

From: [email-masked] (Lee Boyle)
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 95 20:24:07 GMT

>            VIDEO SPEED TRAPS A HIGH-TECH HOAX, STATE POLICE SAY 

I'll leave it to others to marvel at some of the more interesting points in this
press release, and instead publicly wonder what we're going to hear in Phoenix
when the DPS hooks up all those cameras they're installing along I-17.

They're well-know, very visible, and intended to monitor traffic backups, but the
fact that Paradise Valley, across the way, already has automatic photographic
speeding tickets is likely to inspire all sorts of stories.

No doubt there will be wild ravings about the govamunt tring to infringe upon our
Consititutional Right to shoot at each other on the "free"way.

Lee "I wear sunglasses at night" Boyle

---

From: [email-masked] (Paul Carter)
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 1995 13:45:42 GMT

>            VIDEO SPEED TRAPS A HIGH-TECH HOAX, STATE POLICE SAY 
 
 [snip]

FWIW, I work with a former Sheriff's Deputy from Virginia. He said (UL
alert) that Virginia either enacted or tried to enact (another UL
alert) one of the "photo radar" laws, but it was shot down for the
reason that the police wouldn't be able to prove that the driver in
the photo wasn't someone wearing a mask designed to look like the
registered owner of the car.

However, I *personally* have seen news reports (although I know that
doesn't necessarily prove it's true) from local Washington, D.C. TV
stations about Virginia's attempt to crack down on people who run red
lights. The camera is triggered by a device sensing a car entering the
intersection against the red light, and a photo is taken of the rear
of the vehicle, showing the red light and the licence plate of the
car. If you sign a sworn statement that it wasn't you driving your car
at the time, they cancel the ticket.

Like I said, FWIW
Paul
--                                                                                                                                                                           
                                Paul Carter                                                
                                                                          
                             [email-masked]                                    

"There is no dark side of the Moon, really. Matter of fact, it's ALL dark!"

---

From: Konrad Vandegaer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 10:47:19 -0400

> for a decade or more through more conventional means. 

A number of years ago my cousins living in Belgium told me the system
was being used there. Does anyone know if this was also a UL or is it
being used in Europe and serving as the springboard for the US UL?
They also reported ULish stories of photos being sent home and wives
questioning husbands about why they were in a certain town at a certain
time.

Konrad "but Belgium's small, you can get anywhere in 15 min." Vandegaer

---

From: [email-masked] (danny burstein)
Date: 2 Aug 1995 21:09:42 -0400

ok, here's the, ahem, poop about automatic cameras and what they do, and 
why they don't do it...

a) They do work. Typically they aree used in two different settings:

  1) Red lights. These cameras photograph the back plate of the car in 
teh intersection. film is processed, license plate is looked up, and the 
-owner- of the car gets a summons.

   NOTE: This required specific legislation in NY State since you 
couldn't identify the driver. Hence the owner gets the citation. It's a 
fine, but unlike witnessed moving violations, it does not put "points" 
on your driver's licence.

   2) Speeding: similar deal. Radar gun clocks you, camera takes the
picture. Sometimes the photo is from the front, thus showing the driver.
In -most- jusridictions that have them the same rules apply - the car
-owner- gets a fine. 

  NOTE: This was a plot line in a Columbo episode. The bad guy had an 
alibi - namely a photo radar picture of him speeding 100 miles from teh 
scene of the murder.

   Ayway, while the gendarmes and the insurance companies love this 
stuff, it is -very- rare for it to actually get installed. Why?

  Well, it's not because Government has any concerns about civil 
liberties. No sirree.  The reason is very simple:

   If a -cop- pulls you over for speeding, then there's discretion as to 
whether to write a ticket or not. What decision do you suppose happens if 
an off duty police officer is clocked doing 90 in a 50 zone? A 
photo-radar setup means that these folk will also get tickets.

  Or even better (or worse). What do you think the average traffic cop 
does when he catches a State Assemblyman (who, you might recall, votes on 
things like police officer salaries)? I'll give you three guesses...

  So the very fairness of the photo-radar systems is what's keeping them 
from being widely installed.

  Oh, if you want to see something fascinating: On the far side of the 
pond, the UK has installed video cameras with radar -and- pattern 
recogintion. When you pass one of these setups, a sign flashes saying 
"xxy-zzy, you're doing 120 km". That's right, the camera et al deciphers 
your plate.
-- 
_____________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
     [email-masked] (or [email-masked])

---

From: [email-masked] (Kai Henningsen)
Date: 04 Aug 1995 20:31:00 +0200

> on your driver's licence.

Same over here. I believe the law says that you (as the holder) either  
point to the driver, who then gets everything including points, or you  
don't, in which case you pay but no points.

> stuff, it is -very- rare for it to actually get installed. Why?

Not so over here. It's usually installed by the cities which love a little  
pocket money.

> "xxy-zzy, you're doing 120 km". That's right, the camera et al deciphers

Fascinating.

