Comments on: Public Roads Are Not Private Places

By: Hen

Hen — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:41:37 +0000

It’s always interesting to see cultural differences. Here in germany is a big discussion about Street View and some communities achieved to forbid Google to take pictures.

On the other hand we have speed and red-light cameras for decades now and nobody cares in principle because they only take a picture if you have disobeyed the rules and on some country roads they definitely increased safety. Particularly on the winding roads motorcyclists love to use for their fun tours.

A new discussion now has started on a new technology called section-control (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPECS_(speed_camera)). The big difference to the usual red-light and speed cameras is that initially all cars need to be registered so you cannot be sure if these data some day will be used to track people.

@Adolph Trudeau (#2): These cameras do something for you. They increase your safety on the road for example by lowering the risk of someone crashing into your car if you pass an intersection at green light.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:52:26 +0000

I think the real reason many people are against the red-light cameras (a reason no one says out loud) is that the cameras are an infallible sentry and if you run the light you are all but guaranteed a ticket. A normal police officer would have to just happen to be there when you run the light, and so the chances of you getting a ticket are greatly reduced.

By: chris hutt

chris hutt — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:45:44 +0000

“Driving is a regulated activity on public roads. By obtaining a license, a motorist agrees to abide by certain rules, such as to obey traffic signals.”

This is a very important point that should perhaps be stressed to those applying for and renewing driving licences. Perhaps every driving licence holder should be required to sign a declaration that they understand and accept that they hold the licence strictly on condition that they respect road traffic regulations.

By: Adolph Trudeau

Adolph Trudeau — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:53:21 +0000

The difference between what Google does and what government does is that Google makes a one time snapshot of your house from the street whereas government sets up cameras to watch every time you pass a particular point.

More importantly, in return for the one-time snapshot Google returns back spades of utility value to me. Speed and red-light cameras do nothing for me in return for poking their nose in my business.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:46:14 +0000

There is something odd about living in the surveillance camera capitol of the world and complaining about street view.

I tend to think most motorists think of the traffic laws as some sort of quaint formality that has no practical relevance, like those no cursing on Sunday laws and whatnot. Actually catching and punishing violators seems like a terrible affront.