Evil Speeding Monkey Defeats The Evil Speeding Tickets

@jdale: Idiots is anyone who is reckless enough to speed while wearing a monkey mask.

Dubya moved to Arizona?

BergenCountyJC

If it's working, does he really count as an idiot? It's not like he's using the mask to get away with texting.

I think the idiots are the ones who haven't identified his plates or set a speed trap with an actual cop to pull him over. After 37 tickets they must have some idea of where he typically drives.

jdale

This guy is the man.

I mean, SPEEDING IS WRONG.

I am confused. The speeding cameras only take pictures of the driver's face? Perhaps they should aim them lower and take some pictures of the license plates? Just a suggestion.

SalParadise

@jdale: Read again...he HAS been identified.

paintedangel

@Jesus Diaz: Speed is not inherently dangerous. Idiot and incompetent drivers doing everything from eating, texting, talking, singing, slamming on their brakes to go 10mph UNDER the limit past a cop, not using signals, cutting people off, being drunk, being uninsured, not having a license, etc etc are all far more dangerous than going 76mph.

enm4r

@jdale: They know who the person is

[blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com]

Joewithay

@aupton: Oppose money making with monkey making?

Me likey.

Everyone should start doing this in protest to their money making fiasco!

aupton

Isn't wearing a mask while you drive also illegal?

For $6,700 I'd think the police would be willing to do a little investigation regarding how many people this guy lets drive his car on the morning commute.

Origamido

Can someone elaborate on why the owner of the vehicle hasn't been issued the tickets?

In Illinois the owner gets any red light ticket, though I realize it doesn't technically count as a "traffic" violation. If they actually have to match up the face to the plate to issue a ticket in AZ that seems like a pretty big oversight in their little money making scheme to put out cameras...

enm4r

jamie farr?

Nobody beats the guy that pulled his pants down for a speeding camera photo. Too bad I can't find it right now.

@Jesus Diaz: Idiots are people who don't know that the word idiots is plural :) Jk.

wvv

@appletoad: Speeding to pass can get you a ticket.

@Jesus Diaz: Idiots are anyone who think speed limits have anything to do with safety. Cars have changed by leaps and bounds in the past 50 years and yet the highway speed limit hasn't budged in most places. It's all about making money.

(Comment null and void for residential roads where speed limits ARE for safety... and yet are enforced far, FAR less than on highways. Go figure)

bobman1235

Speeding is only the contributary factor in 4% of accidents. Speed cameras and the "speed kills" mantra are nothing more than a way for successive governments and police forces to make money.
[www.carbibles.com]

Why does his face have anything to do with it? Every speeding camera I've been caught by takes a photo of the license plate and mails the ticket to the address the license it's registered to.

trs

@winshape: Seems like a pretty big loophole. As it's all a revenue game to legislators, you'd think they'd just call it a fine and not a traffic violation so they can give it to the vehicle owners like they do in other states with camera tickets.

enm4r

Mad Monkey Motorist peels out, gives police the slip; more local news, plus sports at 10!

From where I'm from, if you do 15mph over in a 50kph zone, your licence will get pulled for a year. Yahey!
Anyway, yeah.. do what we do, spray paint them, weld a metal plate in front of the camera, strip a plastic bag around it, blow them up, or tow them away with a tractor!

Inception

@SalParadise: Of course it takes a picture of your license plate. That's how they find the offending vehicle. I think the problem is that they can't prove who was driving and breaking the law.

DustyButtâ„¢

@appletoad: In AZ, pretty sure it's 11mph.

enm4r

That won't hold up in court though. It might be the most logical explanation, but there's still no proof. If I steal your car, and it was used in a crime, and they only find the car, should you be held accountable?

Jeffsmashkot

@Barry99705: You can't conveniently just change the law for your benefit (although many try to do so).

Septhinox

@enm4r: This.

Septhinox

Fuck speed cameras. Sometimes you must speed to avoid a collision, or to pass... my point is, police officers [usually] use their judgement when pulling people over, cameras don't. Also, how much faster do you have to be going to get a ticket? Cause around here, the cops won't stop you unless you're doing 10-15 over.

@TVGenius: that doesn't make sense. If they did that, why not pull him over for speeding right there?

Septhinox

@winshape: But they have followed him from his home and seen him don the mask when he goes through the photo enforcement zones.

@jdale: You'd think after 37 tickets for that car, they'd just start giving them to the owner. If he doesn't like it, too freaking bad. It's not like that car is the average family sedan. Look at the windshield, big sticker! Look at the plates, do they match? TaDa! There's your speeder.

@SalParadise: Not every state requires a front license plate.

