GMAC should pay my speeding tickets because I'm driving a finance company owned car.

They're never gonna catch the homeless killer at this rate.

Nope, not yours.

OMG just raise taxes already so i can drive down the farking street in peace.

If that's the case, my neighbors (with kids) should pay my school tax bill since I have no children.

"You can't have one set of laws for police officers and another one for the rest of the world," Andrews said.

Actually, that's pretty much what we have right now.

"In recent weeks, officers have twice been photographed speeding past a camera and extending a middle finger, an act that police supervisors interpreted as a gesture of defiance."

Well, the police supervisors are farking rocket scientists for interpreting the extended middle finger.

They'll pay the tickets after they take down Marlo.

lol, only in Maryland.

Cue the "I hate cops/they think they are above the law" crowd.

Of course, if this instance, they would be right. lol

eff ewe: GMAC should pay my speeding tickets because I'm driving a finance company owned car.

In some states -- like New York -- if you get into an accident in a leased car the finance company is liable for the damage you caused.

They can do whatever the hell they want as long as Johnny's LaPlata BBQ remains unscathed.

/the ONLY reason I go to MD

"You can't have one set of laws for police officers and another one for the rest of the world," Andrews said.

Actually, that's pretty much what we have right now.

QFT.

Cynical 0: Cue the "I hate cops/they think they are above the law" crowd.

Of course, if this instance, they would be right. lol

And they would have been right about other incidents of abuse caused by the citizens in charge of "public safety".

ZAZ: In some states -- like New York -- if you get into an accident in a leased car the finance company is liable for the damage you caused.

What?
We're gonna need to see some 3rd party citation for this.

Does the finance company pay the car insurance as well?

Weaver95: "You can't have one set of laws for police officers and another one for the rest of the world," Andrews said.

Actually, that's pretty much what we have right now.

Considering the number of police officers who'll turn their lights+sirens on just to skip red-lights and then turn them off after passing through it, I'm inclined to agree with you. Especially since you're only allowed to do that while responding to a call (i.e. it's illegal).

This path logically follows the notion in this country, including amongst half of the US Supreme Court, that to obey the Constitution is to be soft on crime. Cops are given the green-light to disregard the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments at will, every case involving a 4th, 5th, or 6th amendment violation is automatically disregarded via strained logic by at least 4 members of the US Supreme Court, and the police suddenly feel that they have a mandate to break the laws.

I know I've gotten more political than I should in this rant already, but just to cross further across the line, those who approve of Terry v. Ohio, and those who don't approve of Roe or Lawrence v. Texas, deserve this.

In recent weeks, officers have twice been photographed speeding past a camera and extending a middle finger

How utterly cop of them

ModernRomeo: Considering the number of police officers who'll turn their lights+sirens on just to skip red-lights and then turn them off after passing through it, I'm inclined to agree with you. Especially since you're only allowed to do that while responding to a call (i.e. it's illegal).

oh, i've seen cops break traffic rules all the time. speed limits, stop signs, red lights, parking violations of ALL sorts....you name the traffic law, i've seen a cop break it.

What's really sad tho is that despite the well documented evidence on traffic laws being about raising money and not a whit about safety, we STILL have idiots who stand up and try telling us that somehow we 'deserve' to pay a traffic fine and that the cops are all hard working, honest non-hypocrits just trying to keep it all together for us poor honest folk.....

yeesh.

I have a solution to the speeding camera problem, it just involves a little personal risk.

Ride a motorcycle with a full face helmet using a tinted visor.
Hang a fanny pack over the plate. Do not use saddlebags.

If you get stopped by law enforcement (and you won't), just adjust the fanny pack while explaining it must have loosened & swivled around since it was on the fender. Cinch it tight. Loosen once the cops have left.

/any other ideas to creatively obstruct the plate?

Monkey County MD, I've driven through it many times. The cops there ALWAYS speed. Always have, always will.

I'm extending my middle finger at a picture of the po-po right now so I'm really getting a kick...

YouPeopleAreCrazy

On further investigation Congress overruled New York's law in the last big transportation bill. See this article for a history of the law.

Not pleased.

fappomatic: Johnny's LaPlata BBQ


301, just north of the Nice bridge? Hell yeah!

Best way to solve the problem: Shoot the cameras.

But srsly, the cops should have to prove they had a reason just like a normal person would. If there's no paperwork showing that the cop was responding to an emergency(and have some way to prevent them from generating it after the fact), they have to pay. If the cops can't agree to that, the cameras should go down. (Actually they should go down anyways)

how the fark fast were these guys going, and WHERE? I know so many people who live/work/drive in MoCo and I've NEVER heard of them getting one of these fines.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Cops are now getting speeding tickets since the cameras don't give them special breaks.

