Hardly surprising of you don't have them in TI - police have better things to do:
Is this another 'not in Ticino' smirk, or a genuine enquiry?
Using the surprise tactic, half a dozen Polizei stand and wait. Pulling people over (whether at random or license plate even/odd factor) and checking for drivers license, insurance, lights, seat belt, smell of alcohol, etc.
Sometime they are targeting motorcycles, trucks or mopeds. Then especially near known evening functions where alcohol is served.
Don't the TI police do this?
Well, so it's repression system who chose sanctions instead of a fairer system which can sanction and yet offering a slight chance to redeem by adopting a complying behavior over a period of time*.
*of course the obvious main requirement is that the offense has not created any accident, or disturbed anyone, and that withing that period it's not repeated.
A fair society is not mean to crush citizen who have done a minor incident such as going 7KM over a speed limit, on an empty road, with no one around- A sh1t society is about putting speed traps on sensitive location, fine users and let them feel frustrated because and call them "offenders" (fairly), all that to provide money to needy politicians.
A fair society is to be strong, but also offer an opportunity of redemption, while encouraging good behaviors.
Well that's my 2 rappens, it's no surprise I hate authorities and all that cr@p- But the rules would be understood and accepted by many more.
ah you mean a "stop all Italian cars and check for Vignettes" check.
They do it here: http://goo.gl/maps/H4iNH look at the top of the map - the on-ramp with the white truck already some way along it
Also they do it here: http://goo.gl/maps/Vug9c just before McDonald's
No. Simply not true. The error margin is exactly what it says - an ERROR margin. It means that a measurement of 35 can be in reality only a speed of 30. (Sensors are actully pretty precise these days, but tests have shown time and again that the cop behind the laser gun is usually less so... and if you shake your hand a bit can you make a house "drive" 5 kph.)
You do not get the margin for fun or out of generosity, but to make sure that only people who have a real speed of one km over the speed limit get their 40 CHF bill. So if you receive a ticket for driving 1 kph over were you likely just one over. Weird, isn't it?
I know I repeat myself, but it is above me why people just don't get it...
So true
The fundamental rule of the police: they do NOT want the cameras to earn any money at all. Not one rappen.
Why?
Because if everyone behaved themselves and followed the laws, noone would speed, the cameras would never flash and no money would be earned.
However, the reality is that people do speed, the cameras do catch them, and those people get fined.
And that's NOT what the police want, but it's why we have police.
(FK gets popcorn out and waits for the posts to start rolling in...)
Nope, not usually, maybe once in the past 23 years (was on bike, checked to see if I had a motorcycle license, nothing else).
Generally, police stops here involve one guy pointing a machine gun at you while another looks briefly into your vehicle and generally means that someone's knocked over a post office. No other checks are usually performed.
OK, there's also that, but obviously it doesn't effect me!
(unless I'm on a bike, in which case they walk behind to look at my number plate, and wave me on)
Tom
So static cameras flash houses moving at 5kmh? No, didn't think so.
I am pretty damn sure that a 37kmh flash is closer to a true 37kmh than a 31kmh.
If you make allowance of 1kmh - then you set the limit at 31kmh. But you will always have those cases of when the limit is exceeded by the smallest margin.
BUT
The limit was exceeded. FULL STOP. CARRIAGE RETURN. LINE FEED. NEW PARAGRAPH.
We can all blither on about how unfair it is and how ridiculously low the limit is - and how they hide cameras to make money - BUT it really isn't that difficult. If you abide by the LAW you won't be caught; you won't bitch about speeding by the smallest of margins; and you won't be a cash cow.
But as a general populace we don't. We believe the limits are too low. We believe we know better. We set our own limits. And one day we will get a ticket.
I struggle to think of any other function outside of driving in that we feel so hard done by the law.
This is Switzerland - if the population as a whole genuinely believed that speed limits should be changed - cameras removed - 30 zones abandoned - there would be a vote.
(FYI - in Zurich the gemeinde spent a fortune of "traffic calming" measures in many of the 30 zones. It later transpired they hadn't received the correct authorisation to put them in - and they were removed)
The fundamental rule of the police: they are law enforcement . That's the keyword.
