Smile! You're on Photo Radar!

Last week, I was moseying my way down I-17 after work. Traffic on I-17 at 4:45 p.m. usually fluctuates wildly; at one moment, you'll be going 55-60 miles per hour, and the next, you'll be stopped. This day, it was flowing about as smooth as poo out of a goose.

I was cruising right along at 65 mph when a yellow sign popped out at me: "Photo Enforcement: 300 Feet." I looked at my spedometer and lucky me! I was going 66 miles per hour. Since the speed limit on most freeways is 65 mph, I figured I was in the clear. I passed the camera. Bright flash.

"Cheese!"

Disbelief. My heart began to race. All the cars around me were going just as fast as I was. It couldn't have been me. COULDN'T HAVE. I searched frantically for a speed limit sign, but none were to be found. The next one I saw was about a mile away. It said "SPEED LIMIT: 65 MPH." Phew. I continued to rock out to Rihanna and forgot about the whole thing.

Fast forward to today. Dillon comes home from work and hands me a lovely envelope. Oh...no.

That's right. A photo radar ticket. I'd been flashed.

It was the exact location I had remembered before -- I-17 southbound, milepost 195. 4:54 p.m. My approximate speed -- 65 mph, just as I had recalled.

Posted speed: 55 mph.

REALLY???

And there below it all was my face, concentrating on the road. And next to it, my license plate.

The cost of this violation: $181.50.

At first, I was furious. I wanted to shred the thing and never look back. Then, I wanted to invest in a baseball bat and inflict my wrath upon those unsuspecting Satan machines. Then, I wanted to cry. I went through an array of emotions. But one thing I knew: if an officer had been there instead of a camera, I would probably not have been pulled over.

I do not doubt I was going 11 over the speed limit. However, I wasn't alone. The cars around me were going at least 9 or 10 mph over the limit. Plus, I wasn't aware of the speed limit on that section of the freeway. I honestly believed it was 65, since that's the speed limit on 90% of the freeways here. And since that was the first number I saw after the "flash". I do believe I fell victim to a speed trap.

But my real gripe lies with the cameras.

Everyone I know (with the exception of one person who shall remain nameless) HATES the photo radar cameras. And now, I know why.

When you get a ticket from a photo enforcement device (as opposed to a ticket given by an officer), you do not get a chance to plead your case. The ticket states you must pay the fine or contest your responsibility in a court of law. You cannot dismiss the ticket by going to traffic school. You must respond by paying the full sanction and the surcharge, contest responsibility, or indicate you are not the driver in the picture. Otherwise, they file a complaint against you. That means more money, which is exactly what they want.

Basically, what this means is, you are GUILTY until you prove your innocence. Sounds backwards, huh? That's because you learned differently in 7th grade American History class. Photo radar tickets directly contradict the Constitution, which states everyone is "innocent until proven guilty". Yeah, I can go to court and defend myself. But guess what? If they don't believe me (which is most likely), I still have to pay the ticket, an additional $25-30 fine, and the violation goes on my permanent driving record. What ever happened to "due process" and a fair trial?

Speed cameras do not curb roadway dangers. If the states wants to stop speeding, they have to get to the root of the problem, no? Turn the patrol lights on, pull over the speeding vehicles. That's how you make the roadways safer -- by removing the dangerous drivers.

Speed cameras are simply a money-making measure. If you fork over the cash, the ticket will go away. And many people do. Where does your money go? To the great state of Arizona . . . and to PhotoNotice, the company that manufactures and operates the cameras. Yep.

The photo radar issue is one of the hottest in this state. Everyone is talking about them. I always thought they were annoying at red lights before, but they are truly a distraction on the freeway. When people see the warning signs, their gut reaction is to put on the brakes. This interrupts the natural flow of traffic and, in my experience, causes panic and confusion. I am having a hard time seeing how this is any safer than speeding.

The moral of the story: start investing in baseball bats, residents of Arizona. It's the only reasonable solution to this problem...

...or just hope and pray photo radar will end up on a ballot sometime so we can remove them from the roads for good.

Thoughts?