/speed cameras are all about raising revenue and, therefore, suck. However, this is a fine, fine side effect.

FTFA: In recent weeks, officers have twice been photographed speeding past a camera and extending a middle finger, an act that police supervisors interpreted as a gesture of defiance.

Awww, poor babies. Being held accountable after years of impunity has left them cranky.

The part I love isn't covered in the article...

Speed cameras issue tickets to cops, politicians, and their relatives when they're driving (usually like a-holes) in their personal vehicles.
That's something the police rarely did... and now these folks are no longer above the law.

/except in a police car
//but what the heck did we expect anyway?

Lost in all this is the fact that the Maryland law is retarded.

The cops' union is doing what unions do best here, but I can hardly blame them for going after such obviously low hanging fruit.

Wasn't it in Maryland that a cop is going to prison for killing a bunch of people in a high speed chase accident?

Are the cops there extra supid/lazy/corrupt?

eff ewe: GMAC should pay my speeding tickets because I'm driving a finance company owned car.

Hmmm i'm leasing my car and technically don't own it. Loophole, baby!

If I loan my car to someone, and he/she gets caught by a speed or red light camera, in Ohio I am responsible for the fine because the driver is not photographed.

It makes sense to me that; 1)the owner is responsible and 2) the city is the owner, the city should pay the fine.

If they want to take civil action to collect it from the police dept or the individual cop, that's a different story.

FTFA: "In recent weeks, officers have twice been photographed speeding past a camera and extending a middle finger, an act that police supervisors interpreted as a gesture of defiance."


Oh.
Ya think?

That's some damn fine police supervisory work there, Lou.

apteryx: It makes sense to me that; 1)the owner is responsible and 2) the city is the owner, the city should pay the fine.

You don't understand - the city is above the law. They *write* the law, they *enforce* the law. They don't *obey* the law.

The suckers like us - we obey the law.

Cynical 0: Cue the "I hate cops/they think they are above the law" crowd.

Of course, if this instance, they would be right. lol

Actually, I'm usually in that crowd but I'm with the piggies this time. Speed trap cameras suck.

Also, they are technically right. The cameras photograph the plate so the citation is issued to the owner of the car. It's probably too difficult to identify the driver. I hope it gums up the whole system

I wonder if cops wonder why people dont trust them

Actually making the officers pay the fines would be a different law for cops. Currently the owner of the car is liable for the fine. The cop does not own his cop car. The county does. So under current law the county is liable for any fine from a speed camera a cop gets while driving his cop car.

So what people who want the cop to pay the fine really want is for police officers to be treated differently than everyone else.
---------
I personally find the whole idea of Speed Cameras to be idiotic and strongly dislike cops and the way they act as if the law doesn't apply to them.

apteryx: If I loan my car to someone...

...you're crazy, dude. Especially now, with all the cameras and shiat.

Katie98_KT: how the fark fast were these guys going, and WHERE? I know so many people who live/work/drive in MoCo and I've NEVER heard of them getting one of these fines.

There's a couple on Connecticut Ave near Kennsington. I know a few people that have been nailed by those.

Weaver95
The suckers like us - we obey the law.


What you mean, "we", Kimosabee?

Make each cop's boss pay his tickets.

This is easy enough to fix. Find the cops that flipped off the camera, and beat them half to death. When they complain, claim they had a seizure.

I usually try and defend the cops (when applicable) from the "I got caught doing something illegal, the cops suck" crowd but this is absurd

jimpoz: Make each cop's boss pay his tickets.

That doesn't really work. The people are the cop's boss. Well, at least when it comes to paying for things.

They should change the wording of the law to make individual government employees responsible for their own fines while driving government owned vehicles.

I live and work in MoCo, and I can personally attest to the fact that those red-light cameras are having absolutely NO effect, since every time I try to cross the street some jerk blows through the yellow light. I won't even step into the crosswalk until the cars come to a complete halt.

/we also have one of the highest pedestrian mortality rates east of the Mississippi

discount sushi: They should change the wording of the law to make individual government employees responsible for their own fines while driving government owned vehicles.

They should change the law, but "they" in this case are the government employees.

I'm waiting because the more we see automated systems taking the place of police, people are going to get screwed.

And when they get screwed they get mad, mad enough to start taking out the cameras.