License Plate Scanners.

[ultrarunner]

Had a New York transplant math teacher and she almost daily comparisons with the gist being California’s too laid back to survive in New York.

 

[WinterDeere]

Everyone says NYC is rude, but I do not find most people to be rude, more like impatient as life moves quickly there.

I remember finding the people of New England rather curt, in my early travels there. Pretty quickly I learned they're not rude or unfriendly, they've just developed a culture with fewer unnecessary friendly embellishments.

 

[newbury]

I remember finding the people of New England rather curt, in my early travels there. Pretty quickly I learned they're not rude or unfriendly, they've just developed a culture with fewer unnecessary friendly embellishments.

For a lot of us I blame it on the cold. Didn't like to "shoot the breeze" outside, usually to cold.

 

[5030]

Way back when I was contracted to David Freedman in Detroit and they supplied very large forklifts (hi-lo's) to exposition centers like Jacob Javits and McCormick in Chicago as well as the exposition center in St. Louis and DC and I hauled them on a 50 ton tri axle lowboy (detachable) and there was nothing more interesting and scary than driving down Broadway in NYC at 3AM in the morning (Javits) and when you stopped at a traffic light you got propositioned by hookers and people driving cars were oblivious as well. I got to the point (after a few times) to put on my turn signal, count to 3 and move over. If they got out of the way, all well and good, if not, oh well. I remember one time I was on 34th street and had to make a right turn but there was a car parked almost in the intersection, a Beemer at that. I'm sitting there unable to make the turn and a NY cop came up and told me to make it anyway, I said to him "I'll run over the car" and he said just do it, so I did. I flattened the Beemer and when I got around the corner, the cop put a ticket on it. Quite an experience flattening a nice new Beemer, when I got done, it was maybe 2 foot high. Bet the owner wasn't too happy and got a ticket to boot. Gotta love downtown NYC. I can still hear the tires blowing in my mind...

FYI, my wife is from White Plains so I know all about the attitude. Her family is still mostly there and we visit a couple times a year.

Once I got to the Delaware Water Gap on 80, it was all downhill after that. Nice thing about delivering to Javits was you actually drove right inside the building and parked and the union millrights unloaded the truck (after I dropped the gooseneck) and pulled away. They even had accommodations and restaurants inside for the drivers and I laid over there more than one time. Was a very nice place to deliver, not so nice getting there however. One time I delivered one to a construction outfit on Canal Street. That was a trip in itself, narrow streets, tight turns and the usual inconsiderate motorists and really good Kosher corned beef places too. Glad I'm retired. Don't believe my nerves could handle that today.

My hat is off to any semi driver that has to go there regularly. Though I never went to Hunt's point, I heard horror stories about that. Stuff I hauled had nothing to do with any market. It paid really well but the aggravation was always high.

My wife is the only gal I ever met that can put the 'F' word in a sentence 4 times and make it grammatically correct...

One nice thing about delivering overweight and overwidth Hi-Lo's is I didn't need any escorts, just a permit to deliver and that was it. I was never over length or over height but I was certainly over gross and usually over width as well. The trailer I pulled (Kozad) had folding outriggers on each side and the back axle was a flip axle and the forklifts all fit nicely in the well. Those were the days..

I drove a cab over Kenworth double bunk with a 1693 Cat and a 4x4 all on air. Nice truck and not overly long either. In NYC, you want to be as short as possible. Company truck, of course.

Guess that's why I like DJT.

 

[Jstpssng]

The problem is that the plate readers go by the first registered owner of the vehicle. They have no proof that person was driving, and you have the right to not self incriminate or your spouse/family member. They would then have to prove you were behind the wheel.

I doubt this would hold up in court. Criminal laws don't apply to civil violations

 

[ning]

The problem is that the plate readers go by the first registered owner of the vehicle. They have no proof that person was driving, and you have the right to not self incriminate or your spouse/family member. They would then have to prove you were behind the wheel.

My recollection is that the fine isn't on the driving record of the owner - it's just against the car in general.
Want to get it registered at the end of the year? Pay up, your car had too much fun overnight.

 

[Topzide]

Then why is it that if the officer doesn't show up for court, your case is dismissed!

 

[Jstpssng]

The only toll road in MO is no more. Construction was paid for and the bridge went back to MODOT this month and is no longer a toll road.

The only toll road in Maine was supposed to do that but somehow didn't.

You must have an unusual group of politicians if they didn't find some excuse reason to keep charging.

 

[ning]

Then why is it that if the officer doesn't show up for court, your case is dismissed!

Which officer is showing up to "court" for a license plate scan?

If there's an officer involved, they probably had you sign something, and that's on you, not the car.

 

[5030]

One of our best friends and his wife are Mainers and they are very sincere and hospitable folks. Wish they lived closer but when we go to visit (they own a home about 15 miles from Bar Harbor), I get to pig out on seafood and they know all the good spots too.

