# Is it just me? \[losing freedom in the USA--edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2014, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864 "2014-01-04T08:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/61 "2014-01-06T07:56:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Granted this was TV, but I’d like to know if this was real. In one episode of _Monk_, the murderer was undone due to an automatic traffic photo of a driver running a red light. The photo showed the driver and passenger full front, through the windshield. Are there really traffic cameras that can do that? The same thing happened in an episode of _The Big Bang Theory_. Sheldon had to drive Penny to the hospital in her car and ran a red light. He received a picture in the mail with the ticket showing him driving the car. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/62 "2014-01-06T07:58:43Z")
So is it real? Or just a TV trope? ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/63 "2014-01-06T08:04:53Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > So is it real? Or just a TV trope? A very quick and less than thorough search seems to indicate that some do but most just show the tag. I’m kind of curious about where the camera would be placed to photograph the driver. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/64 "2014-01-06T08:28:03Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > I’ve never understood this need to keep typing as though everything in your head is one long run-on sentence. When I was young, we wrote in cursive on a blackboard or paper, and were scolded if it wasn’t pretty. I was almost 30 before I did much writing on a computer. Kids today type on cellphones. Capital letters waste two extra clicks each. Punctuation symbols are tedious. Writing “i luv u” saves important time compared with “I love you.” (especially if you’re in a hurry to exchange affectionate SMS’s with a different sweetheart). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/65 "2014-01-06T08:36:01Z")
> [@turtlescanfly](#): > > Given screen name, I would assume that the most recent assault on his/her freedom was related to the purchase of pseudoephedrine. (psuedo=suda) You are correct. > **[Regulation and tracking of pseudoephedrine and similar drugs: Couldn't...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=686005)** > > Recently the L.A. Times has been running a series of articles about deaths caused by the excessive use of opioid painkillers, generally pointing the finger of blame at the doctors who wrote the scripts. In fairness, it does seem that the business... ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/66 "2014-01-06T08:45:17Z")
> [@Sudapissed247](#): > > Heres a few of my issues. Cameras at intersections taxes paid to place them and now we get a picture of our tag and fines that are outragouse my county has voiced our dislike for paying 150 for running the light 60 to reset the camera 30 to develope the pics and 30 to reset the flash its a bogus way to screw the citizens and now that tickets are on auto pilot what do we pay the local law enforcement for I had no idea that speeding and running red lights were formerly regarded as fundamental freedoms in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/67 "2014-01-06T09:02:23Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > A very quick and less than thorough search seems to indicate that some do but most just show the tag. I’m kind of curious about where the camera would be placed to photograph the driver. And how would they photograph both the driver and the license plate? Use two separate cameras, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/68 "2014-01-06T09:13:09Z")
In my experience, pretty much every beef I read about red light cameras boils down to “I never got caught until they put those cameras in”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/69 "2014-01-06T13:06:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > In my experience, pretty much every beef I read about red light cameras boils down to “I never got caught until they put those cameras in”. Concur. And the people who bitch about the money that has been spent on the cameras (or the money they have to pay when they get caught) have the same attitude as the people who used to say “Why don’t you go and catch some real criminals?” when they got caught speeding by a flesh and blood officer. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/70 "2014-01-06T13:22:54Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Some Canadian cities have red light cameras. Yes. We have some here in Ottawa. I generally make it a habit of not running red lights. Call me crazy. (Not directed specifically at you **hogarth**. More at the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/71 "2014-01-06T15:46:22Z")
> [@Siam Sam](#): > > Granted this was TV, but I’d like to know if this was real. In one episode of _Monk_, the murderer was undone due to an automatic traffic photo of a driver running a red light. The photo showed the driver and passenger full front, through the windshield. Are there really traffic cameras that can do that? … > [@Siam Sam](#): > > So is it real? Or just a TV trope? … > [@Accidental Martyr](#): > > A very quick and less than thorough search seems to indicate that some do but most just show the tag. I’m kind of curious about where the camera would be placed to photograph the driver. We have them here in Arizona. There are two cameras, one on each side of the intersection. When it’s triggered by you crossing into the intersection while the light is red, two pictures are taken, one of the back of the vehicle (for plates) and one of the front. The front seat occupants are seen quite clearly. I know because I miscalculated the amount on a yellow light once. Further, when I received the ticket, I was directed to a website where I could see the actual infraction occur. The light was clearly red, I was clearly the driver and my plate (we only have them on the back here in AZ) was clearly visible. I did the traffic school thing rather than get the points on my license. It was a fair cop in my case. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/72 "2014-01-06T17:07:32Z")
I got busted by a red light camera once, in San Francisco. The ticket included a printout of the picture. It was taken from far enough back that you could see the plate number and my face pretty clearly. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/73 "2014-01-06T17:10:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I got busted by a red light camera once, in San Francisco. The ticket included a printout of the picture. It was taken from far enough back that you could see the plate number and my face pretty clearly. In PA there is no requirement for front plates. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/74 "2014-01-06T18:14:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I had no idea that speeding and running red lights were formerly regarded as fundamental freedoms in the USA. Numbers two and three, after the right to get gacked on Sudafed! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864/75 "2014-01-07T02:28:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In PA there is no requirement for front plates. It was like that in New Mexico too. In fact, I had a friend there who used to live in Colorado. On his VW bus, he had a New Mexico license plate on the rear, as required. But on the front, he kept his old Colorado plate. I asked him if he’d get into trouble for that, and he replied that the cops could see only one end at a time. This was long before any of these cameras, but I wonder what would happen if he got the front end photographed by one of these cameras. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-losing-freedom-in-the-usa-edited-title/677864.md?page=3)