Special License Plates Let Certain California State Employees Avoid Tolls, Red Light Cameras
from the abusing-the-system dept
With all the fuss recently over red light cameras, Boing Boing points us to a fascinating story about how somewhere around one million Californians have special license plate that basically shield them from toll booth transponders and red light cameras. Basically, the system was originally designed for police, putting their license plate info in a special secret database to shield home addresses from criminals who might want to hurt them. That system is no longer needed because DMV records are all now private. But one of the unintended consequences of the system was that it became nearly impossible to send a remotely recorded ticket (such as via a toll booth reader or a red light camera) to the guilty party -- since you couldn't get their address. It even works in some cases when people are pulled over by police, because once the plate is looked up the record indicates that the plate is in this protected category, so officers often let the driver off for being "protected."To make matters worse, California has made it quite easy for state employees of all different types to get their license plate on the list, and from the sound of it, at least a few folks are abusing the privilege. The article found some who owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid fines for abusing toll lanes. It seems clear that many state employees are aware of these "benefits." The article notes that museum security guards actually made sure to include a clause in a recent labor agreement that would allow them to get these secret plates. At this point, it would appear there's simply no reason to keep these secret license plates in existence, but they're still there basically just to be used by folks who want to disobey traffic laws and get away with it for free, no matter how often they're caught.
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Filed Under: california, license plates, red light cameras, tolls
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Ohhhh!!!
What's the secret handshake? How do I get in?
Seems to me that the legislature there isn't up to much anyway except making sure that everyone gets a piece of lobbyist riches.
Spuds
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California Corruption
Everyone is leaving California... the cheese sucks, and the taxes are too high!
In California you get to pay taxes to help Mexico Sucede.
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Re: California Corruption
Last I checked Mexico wasn't part of the United States...
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Re: California Corruption
???
Well, I am not sure if you MEANT to use the word 'secede' or the word 'succeed'.
The latter clearly wouldn't make semantic sense, but the former doesn't really make sense either, secede from what? North America? Would they rather be known as a Central American Country?
Or perhaps you meant 'NEW Mexico', but I think the veracity of your claim in that presumed context sounds more like the jabbering of a crackpot so in the end I am at a loss...
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nah not really. our milk owns you all.
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Epic Fail!
EPIC FAIL!
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U didn't here?
(The letter) U isn't here?
Type gooder next time.
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Yes, and in most states...
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Back Taxes
Ecuse me sir, but here is an assesment for the taxes you owe on that benefit. It also includes penalties for late payment. Please be prompt with your payment to avoid additional penalties and fees.
Thank You
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Re:
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Re: Re:
Not even. A fully loaded 18-wheeler typically causes about 4000 times as much wear and damage to a roadway as a typical automobile. Now close to where I live is a tollway that charges me $1 for a round trip to the store and back in my car. So do 18-wheelers get charged $4000 for that same round trip? No. As far as I can tell from the signs, all vehicles (motorcycle, car, truck, bus, etc.) pay the same $1. So tolls are "fair"? Hardly. The "little guys" really get screwed.
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