When we visit, we stay in their home, they won't have it any other way. I had to learn what the 'dooryard' is and hottop was.

Later this summer we will take AmTrak to Boston's Back Bay station and transfer to the North Acela and they will pick us up in Portland. Much easier and less stressful than driving up.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

EZ Pass has a history of taking off more than they should, or at times you don't even go thru a reader... I refuse to get one. I avoid toll roads anyways, and only take them if there's no other way, like a the Bay Bridge to the eastern shore. It's a toll any way you go, unless you take back roads up into PA then down. When I used to take the VA greenway they still had toll booths.

 

[5030]

Never had an issue with the Mass Pass in years. For us, it's a convenience thing.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Google 'Flock Security'. Their cameras are going up everywhere, probably a billion dollar industry, and they use AI 'finger printing' of cars in addition to LPR. They record frequent trips, ect. I think there is like 18 in my county, that i specifically know of, and I'm sure more I haven't noticed. Very creepy big brother stuff

I've seen the Flock personally, in action. The Flock systems are extremely accurate - and very effective. They can locate any vehicle based on not only the license plate but any other combinations of identification on the vehicle, such as a scratch, color, decal, window tint, or any other identification known.

 

[WinterDeere]

I've seen the Flock personally, in action. The Flock systems are extremely accurate - and very effective. They can locate any vehicle based on not only the license plate but any other combinations of identification on the vehicle, such as a scratch, color, decal, window tint, or any other identification known.

The slogan on the Law Enforcement wing of their site is "4000+ communities trust Flock Security to help eliminate crime."

While they may help in apprehending perpetrators, that's a different thing than preventing or eliminating the crime, in the first place. I suppose they're working on the theories that, post-apprehension, the perpetrators will choose to commit future crimes elsewhere, or that those aware of the cameras will do the same? It's a bit of a reach to say they "eliminate", essentially meaning "prevent" crime.

Lots of privacy concerns, surrounding this flock system, with some (e.g. EFF) claiming they create more problems than they resolve.

 

[paulsharvey]

Without going too much into detail; the Flock systems take very detailed pictures in addition to the vehicle fingerprinting. Some of their systems also record audio. I dont like them, but it seems they are unstoppable.

The sheriff's office doesn't own them, and I'm not 100% sure if they lease them, or buy the data? But a concern is, Flock is a private company, and who else do they sell all this data too, how long do they keep it, and is fall under Public Records Requests. There apparently are rules about how long they can save the data, but once it's sold the the sheriff's office, what's to prevent them keeping it. Basically it would allow them to keep a detailed record of all vehicle movements in a county.

 

[Eagle1]

Without going too much into detail; the Flock systems take very detailed pictures in addition to the vehicle fingerprinting. Some of their systems also record audio. I dont like them, but it seems they are unstoppable.

The sheriff's office doesn't own them, and I'm not 100% sure if they lease them, or buy the data? But a concern is, Flock is a private company, and who else do they sell all this data too, how long do they keep it, and is fall under Public Records Requests. There apparently are rules about how long they can save the data, but once it's sold the the sheriff's office, what's to prevent them keeping it. Basically it would allow them to keep a detailed record of all vehicle movements in a county.

You mean like built in GPS locator linked to the net

 

[paulsharvey]

You mean like built in GPS locator linked to the net

It records the vehicles passing it, but they are all linked, so it can see you went past Flock A, and then past Flock-B 47 minutes later, and then back past Flock-A, and that you made 17 trips over 4 days or whatever. Yes, the Flock does have the GPS location of their device. They tend to place them very strategically, at major intersections, major highways entering a county, near scrap yards/food banks/high crime neighborhoods; as well as major entry points to the area.


Edit; I think your comment went over my head at first; yes, your devices certainly do track you; but I for one feel better about Google/Samsung/Huawei tracking my movements, than the US gov. Sure, they can get those from private companies, But they need a search warrant. These Flock cameras are constantly scanning every vehicle; no search warrant needed.

 

[Eagle1]

It records the vehicles passing it, but they are all linked, so it can see you went past Flock A, and then past Flock-B 47 minutes later, and then back past Flock-A, and that you made 17 trips over 4 days or whatever. Yes, the Flock does have the GPS location of their device. They tend to place them very strategically, at major intersections, major highways entering a county, near scrap yards/food banks/high crime neighborhoods; as well as major entry points to the area.

I mean that any modern car with GPS and connectivity also tracks every movement the car makes and that data is frequently sold on the open market.

 

[ning]

I mean that any modern car with GPS and connectivity also tracks every movement the car makes and that data is frequently sold on the open market.

But you can turn this off (even if you don't). Your option. Not with Flock.

 

[ultrarunner]

It's kind of like a Tesla owner objecting to being filmed when their Tesla films anything within range.

Or businesses with sidewalk facing cameras objecting when cameras are pointed in their direction.