Monday, October 18, 2010

Red Light Cameras are a Danger

In Houston there is Proposition 3 which is a referendum on the red light camera. I myself have been nabbed once at Milam and Elgin I believe, and like a good little dhimmi, I sent the seventy five bucks to some place in Phoenix. Phoenix as in Phoenix, AZ. Something wrong there.  An occasional traffic ticket is part of the cost of doing business in a cab and it is often easier to just pay rather than fight. Most disagree with me on that but I just am not wasting a day in Houston's ridiculous court system unless I have to. Now the powers that be are all stamping their little feet advising us dummies that red light cameras "save lives, fund emergency care," etc. etc. I don't know about the emergency care thing but I don't believe for a minute the save lives part. I have witnessed on numerous occasions when someone comes to a red light they tend to "gun it" for fear of getting a "red light" violation. This happens in areas that are full of foot traffic and it is a wonder that someone has not gotten run over yet. I know that these red light cameras are nothing more than a money grab by the city and of course some are howling about the possibility of them becoming a thing of the past. I don't know why they will worry though. The city "fathers" can probably just get a friendly judge to overturn any (unfavorable to them) election results and the odious things will still be with us. Take a page out of California's playbook if you will. I don't live in the city limits so I have no vote on this particular issue. Shame.

2 comments:

HoustonRocket said...

The money from the cameras goes to fund safety initiatives such as the trauma centers. That is why the hospitals want them. So if you don't think they are directly for safety they are indirectly for safety by funding the trauma centers. The police unions and fire unions are for them because they believe they do make the roads safer.

Bartender Cabbie said...

The Fire and Police Unions are wrong in my opinion. All one has to do is drive and observe. It is a money grab pure and simple.