Anyway, the ticket is only enforceable if the driver is identifiable - hence the mask. The cops know who it is, they just can't enforce the tickets because they can't prove that he is driving based on the camera photo evidence.

winshape

@qwijybo: Problem with these cameras is you end up getting the ticket when you pass that drunk asshole on the freeway. That's the main problem with these systems if the cameras are doing the patrolling they only catch one thing, speeders not DUIs, not reckless drivers, that bluehair doing 37 in the #1 that will later in the day park on top of some preschool, etc.

@Razta: Innocent till proven guilty is for crimes. Violations you are guilty till proven innocent. Parking meters, speeding tickets, etc. you need to disqualify them.

@Pope John Peeps II: You're an ass. He provided some statistical information and all you throw out is a snide remark. The reality is, those red light cameras do more damage than the speeding does.

I agree with jokono though, speeding in areas with kids is douchebaggery at it's worst.

Matthew Rebmann

I can understand red light cameras but this is big brother using his power too recklessly. Why is shit like this permitted by the people in these states?

Maori_Yelir

@Pope John Peeps II: Where are these supposed "hitting solid objects kills people" PSA's that you speak of? Again, they only blame speed which is frequently mis-stated as the cause even in cases where speeding was not an issue (failing to yield, failing to stop, etc etc).

takeshi

@Razta: Well they've got photographic evidence of his car committing the offense 37 times. He is probably listed as the owner and sole user of the vehicle. I'm pretty sure that's enough to find him guilty.

nukee

Evil, evil monkey!!!!

Christian Pacheco

@bigPixel: On rural routes or highways, I'm inclined to agree with you. But, on residential roads where kids might be playing, speeding == being a total rat bastard.

jokono

@Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!: You can't be nominated for a Darwin Award unless the act of stupidity caused the death of the nominee.

nukee

@Joewithay: read that and you can see that the police are the idiots. They set up surveillance and watched him put on the mask right before a speed trap. FOLLOW HIM AND GET YOUR RADAR GUN OUT AND PULL HIM OVER
Even if it isn't illegal to wear a mask. Get an officer set up to run radar in the same spot as the cameras and give him some tickets the old fashioned way

@GitEmSteveDave_TheREALChrisChan: Well, whoever the car is registered to will likely end up with the tickets. Do you think this will actually work as a defense? I'm SURE this has been tried before in every state.

@Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!:
I'm also in Phoenix. One thing a lot of people that don't live here don't realize is that the majority of speed cameras are not Gov't operated or Gov't owned

Our lovely city has outsourced this opportunity to a third party company, an Australian company, to put up and operate speed cameras. Not only that, but the revenue raised by these cameras is SPLIT between the third party and the local gov't

It's no wonder a vast majority of Phoenicians are upset about the number of cameras around the valley.

DrunkRabbit

@GitEmSteveDave_TheREALChrisChan: That isn't always the case. Based upon how they clasify the ticket, it wont be tossed. Some legislation is written to where it's akin to a parking ticket - doesn't matter who parked the car as the owner gets the citation.

Apparently AZ didn't follow this model.

enm4r

@StupidSimple: I have a friend that got her ticket in the mail, and she was able to flick the camera off just in time, she framed the picture

@Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!:
Remember, innocent till PROVEN guilty. I do not think he has to prove his innocence.

Razta

@GitEmSteveDave_TheREALChrisChan: Speaking from experience... if someone else was indeed driving the car, you have to provide the name of that person. If you don't provide a name, you admit guilt. Since this supposed monkey-person doesn't exist, fault falls to the reg owner.

Also, they don't even count on your record. They are just a revenue stream for the city. Something us Phoenicians are divided about.

Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!

@trs: they need a clear picture of the face, otherwise you could go to court and say, my friend borrowed my car that day.

Although, I don't know why they are "trying to find him" they should be able to get a search warrant for his house to try and find the masks based on the address that the car is registered to.

@Lizard_King: I give this "tip" an 87% chance of being total b.s.

I live in Phoenix and this "monkey" works for Southwest Airlines. What's stupid is that his car is slightly noticable around town. If you're going to do this, try it in a boring car. Not a flashy POS like this with racing stripes and stickers. He's already been served with the fines. Even though he says "It wasn't ME" he will have to provide a name and DL# of the person driving in order to escape prosecution.

I submit him to the Darwin Awards!!

Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!

@lpranal: Bunny bites Breslin. Breslin bleeds badly.

@bigPixel: Obviously speeding is just a ploy by our socialist Kenyan government to limit your life. You show them hell bigPixel, just get on out there and speed, speed for freedom. You know, the government also tries to tell you that cars striking solid objects often kill the driver, but don't you belive them. How could a tree possibly damage a car? A tree is wood and a car is metal! It's just logical. So you just go out there and speed your freedom loving ass towards every tree you see. It's what Abraham Lincoln would have done. It's what John Adams would have done. And it's what bigPixel should do.

