Possible speed/photo camera work around?

[pdxfj]

I get catalogs from these guys in the mail.  While browsing the catalog I came across this license plate frame kit that blacks out your plate at the flip of a switch.  I'm assuming the glass is actually a LCD panel.

http://www.motosport.com/street/product/ECLIPSE-LICENSE-PLATE-KIT/?catalogId=112821

If it actually works, I can see it being useful for places that have a lot of speed cameras... Australia 

[Arnie]

As intriguing as this might be, the fine for HAVING it on your bike would be alarming.  While this 'might' save you a "safety" (Gov't newspeak) camera fine, there are also marked and unmarked real police folks that would nail you to the wall.  There are some other ways to minimize the readability that you could claim to not be aware of (plausibe deniability) being improper.
Most of the speed cameras are on the major highways that you only use to get from pt A to pt B anyway.  If you are on twisty backroads you'll have to be very unlucky to get pinged.

Cheers,
Arnie

[gradice]

New South Wales (NSW-Australia) North coast on the Pacific Highway the scum have a number of Speed Cameras set up where there's an over taking lane.

[Arnie]

Graham,

I thought you were in league with those 'scum', just across the border :-)
No?

Cheers,
Arnie

[mst3kguy]

I get catalogs from these guys in the mail.  While browsing the catalog I came across this license plate frame kit that blacks out your plate at the flip of a switch.  I'm assuming the glass is actually a LCD panel.

http://www.motosport.com/street/product/ECLIPSE-LICENSE-PLATE-KIT/?catalogId=112821

If it actually works, I can see it being useful for places that have a lot of speed cameras... Australia 

that has squid spelled all over it, as well as a pretty negative image for motorcyclists.  but that's just my opinion.

[ogmudbone]

someone that rides a bike thinks this is a bad idea? blasphemy!


anyway to avoid speeding tickets and stick it to the man are essential parts of being a true biker regardless of the steed you ride!....LOL


OGmudbone

[gradice]

Graham,

I thought you were in league with those 'scum', just across the border :-)
No?

Cheers,
Arnie

No, not I!!! I don't have to catch'em, I just have to look after them for an undisclosed period of time!!!!!

[Dan Filetti]

that has squid spelled all over it, as well as a pretty negative image for motorcyclists.  but that's just my opinion.

IMO, that is no more squidish than passing in no passing zones, or on corners, or speeding for that matter (which are all activities I have personally seen you do there Deano).  Either the Law is the Law and you spend you life never breaking it, (and likely having no fun whatsoever) or, you make the explicit decision to break it and take on the risk of being caught and punished.  I, and everyone I know, dabble, in one way or another in that later category. 

Would it be OK to pay for a subscription for real time data that told you where all the speed cameras were?  When an on-coming car flashes his headlights, indicating an upcoming speed trap, do you slow down, and possibly even let others behind you know?

I wrote this over on the yahoo list:

"It's easy to fall into an US and THEM mentality on this when the fact
of the matter is, as near as I can tell, it's a continuum. I'd be
willing to bet a fair amount of cash that most of us have moved a
fair distance away from the squid side of that continuum, and more
towards the 'responsible ride' side since we have all started
riding. What defines a squid, to me anyway, is someone who takes
unnecessary risks SIGNIFIICANTLY MORE THAN I DO. To some I'm sure
(think Gold Wing or Hardley types) most of us would be "squids".

We ALL take risks, the frequency with which we take them and the
severity of those risks define our 'squid factor' in the eyes of
others -this plus a bad 'tude, and a sharp R&D curve in these modern
day machines. The 'kids' we call squids today will be the same ones
that, at some point in the future will have either selected
themselves out of the species or will have calmed down and are
themselves calling new generations of the year 2020, 200LB 600HP
riding maniacs 'squids' at that time. I can see it now, "just
because the damn thing can do 300mph, does not mean you have to do
it..." "why does anyone need a Y2K bike??!!??" "In my day, we
respected our machines, and the power they had to kill us... these
kids today are going to kill themselves..."


