This is a few days old, so apologies in advance for that. Anyway, the Washington D.C. police chief, Cathy Lanier, has chided people who use radar-detecting technology, including iPhone applications, for their “cowardly tactic.” With apps such as EyeWiki, people are able to flag known locations of traffic cameras using GPS. Then, as you approach a flagged camera, the app rings out, “Hey, slow down! There’s a traffic camera nearby.” Police say using such technology could endanger lives, but that doesn’t quite make sense.
The argument is that by using radar-detecting technology, which is illegal in D.C. and Virginia (so this whole post is moot, but whatever), you could be putting lives in danger. So argues the police. Keep in mind that traffic cameras and whatnot generated nearly $1 billion from 2005 to 2008. If everyone is driving around with technology that defeats said cameras, the police will have quite a hole in the budget.
But the idea that using the tech, in and of itself, puts people’s lives in danger is hard to believe. The cameras serve as a deterrent: drive the speed limit or be prepared to whip out your checkbook. So you drive the speed limit, which, I would imagine, lowers traffic-related fatalities. But let’s say you have an App that marks the location of cameras. You’re still going to slow down near the traffic camera, it’s just that the police won’t get any of your money that way.
Unless the police is trying to argue that people will drive reckless all over the place except when near a traffic camera. That, I guess, could be valid. In that case, people are still driving unsafely, except when they know they’re approaching a camera, but now the police has less money to fight crime.
Solution: let’s ban cars.
If the DC police were smart, they would log into the app and mark a camera location on every street corner. Surely someone else has thought of this…
Traffic cameras are cowardly. Why doesn’t the police chief have some cameras installed at 203 (the notorious drug area in DC), instead of just looking the other way like a f-ing coward. Glad to hear that there are iPhone apps being created to monitor the cowardly tactics of DC cops. I lived in the DC/VA/MD area for over 20 years and I can assure you that they have some of the most cowardly cops in the country. Glad I moved, now I can drive 5 MPH over the speed limit without getting harassed.
I like your idea of installing cameras in neighborhoods known for drug sales. Maybe they could tax the drug dealers based on traffic at their corner or home. If they fail to pay the taxes it becomes a federal offense. Or maybe they could send the tax bill to the buyers by collecting lic plate numbers.
Silly me, I would have thought that an in-car device that reminds citizens to obey the law and alerts them to “dangerous” intersections (the only kind that are supposed to have redlight cameras), would be lauded by “public safety” officials.
The whole city of Chicago is one big spy network, so i just tape my credit card to my forehead before going out, in case I do anything illegal.
“Cowardly tactic”!? Perhaps the police chief would prefer the people rise up against their oppressive overlords in a more “courageous” way? I hear paintball guns can be effec….
Fodder has an excellent point – the true purpose of these cameras is to make the intersection safer by imposing punishment on folks who run the lights. By noting that a particular intersection being approached is one of those intersections, the driver will slow down, or at least make sure they do not run a yellow/red light.
This is great for iPhone users, and for those lucky enough to be following them.
The only danger would be from bad drivers who hear the warning and slam on their breaks. Quite frankly, anybody that stupid will also gun the accelerator to make it through a yellow light, or pull a similar bozo move.
Actually it is EyeKiwi, not eyewiki. Just thought I would help you direct the readers to the right search term.
Now called EyeRadars…
Your solution in the article was “Let’s ban cars”.
I have a better solution…
Use any Android (T-Mobile G1 or myTouch 3G) phone!
It seems even the D.C. police chief is brainwashed by Apple.
The title of the article says, “D.C. police chief doesn’t want you to use iPhone Apps to detect traffic cameras”
Android phones have several applications with the same technology.
Yeah! Ban cars!
Aren’t the traffic cameras themselves a cowardly tactic?
The only thing it endangers are the revenues generated by traffic fines.
If people were following the rules of the road, they wouldn’t need a stupid iphone to tell them to slow down. Is there a reason that someone has to speed? And people wonder why car insurance is so much money.
The only thing traffic cameras are good for is target practice with your favorite high powered rifle. BS crap like this should be a voter issue and the mofos who planned and implemented it should be sacked YESTERDAY incl. that lame f*** dc chief. Unfortunately I refuse to buy into the apple plan no matter what the phone can do. Personally it would be easier to have trick plates on your vehicle. No plate- no money-blow me. If I go 5 mph faster than the limit-too fuckin bad. I ain’t a robot much less yours and you can take all those painted lines and stuff them too.
America is one of those countries which has allowed everyone to become enslaved through the automobile. I can’t even go somewhere to do business without some asswipe parking meter. They should be paying me to park.
Well put, Johhney. I couldn’t have said it better myself!