Sneaky sneaky policeman

[strandedinnz]

He's hiding in the bushes at the top of Nelson street in Auckland with a video camera .. hunting the greater spotted red light jumpers I think :-)

[manxkiwi]

If that is what he's doing, I say good. I'd rather red light cameras all over the place than speed cameras. Running a red is totaly dangerous every time. Speeding is bit more grey.

[Swoop]

I object to this behaviour completely!

Take away his camera and give him a 12g shotgun with solid projectiles. Shoot every vehicle that runs a red light!

Fuckin' red light running scum.

[Akzle]

i had this theory - that red lights activate a pendulum/ 18T wrecking ball that sweeps the intersection, probably triggered just between orange and red for those "i can make it" types.

i think collins would be on my side for this... plus there'd be a heap of car spares available at the corners of every intersection...

probably have to have high pressure hoses, too, to wash the aucklander out of them, though.

[HenryDorsetCase]

i had this theory - that red lights activate a pendulum/ 18T wrecking ball that sweeps the intersection, probably triggered just between orange and red for those "i can make it" types.

i think collins would be on my side for this... plus there'd be a heap of car spares available at the corners of every intersection...

probably have to have high pressure hoses, too, to wash the aucklander out of them, though.

Some might say that it would be the first wash in weeks for the majority of Aucklanders.

rather than pendulums (too slow) something like the electric or steam powered catapults that launch jet fighters off of carriers would be good. No arguing with those.

[Akzle]

Some might say that it would be the first wash in weeks for the majority of Aucklanders.

rather than pendulums (too slow) something like the electric or steam powered catapults that launch jet fighters off of carriers would be good. No arguing with those.

i did contemplate a trebouchet and/or slingshot, but the mechanics got a bit tricky, plus the associated maintenance costs...
(and where would you fling them? bit of an air traffic hazard.)

[fyrgem]

i did contemplate a trebouchet and/or slingshot, but the mechanics got a bit tricky, plus the associated maintenance costs...
(and where would you fling them? bit of an air traffic hazard.)

Just have the orange light activate a barrier at the lights, like the ones in US that fire steel poles up from the ground. That'll stop 'em in their tracks! :laugh:

[McFatty1000]

Have to admit, people would only have to see it once in action to never run red lights again. Even spikes would change peoples minds pretty quickly :yes:

[Road kill]

Some might say that it would be the first wash in weeks for the majority of Aucklanders.

rather than pendulums (too slow) something like the electric or steam powered catapults that launch jet fighters off of carriers would be good. No arguing with those.

I wash twice every week Mofo.

[McFatty1000]

I wash twice every week Mofo.

Consider yourself one of the few then?

[paturoa]

Good on them. About time too, if that is what was actually happening.

This realy pisses me off from another perspective. For a few years there have been many people every morning and evening, sometimes several on the same road, with expensive video cameras, filming hideous abuse of bus lanes. Oh the horror! Imagine the danger of some a'hole cager using a bus lane.

But seriously they wouldn't have to hide in the bushes as the red light runners are everywhere. Oh and can they film the tail gaters while they're at it.

[vifferman]

The orofice I work in overlooks an intersection in D'Auckland. It's not super busy, but at the beginning/end of the day, lunchtimes, etc., there's a fair traffic flow through it. I'd say at a rough estimate, less than 10% stop at the stop sign onto the busy (2 lanes each way) road. A cop with a video camera sitting there for 30 minutes could fill his year's quota of "public contacts" writng up and mailing out tickets. Then again, maybe (given that so many cars just blow through the intersection as if it's a give way) the stop signs should be ripped out and 'Give Way' signs cemented in...

[Grizzo]

They are sneaky fuckers, but this case, the sneakydom is warranted.

[Berries]

The orofice I work in overlooks an intersection in D'Auckland. It's not super busy, but at the beginning/end of the day, lunchtimes, etc., there's a fair traffic flow through it. I'd say at a rough estimate, less than 10% stop at the stop sign onto the busy (2 lanes each way) road. A cop with a video camera sitting there for 30 minutes could fill his year's quota of "public contacts" writng up and mailing out tickets. Then again, maybe (given that so many cars just blow through the intersection as if it's a give way) the stop signs should be ripped out and 'Give Way' signs cemented in...
You have got to ask, if 10% of the cars don't stop, and they don't crash, is the stop sign required? I would suggest not. If failing to give way at an intersection was enforced hard, like twelve month ban for causing a crash hard, then there would not be any need for stop signs anyway. If the visibility is so bad that you have to stop to see then you have to stop to see. If it isn't, you don't. Too many stop signs are just bullshit to appease some moaner or as a result of a complete dickhead failing to give way. Rip them all out, let Darwin manage the road rules.

[Road kill]

It just makes it easier to proportion blame when somebody does fuck up an cause a crash.
If there's a standard rule in place the cops can point the finger with little argument and your insurance pays out sooner as well.
It's not as if the intersection rules are policed very hard anyway.

