A few months ago I wrote about the fact that the many speed and red light cameras were all recording live video 24/7 and how that's a complete invasion of privacy. The making of a true police state...
Well, while driving around the city of Mesa visiting some friends I took some pictures of some spy cameras at intersections. I've seen these devices throughout Arizona and it just makes my blood boil every time I see one.
Here are a few pictures I took of some of these spy cams. Many of the ones shown first I see on many traffic signals and I have no doubt that each camera can be used to follow a particular vehicle as it travels through each intersection. I've also seen several of the black ones at intersections as well, but the first ones are much more common - at least for now.
This intersection is completely covered with cameras at all four corners of the street, though from this angle only three can be seen.
The following is a close up of the camera right in front of me, zoomed in.
Staring right into the eye of Big Brother as I'm about to drive under...
Cameras watching you from every angle at another location...
Finally, here is one of the other spy cameras I've seen at various places throughout Arizona.
I don't get it. If someone, perhaps you for instance, has a habit of speeding through intersections or running red lights, why shouldn't that person pay a price for that? It's dangerous and I'd be right ticked off if you hurt me or my kids simply because you're too immature to obey the traffic laws.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you're saying, "I should have the right to break the law and not get caught."
Even if the cameras are dummies, human nature is such that we behave better when we think we're being watched. Is doing the right thing such a burden for you, or what?
Hi Makarios, thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteYes, from your comment, it does appear that you don't get it.
First of all, I've never once said I do not obey laws or go through red lights. That could very well harm someone and I do not do it. But it's true others might but what does ticketing someone do if they harm someone? What about the victim? I've written about this in more detail in the past, but in today's "justice" system the perpetrator gets put in jail or gets a ticket and pays a fine, etc, but studies have shown that such punishments do nothing to curb that kind of behavior (or at least very little). So, while Mr. I Want to Run This Red Light blows through the intersection and harms you, what kind of compensation might you get? Nothing most likely. Then when the guy has gotten out of jail or paid his fine he can just go out and do it all over again.
What did this punishment solve? Nothing.
But, since you are a theist, judging from your blog, your entire worldview hinges upon the threat of punishment and an all powerful individual monitoring everything you do, but me, I do not like being spied on; I do not like being watched by individuals who might not use that information only for the purpose of catching a bad guy, but as I just said, not that it would do much good anyway.
Besides, many studies have proven that red light cameras actually cause more accidents so your reasoning, I don't think, is logical if your goal is to prevent harm. These red light cameras do the opposite. Besides, I wasn't even talking about red light cameras anyway, but surveillance cameras that serve no real purpose but to spy. Besides, I've read that many of these cameras are not very good at solving crimes anyway.
Your comment that, "Even if the cameras are dummies, human nature is such that we behave better when we think we're being watched. Is doing the right thing such a burden for you, or what?" makes me wonder if you truly are a good person yourself. Do you behave only because someone is watching, or because it's the right thing to do? I behave because it's the right thing to do. If someone must be watched over in order to keep them in line I wouldn't consider that person very moral.
I've never heard that before, that red-light cameras actaully cause accidents. How does that work?
ReplyDeleteDo you disagree that people tend to behave better when they know they're being watched?
The idea, as I understand it, it not to stop the "criminal" after s/he had injured or killed someone. The idea is to pursuade them through the use of monitary discipline, to stop them from running red lights before they harm someone.
I understand that this post wasn't specifically about red light cameras, even though you opened with,
"A few months ago I wrote about the fact that the many speed and red light cameras were all recording live video 24/7 and how that's a complete invasion of privacy. The making of a true police state..."
So are you saying that the red light cameras are actually ok; that the police state actually has a right / obligation to enforce traffic laws?
As far as "spy" cameras go, are you saying that you think they have cameras a intersections that are simply there to monitor your movements? It does seem that the government did have cameras everywhere that YOU went. Coincidence? I think not.
Haven't you noticed other people, government people watching you from a van parked just down the street, or from the house across the street.
They could be you know. Has your phone been making funny sounds lately? Your computer just a slower than usual? Ever noticed anything slighly out of place from how you left it in the morning? It happens. And if it's happening to others, what's to stop them from watching you? Nothing! Nothing is stopping them. In fact, I'm not even coming back to this site because since they're watching you, they'll soon be watching me as well. Good luck. Stay strong! Say nothing. Admit nothing.
Hi Makarios,
ReplyDeleteYes, there are many studies that have proven red-light cameras do cause more accidents and injuries. This is usually caused by people, scared of getting a possible ticket and not making it through the yellow light in time, slamming on their brakes and the person behind them slams into them. You can read the research I did about that here: http://arizonaatheist.blogspot.com/2008/05/say-no-to-red-light-cameras.html
The reason I brought red-light cameras (and even speed cameras) into the discussion is because all these cameras are being used to record everyone 24/7 and I don't like that as I said. It's an invasion of privacy in my opinion.
"As far as "spy" cameras go, are you saying that you think they have cameras a intersections that are simply there to monitor your movements? It does seem that the government did have cameras everywhere that YOU went. Coincidence? I think not."
Are you saying the cops are watching me specifically? I doubt it, but it's been known to happen to anarchists that cops set up a camera to spy on them. Here is the site: http://www.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/4401
The rest of your comment didn't make any sense, but thanks for the reply.