Who's first on the trigger?

[Bodo]

Moi:

[deltaf]

Watch em scatter as i swerve across 3 lanes of traffic just to puddle splash the tossers!

[Zod]

Well, it is just before a level crossing.

[paolow]

Zod said:

Well, it is just before a level crossing.

so why the covert tripod which only slows you down 2 weeks later rather than an obvious fixed camera which works immediately?

[Zod]

I'm as anti-scamera as the next PHer (and fully protected too), but those guys are hardly hiding.

[xxxxxxrich]

Hände hoch!

Ausweis

[cptsideways]

First thoughts I'd say three dodgy looking village people blokes with a van parked up in the woods






Second thoughts, have I got my reg docs, my insurance & my passport with me or did I leave them all in the hotel!.






Third thoughts, are those three dodgy looking blokes in the woods going to give me a right shafting when I start searching for said documents in the boot

>> Edited by cptsideways on Wednesday 24th March 23:33

[paolow]

Zod said:

I'm as anti-scamera as the next PHer (and fully protected too), but those guys are hardly hiding.

i can see your point and ultimately we dont know what lies behind the camera, whether the limit drops or if the road curves etc. having said that though, a kink, soft curve or even simply the hedging we can see can block this camera from view. look at the crossing 200 metres away (judged by the roadside boards) if this cluster of thieves were that far distant, partially obscured by foliage and dressed in neutral colours, would you really think its a speed trap? the three men are wearing brown and green rather than hi-vis clothing. from not too far off youd be pushed to register them as policemen. there are no obvious signs. the van, which also is green is, due to the tree density, in a position such that it is largely invisible to oncoming traffic. yes, up close they are in plain view, but so are many speed traps. the trouble is, by the time you see them, its far, far too late.
i stand by my original post - if there were an obvious and bright gatso on the run up to this crossing - or a red light camera - i could believe that they were in place to increase hazard awareness. however, hiding in a roadside verge lasering people is surely no way to do this.
i appreciate your point zod, and speeding over a level crossing/running it at red is a dangerous pusuit, but, imho not one that is solved by stealthily appending points and lightening wallets.
indeed - situations like this are surely one of the few occurrences where a visible gatso or red light camera is a good idea, but the cynic in me says an obvious measure will never be placed here because a cost benefit analysis would deem it to be loss making compared to the alternative we see above.

[Bodo]

I posted that picture without a comment, because I think it looks funny without further explanation. (xxxrich's comment sums it up )

Technically, I was wondering why they are waiting exactly there.

A map of the road:



The red cross marks the position of [laser] speedcamera and the three dodgy geezers.
One of them has a dipper (vocabulary?) in his hand, although when they see the speed of a car on their display, it's too late to stop the driver

As you can see, the road is perfectly straight for ~4km. Speed limit is 70kph for the entire passage, and overtaking is forbidden from north up to the level crossing (which I think is overregulated, as I can't see any dangers other than the level crossing).

The level crossing is very bumpy at speeds between 30 and 60, but you just fly over it in anything faster than that. (Coincidentally, I overtook a driving school, which did 2.73kph on the crossing, on my way back. My flying technique is well tested with numerous types of cars )

So why are they exactly at this place (they're clocking the cars that approach the level crossing from the north <top of the map>?
The numpties slow down to 2.73kph at this stage, and so did I because the traffic lights showed red (visible long before!).
I got the camera ready, because 3 of 5 oncoming vehicles warned me with flashing their lights

>> Edited by Bodo on Thursday 25th March 00:35

[Deester]

JMGS4 said:

And going with the very few speed traps that they actually use in Germany I'd say they're being pretty sensible about it!

Yeah, apart from the one as you leave Frankfurt direction Wiesbaden. I thought it was 80km/h limit, 2 lane dual carraigeway. 50km-h LIMIT!! Camera hidden inside a completely unmarked car on the side of the road.

The got me and I lost my licence for a short period, to be honest the exercise was good.

[Bodo]

SGirl said:

So tell us Bodo, how big was the fine for using a camera while driving?! Don't worry, we'll all come and visit you in prison.

I thought they won't notice that I take a picture of them, unless I've had a look at the photo later, which showed that two of them looked at me.

Nice to know somebody cares if I'm in prison or not though :sniff:



Deester - a pity you're no longer in Frankfurt. We're having the first Frankfurt PH meet:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=88878&f=65&h=0