[Usarka]

i had this theory - that red lights activate a pendulum/ 18T wrecking ball that sweeps the intersection, probably triggered just between orange and red for those "i can make it" types.

i think collins would be on my side for this...

Collins would use two big swinging knives.

[yod]

i did contemplate a trebouchet and/or slingshot, but the mechanics got a bit tricky, plus the associated maintenance costs...
(and where would you fling them? bit of an air traffic hazard.)

duh...West Auckland, of course....

[Moi]

Red light runners and Stop sign 'go-throughers' are a major danger to all other road users... How to deal with red light runners is not that easy to solve - yes, I know, take their vehicle off them and make them walk with a placard saying "I lost my [insert whatever the vehicle was] because I was anti-social and ran a red light" would be great but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen... Public humiliation in the town stocks has worked well in the past.

As for STOP signs - there are just too many of them! Most of them could be replaced with a Give Way sign and the few Stop signs remaining might then have some real meaning. And police them heavily! As has been said, if you fail to Give Way then whether you stopped completely first or not is not the issue, the failure to Give Way is! If the intersection is challenging and some are due to the road layout - such as those on curves - then a Stop sign to make you stop and think more carefully about what you are doing [I suggested some motorists think - am I out of my mind?] then have a Stop sign. All others are Give Way.

They can film bus lanes - always wave to the little man as I ride by - then they can film Stop signs. Set the camera up and leave it to do the work - is that permitted, can one of our popo members comment? - the camera doesn't lie [ask Buzz Aldrin!]

[Asher]

Im all for catching red light runners but what about when your in the middle of an intersection turning right and the straight through traffic runs the red forcing you to as well? I would be pissed if i got a ticket for that.

And theres the dumb fuckers who block the intersection when the traffic in front stops instead of waiting at the start of the intersection, ticket them too

[Moi]

And theres the dumb fuckers who block the intersection when the traffic in front stops instead of waiting at the start of the intersection, ticket them too

a Sherman tank might be more effective :D

[Berries]

Im all for catching red light runners but what about when your in the middle of an intersection turning right and the straight through traffic runs the red forcing you to as well? I would be pissed if i got a ticket for that.
You'll be sweet. The offence is for entering the controlled area when the signal is red. If you are already in it then you are ok.

[imac]

I've seen a bike Popo at the Nelson St intersection many a time and they usually acknowledge my nod. I always enjoy the sight when he flicks on his blues and twos when some moron runs the red. Now that I think about it, that has happened every time I have seen a cop there

[PrincessBandit]

Hooray. Good for them.

I've never understood why there isn't a 3 second buffer between the red light on one side before the green on the other activates, with a shorter orange time. Damned rude and impatient drivers would still try to judge their chances of beating the lights regardless so I too like the idea of some sort of barrier that pops up from the seal as the red comes on! I think I recall seeing something like that on the internet for onramp light runners in Holland - spikes which pop up while the red is on - summat like that. Wouldn't take a second time of having motorists behind you beat the crap out of you for munting your car and stopping them from getting past to change their behaviour.

[blackdog]

I wash twice every week Mofo.

Once a month, whether I need it or not.


Rip them all out, let Darwin manage the road rules.

I am inclined to agree. Still never run one though even in the rig.

Then again, we are all aware that some of the rules are ridiculous but to be fair I don't want that Darwin award winner running a stop sign in front of me.

[Berries]

I've never understood why there isn't a 3 second buffer between the red light on one side before the green on the other activates, with a shorter orange time.
Cos the shorter orange time would result in those law abiding citizens who don't want to run a red light to brake heavily and then get rear ended or worse still shunted in to the intersection to get t-boned anyway.

[FJRider]

Hooray. Good for them.

I've never understood why there isn't a 3 second buffer between the red light on one side before the green on the other activates, with a shorter orange time.

It would be more likely to increase the number of red light runners ... if they know they have more time to do it ... and still be safe.

Shorter orange just makes it harder for those that currently obey the system in it's intent.

[scumdog]

i had this theory - that red lights activate a pendulum/ 18T wrecking ball that sweeps the intersection, probably triggered just between orange and red for those "i can make it" types.

.

You know, sometimes, just SOMETIMES, I do agree with you.

This is one of those 'sometimes'.

[FJRider]

Im all for catching red light runners but what about when your in the middle of an intersection turning right and the straight through traffic runs the red forcing you to as well? I would be pissed if i got a ticket for that.

And theres the dumb fuckers who block the intersection when the traffic in front stops instead of waiting at the start of the intersection, ticket them too

I recall many years ago in Wellington ... A car ran a red light ... collecting a motorcyclist in the process. The rider was unhurt (a bit sore though) and raised quite an amount of protest/noise toward said driver of the car (as you might expect) and said car driver was rightly charged.
During the resulting court case that followed ... it turned out the biker jumped the lights himself ... and was ALSO charged with running a red light.

Either way ... most see it ok. Until you hit something ... or (more usually) ... it hits you.