There used to be a red light camera in Cleveland at the corner of Detroit and west 25th. They removed this camera after it was clear the camera was causing a lot of accidents. I've seen one accident, and countless near accidents, as people are cruising down the road, keeping up with normal traffic, and then breaks are slammed on because someone sees the enforcement signs. These things arent safe.

The guy isnt an idiot. This is civil disobedience. Anyone recall the experiment with civil obedience? Where a group of people blocked traffic by going the actual speed limit?

Speed limits are not in tune with community standards. Most people drive 35 in a 25, and 45 in a 35, and so on. On long stretches of open highway you find people driving 75, 80, and even 90 on a regular basis, and in some states 75 is perfectly legal, while in others its a felony. On stretches of road with these cameras people speed, slow down at the cameras, and then go back to speeding.

Kudos to this monkey sticking it to the man... But he will be found... and the law will lay the smack down on him. While they cant ID him in the car, they can check his work attendance, reference it with where he lives, and get a jury to find him guilty. Unless ofcourse its not his car and the owner works someplace not on that route.

The cost of hunting this guy down just isnt worth it... but hey... the gobberment loves to waste your money.

These cameras are just another way for big brother to track and abuse you.

Bruce Landwaster

I wish I could join the Bucktooth Racing team.

@enm4r: I believe in those situations, if you can prove you weren't driving the car, it gets tossed.

@trs: They have to match the ticket to a person. In states where they don't match the picture to a DMV picture before sending the ticket out, you can go in and ask to see the picture and if it's not you, that's the end of that.

NurseDave

@bigPixel:
Yup, whenever there is an accident, and they don't really know what caused it, or are too lazy to investigate, they just mark it down as speeding (cops that is).

Saboth

@bigPixel: Uhhhhhh, huh?

NurseDave

@Lizard_King: Brilliant!

@Barry99705: You can only ticket the DRIVER. The car itself didn't speed. It's up to the courts to prove who did it through identification.

@Jesus Diaz: But does wearing a mask or driving fast make you reckless? Some people just like to drive fast.

@Inception: but can you keep your licence if you do 24 kph over the limit? It's probably the conversion of units that pisses off law enforcement, they don't want to do the extra paper work.

I would check the zoo. Obviously the little bastard knows how to pick cage locks.

mikegriffin

@qwijybo: Can, but not always. Chicagoland cops are incredibly forgiving on the highways. In the suburbs on residential streets though, you'd better watch your back.

@trs: Fun Fact: A nice white bicycle reflector mounted perpendicular to the plate (so as not to obsure it's view from the back) makes the angled cameras fail, and is perfectly legal.

Lizard_King

How is he an idiot? Should we all doff our monkey masks for sheep masks Jesus?

@GitEmSteveDave_TheREALChrisChan: you're not bucktoothey enough, go home! We are not accepting new recruits.

@Maori_Yelir: because people are sheep...

This guy is my hero.

Patrick O'Neill

@Razta: According to reports that I read yesterday, they got so sick of him that they had him tailed, and they caught him putting on the monkey mask, speeding thru camera zones. If ever there was proof of guilt...

@Matthew Rebmann: what do red light cameras have to do with speeding? And how does a red light camera "do damage"? I think you are confusing your traffic offenses...

@Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!: Provide name AND DL#? That's almost identity theft right there. Hell, I could pull a credit report with JUST those two pieces of info.

@tacomstng: I'm not sure you could get a judge to sign a warrant for a non criminal case like this. Also, you would have to prove it IS the mask in the picture, and if the mask is popular enough, it's circumstantial evidence at best.

@Pope John Peeps II: I know in NJ, if you can prove it was not you driving, the ticket is thrown out.

A ticket is a sworn/affirmed statement by an officer that this person did this thing, at this time/place, while operating this vehicle. If you can invalidate any of those statements, the summons/ticket can not stand.

@appletoad: i've been passed by the police (no lights, sirens, or apparent urgency whatsoever) while doing 25 over in Chicagoland.

that said, i have been seeing more stopped cars lately on the tollways, so i try to keep it below 90mph. never can be to careful.

stre

Alright I've read most of the comments and people are taking this way to seriously.

This is fucking hilarious.

macpatrick

@takeshi: If there's a state stupid enough that this can be a defense against repeated traffic violations, then good for this guy.

@Pope John Peeps II: I discovered it accidentally on my motorcycle when my non-waterproof EZ Pass got waterlogged. My Givi luggage rack covers the reflector, so coming home from the trip that fried my transponder I got a fine, but did not get one for the following day (without luggage). Standing behind the bike with a camera, I took snapshots of the license plate, at about 30 degrees, the reflection obscures the plate.