Dan   

[mst3kguy]

wrong, dan.  if i'm speeding, or passing on a double yellow, and a cop pulls me over, i don't speed off, or hide, or cover up my plate.  i pull over.  i'm not doing anything conniving.  that's deliberate trickery.  sorry, it's not the same, and don't lump me in that group, thanks.

[Dan Filetti]

wrong, dan.  if i'm speeding, or passing on a double yellow, and a cop pulls me over, i don't speed off, or hide, or cover up my plate.  i pull over.  i'm not doing anything conniving.  that's deliberate trickery.  sorry, it's not the same, and don't lump me in that group, thanks.

I wonder how 'wrong' I really am?  We'll use your word: "conniving" which is defined as +/- "To cooperate secretly in an illegal or wrongful action; collude."

The distinction you appear to be making is getting caught is the issue, not the law breaking itself.  You speed, you cross double yellows (so do I) you are/ we are, in fact, breaking the law and it only seems to be a problem when there's a cop there to catch you -otherwise, it's all (mostly) good -no?   So you're telling me you never slow down when you know you are approaching a known speed trap -you just can't tell me that with a straight face.  This is, 'hiding' your speeding from that cop up ahead -no?  That fits the definition of 'conniving' -seems to me.

Let me give you another what-if: you're 1 mile from a state line, you know that you just passed a cop with a radar gun and you were speeding, he has not pulled out/ or turned around yet, you are approaching that line.  Do you stop and wait for him to pull out/ turn around, and give you your ticket?  I doubt many would -I suspect you would keep going.  That's 'speeding off' in the cops' mind anyway.


Tell me there are no cagers out there that see you ride at one point or another and think to themselves ("what a squid" -or some such) The only way to be on the 'righteous' side of this is to denounce, and vow to never again commit, the law breaking itself.  -my only point Dean is that it's all relative, and we're all sinners and saints depending on that relativity. 

I have no interest in hiding my plate, BTW.

Dan     

[andyb]

Depending on how the speed cameras are triggered, there's no reason to hide your plate.  Some of those setups (locally, we have several that are for catching people blowing red lights) which use the buried sensors that also trigger the lights to change on demand.  If they don't sense the bike sitting there for 5 minutes slowly overheating, they won't sense it if I get right on the dotted line and blow through....

I'd suggest that more squidly activity is also doing wheelies, but more importantly riding "unsafely" while wearing little to no protective gear (wheelies, stoppies, speeding... anything but cornering hard).

[Klavdy]

Dean wears Hi-Vis.
It gives him immunity.

[racerman_27410]

i have found myself trying to be more considerate of the cagers in the last few years.....mostly by riding on roads where they arent.


as far as breaking the law goes....i full and well realize that when i pass on a double yellow that i am breaking the law and if caught there will be a punishment involved

there have been times that i have escaped capture and times that i pulled right over... once i pulled over so quickly the policeman didnt even have to start his car (big parking lot)..... i guess it depends on the situation....i also try to ride with some sense so i can live to ride again another day.... most times this involves making good decisions about whom i go riding with.

Kookaloo! 

[Arnie]

Dean,

Back when I lived in Detroit, I had a couple of friends who were cops/LEO's.  They explained to me that if/when stopped for a traffic infringement that they would just show their "freddy" (aka badge&ID) and almost always get "professional courtesy".  In fact, if that was not sufficient that their superior would have to be contacted and give approval for an infringement notice to be issued.  Is that still the case in the US? (or maybe this was only MI practice)

Cheers,
Arnie

[mst3kguy]

Dean,

Back when I lived in Detroit, I had a couple of friends who were cops/LEO's.  They explained to me that if/when stopped for a traffic infringement that they would just show their "freddy" (aka badge&ID) and almost always get "professional courtesy".  In fact, if that was not sufficient that their superior would have to be contacted and give approval for an infringement notice to be issued.  Is that still the case in the US? (or maybe this was only MI practice)

Cheers,
Arnie

hah, not that i'm aware of.  in fact, it's been my "experience" ( :  that most state troopers/highway patrol give out tickets to everyone, unless there's good reason for the speeding.  the last thing i'm doing when i get pulled over is announcing to the cop that i'm law enforcement.  you get the wrong cop, and you can imagine his/her reaction.  ( :