Kai
--
>>> PFM-Mainz.de distributes mail bombs. <<<
Internet: [email-masked]
Bang: major_backbone!khms.westfalen.de!kai
http://www.westfalen.de/~kai/

---

From: Fred Read <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 95 22:05:04 GMT

> "xxy-zzy, you're doing 120 km". That's right, the camera et al deciphers 

Actually it would say "xyyy xxx 75mph".

Fred "We don't understand metric over here" Read
-- 
Fred Read
How many people do *you* know with a C function named after them ?

---

From: [email-masked] (Neil Newman)
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 1995 22:22:49

>questioning husbands about why they were in a certain town at a certain

Radar-triggered, operator-monitored still-photo speed cameras are all over
the NZ roads, and the mechanisms to install camouflaged unmonitored units
are being worked on as I post. We got the idea from Oz, where it has been so
successful they've been able to re-equip the RAN with new submarines.
Little yellow-and-red signs warn the motorists that they are entering a
"Speed Camera Area" but these have not yet found their way into our little
town because the local constable is notorious for forgetting to remove the
lens cap when he takes photos.
Offence notices are computer-generated, and by paying a fee you can get a
copy of the snap with the offending speed printed in a little window. Young
men about to sell their clapped-out Cortinas deliberately run camera traps
so that they can produce documentary evidence that the dunger in question is
indeed capable of breaking the speed limit.

Neil "Anybody want to buy an '81 Subaru? Best references" Newman

-- 
    ################Neil#Newman##Coromandel##New#Zealand#################
    #         "How can you lie there and think of England               #
    #          When you don't even know who's in the team?"             #
    #                      - Billy Bragg                                # 
    [email-masked]##########################

---

From: [email-masked] (Kai Henningsen)
Date: 03 Aug 1995 23:32:00 +0200

> Konrad "but Belgium's small, you can get anywhere in 15 min." Vandegaer

Well, lots of different systems are used in Europe. In fact, I fail to  
understand what's so exciting about that story.

Anyway, as to using such a system for red light crossing delicts, for some  
time I spent one evening a week in a pub at a crossing where such an  
instrument was installed. At times, you could have believed there was a  
thunderstorm outside, only no rain and no thunder but lots of blue  
flashes.

Installations with cameras are also, I believe, used for speeding control  
- I seem to remember that another instrument detects the speeding, and the  
camera is for proof (and identity).

The things are commonly called "Starenkästen" (starling boxes?, a device  
commonly used to feed and/or house birds in winter, which looks similar).

In fact, there are lots of stories (and no doubt some ULs) in Germany  
about interesting pictures taken that way, and what the authorities did  
about it. The last I heard was about someone speeding to get to his  
daughter's(?) marriage. He had the picture framed and mounted on the wall.

Ah yes, and there have even been "fake" boxes hung to stop people from  
speeding.

Kai
--

---

From: [email-masked] (Andy Warinner)
Date: 4 Aug 1995 16:17:19 GMT

Konrad Vandegaer ([email-masked]) wrote:

: A number of years ago my cousins living in Belgium told me the system
: was being used there. Does anyone know if this was also a UL or is it
: being used in Europe and serving as the springboard for the US UL?
: They also reported ULish stories of photos being sent home and wives
: questioning husbands about why they were in a certain town at a certain
: time.

The automatic speed traps in Switzerland take two pictures so I assume they 
calculate the speed from the pictures rather than a radar picture.  However, 
not all the boxes contained the cameras, they were rotated around to different 
locations.

And yes I have heard similar stories involving spouses being caught in 
indiscretions but they were more along the lines of spouse and mistress being
photographed speeding.  You can fill in the dirty UL details yourself.

Andrew Warinner
"Semper ubi sub ubi"
[email-masked]
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Adrian)
Date: Sun, 06 Aug 1995 01:32:00 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Kai
Henningsen) wrote:

> [email-masked] wrote on 02.08.95 in
> Ah yes, and there have even been "fake" boxes hung to stop people from  

UK has Gatsometers - and plenty of them now - standing camera takes a
picture and offence is notified via post with picture. Used for all speed
limits on non motorway roads. London orbital M25 now fiited with same
cameras on overhead gantrys (about to become operational with variable
speed limit). Hand held cameras also legal now from roadside or motorway
bridge etc. ie takes picture and summons follows.  Its generally slowed
motorway driving by 10 - 15 MPH.

---

From: [email-masked] (Brian Scearce)
Date: 3 Aug 1995 17:09:17 -0700

>will believe," Kantor said. 

A magazine editor should know.

And since nobody has yet posted the story/joke that goes along with
this...

A guy is photographed by a speed camera.  As is their custom, the
police send a copy of the picture to the car's owner, along with
a notification of the fine.

The guy sends back a picture of himself writing a check.

The police send back a picture of a pair of handcuffs.

-- 
         Brian Scearce                                     [email-masked]
      The entire software industry runs on coffee just as much as it runs
                        on electricity. -- Dan Sorenson