The givi rack sticks behind the plate by a good 6 inches, so at 55 degrees the plate starts to get obscured anyway.

Lizard_King

@nukee: He deserves an Honorable Mention because by doing this he has not removed himself from the gene pool

@Matthew Rebmann: Hey he provided retarded stats from a dubious site, and I replied with something funny.

You, on the other hand, provided nothing and fail to be funny. So your life is pretty much worthless. Someone should tell your mom. She'll be disappointed, but at least she'll know the truth.

@Pope John Peeps II: Depends on how the laws are written. Laws can vary from state to state.

takeshi

@lpranal: I blame the bananas.

@Maori_Yelir: traffic is backed up twice as much when there's a cop handing out tickets, causing more median-jumping, a longer line of cars on 85 that are stopped next to 75mph traffic, creating a shorter merge area which eventually conflicts with the almaden onramp.

the onramp was FINE without a carpool lane. they only put one in to create traffic jams and to tempt people into jumping into the "special rich asshole who can afford a late model hybrid lane".

@AkkiRonin: Wrong, that applies to all infractions of the law as it is constitutional...

ospreyguy

@Nick: Because it's set off by a speed 10 or so mph higher than the set speed limit. In fact I'm pretty dumbfounded as to how that could even be called into question... Every picture most likely has a radar record attached to it. Sure you can still say "I WASN'T EVEN MOVING OMGZ" but it's a pretty stupid defense. I think it's pretty assumed you were moving if the damn thing went off.

Maori_Yelir

why hasn't anyone here pointed out the obvious? this video only shows PICTURES of the culprit. for all we know he is just sitting in traffic and not even moving. how can anyone prove you were speeding with a picture. that is absolutely ridiculous.

Nick

Once again, plausible deniability.

Nobody wants to be accountable for their actions. Meanwhile putting the other drivers at risk...

SigmundTheSeaMonster

@nutbastard: I agree with you in all statements besides the cops 'creating a dangerous situation to profit from it.' The police didn't create the situation, they are just taking advantage. In a state that is severely in debt what do you expect?

Maori_Yelir

@Bruce Landwaster: amen

Jerret JRock Stallworth

I'm inclined to suggest that speed cameras are generally unconstitutional anyway. We have the right to face our accusers. Are they going to put the camera on the stand in the courthouse and have it testify against me?

pb4ugoout

@nosebleed: Maybe, but he's not wearing a sheik outfit too.

mdoublej

i support the monkey. they didnt say how fast he was going or if his driving is reckless. they just want to criminalize him to promote the evil speeding camera nazis.

Jerret JRock Stallworth

@Munch the BanNail: By the law that only proves it once. If that logic worked our justice system would be a nightmare.

Maori_Yelir

@jokono: That's common sense, speeding in a residential district can save lives but honestly I think speed limits on highways should be way higher. The only thing that would need to change is people would need to follow the rule where you stay to the right if someone behind you is going faster (which seems like common sense but here in San Jose people don't seem to get the concept).

@GlenTen: I bet you if it was a Steve Jobs mask he would be a hero.

Maori_Yelir

This guy deserves a 38th ticket. This one for being an inspiration... and awesome.

@Munch the BanNail: That is only proof of him doing it once. They need to prove he did that every other time.

@Christian Pacheco: I think Johnny Chimpo is more appropriate...

@Bruce Landwaster: *heart*

people are so beaten and complacent that they've forgotten about civil disobedience, and equate all violations of the law with 'crime' that should be punished unequivocally.

here in san jose we have an onramp that has a carpool lane. the onramp didn't used to be like that, and it was fine. now its backed up about a half mile onto the adjoining freeway, so everyone who has a prius or a passenger stays one lane over, then cuts across the solid white lines in the median to get onto the onramp. you've got cars going 75 next to cars that are stopped. And there’s only one thing that makes it EVEN WORSE – when the asshole motorcycle cop is at the bottom, handing out tickets, slowing down the works, backing up traffic even more… which makes it even more temping to try and jump around.

Now, keep in mind that every legit carpooler who DOESN’T get a ticket at the end of the onramp just broke a legitimate, reasonable safety law about crossing solid white boundary lines in order to get into that lane. The police have created a dangerous situation in order to profit from it. The fine? $484, I shit you not.

One cop is pulling in about six grand an hour from people who aren’t driving dangerously, who are actively RELIEVING traffic congestion on the adjoining freeway by removing themselves from the backed up lane and traversing the empty, useless, stupid carpool lane.

@bigPixel: Agree. Whoever came up with the slogan "Speed kills' obviously failed physics. Speed doesn't kill, acceleration kills.