As per wikipedia, it's "some member of the society who act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society".
In order one they try to enforce what they are told-
So the problems rely in the one making the law and norms of our society, who select a repressive system as opposed to a more repressive/educative one, and leave it's citizen to be potentially victims of an automated cr@p.
Law abiding behavior, who won't even question if the law is not right or perceived as unfair (perception justified or not).
Dude, you've been in Switzerland too long- (referring to obeying to any rules, even how stupid they are).
Anyway, the reality is that system only generates money for politician, does not prevent people to reproduce the offense, and leave citizen frustrated (fairly or unfairly).
Not even thinking of a way to make it better is just wrong- Passive citizen obeying to anything.
And of course it's quite different consequences, but under Vichy governement, in France, they were law against jews.
For example, in 11 juin 1942, the governement has published a new law making illegal for any jew to obtain a job in arts.
So i'm not saying the problem is identical, but not all laws should be blindly accepted and obeyed.
Here, there's a possibility to satisfy all parties (the law abiding people and the citizen who have done a minor offense without consequences on third party). Why ignoring it?
Well, I'd love to agree but it is simply not true - the police has financial targets to fulfill. If a cop finishes as shift and did not bring in his money will he receive a worse performance review and will in the end miss out on a promotion.
I know the video is from Germany, but as you can see is the cop happy for every picture he takes and calls a day "good" if he makes a lot and "bad" when there are too few speeding. I wish the opposite was true, but this is not how the world works...
Yes, yes, it is Germany, but I am sure the same is true for Zurich - the city makes millions a year with the cameras. Do you think they would really rather not have this money? Especially if it is not collected near kindergardens, but the main roads into the city... The income is clearly budgeted for - when the radar trap in Hohlstrasse was broken did even the newspaper report "how much money we lose"...
Get what ? There is a limit, in this case 30, either you are at 30 or under or you are over 31 and accept the consequences.
You have to have a clear rule otherwise the whole system is open to abuse and bent policemen.
It's simple and clear. If it was open to discussion, where does the discusion, who decides where the discussion stops and for what reason ?
The point in an online argument at which comparisons are made to the Nazis.
Do you seriously expect anyone to take anything you say on this subject seriously?
As I said previously, this is Switzerland, there is in place a system that allows the population to vote on a subject. A vote on raised speed limits and/or banning of speed cameras in non-accident spots has not been passed.
The logic for the placement of cameras is:
- place it in a location where you will catch a lot of people speeding
- this will "remind" more people not to speed
Wrong, compared to the legal government in France in 1942. No nazis involved. The only person who mentioned nazis was you.
And the point is about "obeying to any law" as opposed to "thinking about it and the impact on society".
And this is Switzerland, fair enough, but to vote on the subject to make a change, one needs to first be able to question it... Instead of obeying to it blindly......
The downhill camera on Rosengartenstrasse is the most activated camera in the country, I believe. Something like 240'000 flashes a year (658 per day).
Now that road can cripple Zurich if it's blocked but have 658 accidents been stopped per day?
It is an income.
Oh and it would not surprise me if the 30 zones are manned by a laser camera - that's 1kph off for the "adjustment" I believe?
Wrong debate, dude!
PS: I'm quite familiar with French History, thanks. It does not change the fact that you are still missing the point, they were a legal government and people were expected to "abide by the LAW".
Additionally, once again, the only one waving the "nazis" card is you.
Plus the minimum 7% that is built by design into your speedo... remember to drive even faster in the future to account for that.
By the way if you want to discuss definitions, Vichy government was an "Authoritarian regime" (as per Wikipedia). That definition could apply to "places like Azerbaijan North Korea, Chad, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, and Burkina Faso" which appears as strongly authoritarian.
Are they all nazis??
Or are you trying to oversimplify and attract the attraction to "nazi! nazi!, discussion over-??
Why don't you start a maquis in Switzerland against traffic rules then? If you really think it's THAT similar... put your money where your mouth is.