Oregon man fights $500 fine for criticizing red-light cameras – IOTW Report

Oregon man fights $500 fine for criticizing red-light cameras

American Mirror: The Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying wants residents to know there will be a heavy price to pay for expressing their opinions.

Mats Järlström found that out the hard way when the former technician in the Swedish Air Force offered his opinions about the way red-light cameras operate in the state.

Järlström’s wife received a ticket after turning right on a yellow light in 2013. That sparked his interested in the tinkerer, and he wanted to find out “how exactly yellow lights are timed,” according to the Institute for Justice, which has taken up his case.

Here’s a synopsis of what led up to IJ filing suit today on Järlström’s behalf:  

20 Comments on Oregon man fights $500 fine for criticizing red-light cameras

  1. And my friends wonder why I avoid PORTLANDIA like the plague!

    If the guy had said his name was Mohammad Littlefeather Jackson, they would have given him $500 for his trouble to shut him up.

  2. red light cameras, speed cameras are Fascist

    … in the future GPS’s will easily replace these, automatically fining you for exceeding the speed limit, illegal lane changes, not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, unauthorized right turn on red, etc.

    sheeple… put the phucking phone down!!! … it is not your friend

    we are entrapping ourselves

  3. At the risk of being imprisoned, I live in the very liberal state of Oregon, the assholes that run this state feel at liberty to control each and every aspect of the lives of the citizens of Oregon. Those same assholes are envious of California and New York.
    Believe it or not, most of the citizens of Oregon are NOT liberal, however, we are unfortunately controlled by the liberal fascists that impregnate the state government.
    And I bid a resounding FUCK YOU to each and everyone of them.

  4. Red light cameras are just another instance of our government malevolently hiding behind the facade of “the law” as a means of stealing money from the citizenry. After years of abuse, the GA legislature passed a law adding 1 second to the intended duration of the yellow light.

    Running of red lights dropped off so much that the cameras could no longer pay for themselves (the corrupt local govts. “rented” the cameras from a company that got a substantial share of every ticket issued by the camera). Red light cameras are few and far between in GA now if they exist at all. This proved that it was always about collecting money rather than safety as the local govts. falsely claimed as the reason for red light cameras.

    I hope this guy sues the pants off the bureaucrats that fined him.

  5. I read several years ago that the timing of the yellow was shortened when the cameras went it.

    Back in the ’70’s, the city of Petaluma was thinking of getting rid of parking meters. They decided against it when they realized they needed the revenue — to pay for the parking meters.

  6. Years ago, 20 years maybe, a tech support guy from the Netherlands told a story about how they dealt with traffic light cameras.
    People were not happy with the tickets & fines they received. So people went out with clubs and destroyed them. The gov responded by shielding the cameras inside strong metal housings. People responded by approaching the camera from a blind spot, dropping tires filled with gas over them and setting them on fire. The gov responded by installing temperature sensors that would send an alarm which they thought would allow them to send out the fire department to extinguish the fire before the camera were destroyed.

  7. Oh, I almost forgot about a recent bit of traffic camera weirdness that landed in my mail box two weeks ago.
    I received a letter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , E-Z Pass Pay by Plate Mass. DOT.
    In which they claim I owe them $1.50, I guess for some toll road payment in April.

    The only problem is the last time I was in Mass was at least 15 or 20 years ago. And then I was traveling on my motorcycle. The plate number on the invoice is the plate number on my car, but I’ve only had this number since I purchased the car four years ago. Clearly the camera systems are not reliable.

  8. This has little to do with licensure. He was targeted by an officious bureaucrat somewhere along the line who didn’t like his “tone” or felt he was being pushy.

  9. “in the future GPS’s will easily replace these, automatically fining you for exceeding the speed limit, illegal lane changes, not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, unauthorized right turn on red, etc.” – ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    I think of this every time my GPS says it’s one speed while the signs say it’s another. One area here is glaring and close by – local interstate was raised to 70 a couple of years ago. GPS thinks I’m doing 10 mph over the speed limit every damn day.

    The first people that will do this will be insurance people. Think: Progressive insurance and their little plug-in that is tantamount to the black box on planes.

    It’s all about the money. Twice I’ve been billed from a red light camera. Never paid them because I wasn’t driving the vehicle at those times. Once when it was stolen. They say it doesn’t matter. I say it does. How can I get a ticket for running a red light when I’m not driving? Worth repeating: It’s all about the money.

  10. The guy should count himself luck to only get a 500 fine.

    Sweet Cakes got driven out of business in the same state for being uncooperative the state sanctioned narrative.

  11. When is enough, enough?
    How many more times?
    President Trump ain’t gonna change this!
    President Trump ain’t gonna bring back our 100 W light bulbs and get the fukkin bureaucrats out of our shit-houses!
    If a sheep walks to the slaughterhouse, is he much better off than the sheep who runs?

    izlamo delenda est …

  12. this guy isn’t a Dumb Swede. He’s proven he’s a Smart Swede two times over!

    First, he GTFO out of that Socialist Sharia Shithole that Sweden has become
    Second, he figured out a way to demonstrably prove that local governments primarily use ordinances to keep the citizenry cowed and to generate undeserved revenue thru bullshit fines and fees. Stick It To The Man!

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