@RenegadeIrishman_COFFEE!: WAHHHHHH!

@Norbs:

i've been thinking the same thing.

"Another idiot roams the world in his speeding car... This guy has avoided 37 tickets totaling $6700 using a monkey mask."

Think of it this way: he's been caught breaking the law 37 times... and yet nothing negative has come of it. no accidents. I think it's a little more likely that he's actually a skilled, safe driver who refuses to bow down to chickenshit pussy regulations, and a little less likely that he's an 'idiot'. could it be that the law is stupid, unnecessary, arbitrary and abusive towards the citizens? Jesus Diaz says 'no'.

Here's a thought - let's all obey the speed limits. If, as a majority, we decide to raise the speed limits, then we can all drive faster.

This isn't even close to qualifying as civil disobedience. Speeders cause more accidents, more morbidity, more death on the roads compared with those who obey the driving laws.

This monkey is an asshole. Major asshole, sir!

banmojo

@nutbastard: I think you over estimate how much agencies work together. The only thing that keeps us safe from abuse of power in this country is how terrible we are at working together.

Maori_Yelir

@Razta: This is the tricky thing about moving violations. For the most part, they a class of violations known as 'infractions' and have a whole different set of rules. For one, they don't go on your criminal record until and unless things get more serious. They also seem to come with a 'guilty until you convince us otherwise' mentality.

stellar678

@nutbastard: That's fucked.

Maori_Yelir

@Neimo:

you really need to look up the definition of 'civil disobedience'.

@nutbastard; back from burningman: I bought a motorcycle and traffic was about a good 40% of why I wanted one. Used to take me an 40 min to an hour to get to work (san jose to mountain view) now it's a pretty consistent 20 to 25 min on the motorcycle.

@Maori_Yelir:

oh im sure the police had a hand in the changeover at some point.

'hey bill, we're hurting for revenue, how about some more retarded carpool lanes? we could really use a money trap like that'

'consider it done'.

@Maori_Yelir:

here in cali you must post the fine BEFORE trial, so you're out some hundreds of dollars in the meantime until you waste some PTO and get behind in your work to get your money back that shouldn't have been taken from you in the first place.

@SEDAGIVE?!: Wrong, too rapid de-acceleration kills.

@SEDAGIVE?!:

actually, velocity differentials kill.

@Bruce Landwaster: If you want civil disobedience, organize a fight to raise the speed limits.

@Norbs:

word. you ever try and get on 87 from 85 south in the morning? NIGHTMARE.

Well, if they know who he is, what is the point of the mask? The cameras catch the license plate, and it is the car owner, not necessarily the driver that gets the ticket. So, his civil disobedience does nothing.

TancredoHelmer

@pb4ugoout: I think the court will accept the photograph as evidence.

@pb4ugoout: The cameras should take three stills showing you entering the frame, middle frame, and exiting frame, with time stamps and the math showing the distance traveled and thus the speed. Face that in court and explain why you weren't speeding.

@nutbastard: But the police didn't put the carpool lane there is my point, you make it seem like the police built the ramp. As I said I agree it's a stupid ramp and that the cops are taking advantage but you can't slap the fault on the police who found an advantageous spot to hand out tickets. Found, not built.

Maori_Yelir

@Maori_Yelir: "a state that is severely in debt what do you expect?" To slash the excessive payrolls and benefits of our public employees, but that'll never happen since they own the politicians. ;)

Brian Richards

@Josh K.:

the PURPOSE of speed limits is safety. if no one is driving dangerously, it makes no difference how fast they are going. if they are driving dangerously - ticket them for driving dangerously!

what's dangerous isn't speed, it's velocity differentials. a pack of cars all going 90 is a lot safer than a stopped lane with 50mph traffic immediately adjacent.

@AkkiRonin: It's a belief like this that fucks up the system. Not only is this untrue it's dangerous. I know in Connecticut there is a section on the back of the ticket to enter your plea. Guilty means you pay, not guilty gives you a court date. All it means is if you profess your own guilt you forgo the right to a trial, not guilty gives you that right. You are still innocent in both cases before the ticket is presented to them with your plea.

Maori_Yelir

@Maori_Yelir: Correct, you can thank your local DOT for creating the carpool lane.

ospreyguy

@Bruce Landwaster: Ah yes, so speed limits shouldn't be enforced because people ignore them anyways? That's just asinine.

While I agree that speed cameras are just another way to increase income how exactly are they, "just another way for big brother to track and abuse you?"

Josh K.

@pb4ugoout: By your logic we couldn't convict anyone of anything by evidence. If someone kills someone and the only evidence connecting them to the crime is a video in, which they are clearly identified, should they get away with it.

Oh by the way, the camera isn't actually accusing anyone, it can't talk. Your being accused by the government. When you get to court there are plenty of government reps for you to face.

Zomb

@GitEmSteveDave_TheREALChrisChan:

Bears eat beets. Bears. Beat...Battlestar Galactica!!!

@Josh K.: Why are you so scared of speed?

I got an idea. What if everyone who was pulled over for a moving violation actually went to court to fight it. No lawyers, and you wouldn't even have to put up much of battle. The state assumes that the vast majority of tickets issued will never go to court and you basically cut a check to plead guilty. Why not cut that same check in person? The sheer amount of people at the courthouses would force them cut back on tickets issued.

Also, anyone notice that there has been a increase in cars getting pulled over in the last couple months? I heard a rumor that lack of funds has 'forced' cops to issue more tickets.

Iowa11

@Maori_Yelir: yeah but if there's ever a case where agencies DO work well together, it's always when the goal is raping/fleecing the population.

@nutbastard: back from burningman: Exactly! The guy is probably proving his point. The argument is that the cameras are there for our safety. However, the truth is that it's just another way to get our money

rodriguez24

@banmojo: As a majority? Who the hell decided on these speed limits? Did your town? No, some bullshit agency did some 'research' said this is ideal and pushed it through and it was blindly approved. You put too much faith into how democratic our system is because you don't have a say in a speed limit. Stop drinking the Kool-aid. If you can tell me with a straight face that you follow every speed limit I'll call you the best liar I've ever met.

Speed limits as a whole are all too low because they use outdated standards. We all have anti-lock brakes now. We all have power steering. We can control our vehicles better at higher speeds but we are still treated as if this is the mid 60's when these roads were built.

Highways especially would be a nightmare if everyone drove the posted speed. Here in CT there are open stretches marked as 50. Not 55, 50. You show me anyone on that road going 50 and I promise you he's only doing so because he is having car troubles or he's got one foot he grave. When every car is ignoring a limit that to me counts as a democratic vote and yet that gets ignored.

Maori_Yelir

In AZ traffic tickets are civil cases. you need to be personally served also. you get a ticket to the registered owner, but even if you get served with a ticket, you can't prove either way whether the registered owner is the driver in violation

DelannaIshaboo

@appletoad: "you must speed to avoid a collusion, or to pass." Really? If you have have to speed to pass someone, why are you passing them to begin with.I'm not sure about you but physics may argue that by the time you anticipate a collision is about to happen, speeding up is going to do little for you.

Josh K.

@Jeffsmashkot: Right. So using your example, this guy is a kin to someone stealing a car and using it in a crime? The difference here is that the monkey mask guy is pretty clearly the same person over and over again driving his own car violating the law. They are not even relatively close to the same thing.

Josh K.

@Jeffsmashkot: Not if you report it as stolen. You call the bank and tell them your credit card was stolen a year ago, and all charges in that time are false and you want them removed.

Time how long it takes for them to stop laughing.

Police and media outlets identified the man by name and a Southwest airlines employee. They also published a link to his Facebook page. He denied being the monkey in the pictures and contends many people have access to his car. He also denied being the driver in the photos even though investigators staked out his home after 30 or so tickets and witnessed him putting on masks on several occasions, according to media reports. you can read about it here:
[www.abc15.com]

@Josh K.: On a 2-lane road, you may need to speed to pass the car in front of you and get back to your side of the road before oncoming traffic meets up with you.

@banmojo: i don't remember getting to vote when the street i live on went from a 40 mph zone to a 25...

out of curiosity, what source is telling you that speeders cause more accidents than careless people that drive the limit, or those that try to text and drive, or drunk drivers?

and Maori, don't forget airbags, crumple zones and traction control...

this all seems to be beside the point anyway, this monkey mask is creating negative attention toward a flawed practice that might turn out to be unconstitutional. i'd rather see the constitution upheld than a speed limit.

technical difficulties

@wolfstone: But obviously this is a repeat offender. So the judge is going to assume that either he knows what this "anonymous" person is up to, and is ignoring it. Or he's trying to get out of a ticket.

Civil/municipal courts are not like regular courts. You have to go up and present your argument to a judge who evaluates the facts and renders a unique verdict. There's no judge in either Canada or American who would not sentence this guy to pay every single dollar of those fines.

@nutbastard: back from burningman: I think he's reducing it to the point of impact, which is where velocity differentials would lead to larger accelerations and more kills.

But yeah, it's kind of a stupid point for him to make. Sure, a bullet's acceleration when in stops in your body is what hurts/kills you, but you can bet more powerful cartridges (with higher velocity slugs) will cause more serious injury and more likely death because higher velocity=higher acceleration opposite the direction of the bullet's motion and more damage and energy transfer upon impact.

kagekiri

@Pope John Peeps II: Yes, this works in some states, depending on how the law is written. On a recent CA-based law show, Handel on the Law, a guy called in about photo enforcement.

The camera captures license plate, driver, and conditions (e.g. is the light red). The information is reviewed by a sworn officer to be sure that there is a real violation and that the face is clear, and the ticket is mailed to the residence of the owner.

You can fight the ticket by going to court and saying "might be my car, but that wasn't me driving - compare my face and the picture." Which is evidently what the AZ guy is doing.

The review by an officer is probably there because photo enforcement tends to be outsourced to private companies that that are pair per incident, thus have a conflict of interest.

I agree with prior poster jdale that, if this guy is such a scofflaw and clearly his identity and haunts are known, they should be able to put a live officer on the scene.

wolfstone

@nutbastard: Reason #8673 why I won't be moving to California.

Darkest Daze

@banmojo: you are wrong. slow drivers are proven to cause more accidents than speeders. nice try, though.

Nick

In the Netherlands they've got their camera's set up so that it takes a picture of the rear, thus snapping the license plate. In Germany they've got both your face and the license plate.
However you do it, people will still hate the things.

@Magic Beans? Sure, I'll Buy Some!!:

Darwin Awards are only awarded to those who have removed themselves from the gene pool...

Guys like this ruin it for everyone else. Now they're going to pass a law against driving in a monkey suit, which will spoil so many innocent people's fun.

PaddyDugan

@Bruce Landwaster: I hear you man.

I just have to wonder have Americans collectively been totally bitch-slapped that we don't see the danger in outsourcing public policy to for-profit companies.

The monkey should fight the camera the best way he can. And if it means you break a law without harming others than that is civil disobedience and a damned good thing.

@MavisPuford:

Apparently Bird Beats Broadband, too.

[gizmodo.com]

@Munch the BanNail: What if he dawned another type of mask, what would that prove?

PixelProphet

@SigmundTheSeaMonster: You know what also puts drivers at risk? People watching for speed cameras and looking at their speedometer instead of the road...

Sweetz

@macpatrick: +1

PixelProphet

@Zomb: Innocent until proven guilty means nothing to you, does it?

PixelProphet

@banmojo: Dude, you do know you're on Jalopnik, right? Plus, we don't even know he's speeding in a "dangerous" manner.

I hate speed and red light cameras. Their only purpose is to generate revenue, and the proof is that the company who sells, installs and maintains the units gets a commission for every violation. I still can't believe this shit is allowed to happen in America.

@Maori_Yelir: That went WAY over your head.

PixelProphet

I don't blame the guy. I mean what he does stinks, but the city putting up cameras to generate money is sick. It does nothing to promote safety. Studies shown that some places decrease and other places increase with presence of these cameras. That seems pretty inconclusive to me, yet they put it out anyway.

How does the mask protect him when his license plate is visible? "...they know who he is..." Well, no shit! I'd imagine local taxpayers expect the pigs to put 2 & 2 together here... Good job! Tax $'s at work... way to go Shirlock.

In Seattle the registered owner is mailed a ticket when a traffic cam captures an infraction. It's then up to the R.O. to appear in court & try to prove it wasn't them in the car. 99% of the time the fine it not reduced & the R.O. is forced to pay the fine because they can't prove it wasn't them in the car at the time.

This guy reminds me of an ostrich hiding by burying it's head in the sand. We can still see you, Moron!

@robotsneedhugs2: It could be considered the fault of the registered owner, as they are always supposed to have control over their property (I am not sure of the legal term).

For example, if you lend your car to a friend and that friend gets in an accident and causes damage, you can be held responsible for that damage.

@SEDAGIVE?!: Technically, it's the DECELERATION that kills...

Abssy_East

@AlpineSurfer: In some states, you need a picture of the driver, too. It could have been your brother or someone driving the car and speeding, which then isn't your fault.

robotsneedhugs2

@nutbastard; back from burningman: Do it... it has a bit of a learning curve but it's a blast as long as you don't hurt yourself. ;)

@enm4r: You forget women who go looking through their purse in bumper to bumper rolling traffic, and step on the gas while still face first in their purse. As was the bitch yesterday who rear-ended my wife and I.

headc4se

whats all this monkey business?

Ill bet the state patrol went ape shit.

i think a pig mask would have been more ammusing

LazyLomax

@gochurush: With all due respect, you sir are a moron.

cameras r there to make money, not to keep the drivers safe!! Im sure this guy is intentionally speeding up wherever there's a speeding camera just to prove his point!! telling cops to do their jobs!! i know cops r sooo busy trying to keep this country safe... hmmm wait.... what was that news about a girl being kidnapped for 18 year? by a...... shit, its so f#%ked up, i dont even wanna talk about it....

link to the full story about the monkey dirver.
[www.azcentral.com]

link to the story about the kidnapped story.
[www.cnn.com]

gochurush

@Đipic: With no due respect sir...you must be a cop.

@TheGuinnessTooth: They just need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was him, and I tend to think that proving that he did it once and that the other times were done in his car would convince most people beyond a reasonable doubt. Does anyone here really believe that someone else took his car and sped through camera zones those other times, and he decided to do it the last time?

It's similar to a cop busting a tagger - they'll prosecute (usually successfully) the tagger for any graffiti that matches his style/tag.

@LazyLomax: Then he wouldn't have been speeding though, he'd just keep hogging the road.

@AlpineSurfer: You need a photo of the drivers face in AZ I believe.

sickforska

@Iowa11: You should always go to the courthouse. Many states have laws requiring the officer to be present and he/she often is not. Also, you may be offered a reduction of a your fine/points in exchange for pleading guilty without seeing a judge.

yeti

@[DFX] Deimos: Yes it could, but it's not the law in this case. The authorities have supposedly had some people tail this guy and watch him put the mask on in hopes that this will be convincing enough to prove it was him every time.

I once read about a high-speed chase where the offenders escaped on foot and were able to pick up their car at the impound the next day with no charges pressed because the officers did not see anything well enough to positively ID the suspects.

yeti

@redkamel: dumbasses was a little hasty. I'll go with...uh..."not what I think of when I think of the ideal policeman/woman".

redkamel

@Đipic: you obviously haven't dealt with cops. Some of them are good, most of them are dumbasses.

redkamel

@sickforska: I'm starting to get the feeling that they do it for the money, and not the safety. (the speed cameras)

In all fairness AZ really screws its residents with these cameras. I live in Tempe, and 75% of speeding tickets come from a pair of cameras down my street. The speed limit is 45, then it drops to 35 in about 100 feet, then there are two cameras (one going each direction) then the speed limit goes back up to 40 or 45 100 feet later as you cross into Scottsdale.

I've also seen some really crappy cameras in Phoenix on the freeway. I can recall one camera that's about 8 feet behind a huge sign that says "Photo enforcement next 300 ft." The sign is so big that it hides the camera from view.

There's another camera that has a speed limit sign that reduces the limit from 65 to 55. The sign is placed in between the camera and its flash. I don't know how they expect you to slow down that fast.

Although I think this guy is pretty reckless, he's just expressing the feelings that millions of people in the Phoenix area have.

Also, Joe Arpaio is an asshole, not a savior.

sickforska

@Đipic: "Moron" was coined in 1910 by psychologist Henry H. Goddard from the Greek word moros, which meant "dull" (as opposed to "sharp"), and used to describe a person with a mental age located between 8 and 12 on the Binet scale. It was once applied to people with an IQ of 51-70, being superior in one degree to "imbecile" (IQ of 26-50) and superior in two degrees to "idiot" (IQ of 0-25). The word moron, along with others including "retarded", "idiotic", "imbecilic", "stupid", and "feeble-minded", was formerly considered a valid descriptor in the psychological community, but it is now deprecated by psychologists.

Following opposition to Goddard's attempts to popularize his ideas, Goddard recanted his earlier claims about the moron: "It may still be objected that moron parents are likely to have imbecile or idiot children. There is not much evidence that this is the case. The danger is probably negligible."

@gochurush: YOU'RE RIGHT! Camera's are money printers for the state. They are owned buy a private company. And by law you can ignore the ticket you get, because in court you have the right to face your accuser. A camera can't come to court, nor can a person represent the camera. SO CASE DISMISSED! I have done this twice already and recommend everyone doing the same. Use your rights or lose them! **p.s. I do not support speeding. Speed kills.

Nice of the cameras to provide us with proof that...since this guy is still alive and well, 37 tickets and counting (probably all for a few miles over, not blatant reckless endangerment)...he is no more dangerous than average Joe Schmoe commuter doing the speed limit accidentally spilling his latte or taking his eyes off the road to adjust his AC vents.

I used to be against cameras here in Brazil, but statistics has proven that they really are preventing accidents from happening, specially the ones that results in deaths and serious injuries.

I don't know if that's the case in Arizona, and I do know for a fact that some of those cams are strategically placed in spots just to get the taxpayer money.

So I'm not really against the cams, but I say people need to question more (not only on blogs) about the placement of those.

Still, at least here were I live, drivers got what they deserved.
We have far too many wreckless drivers killing tons of innocent people every year just because they can't f*cking understand that driving fast isn't a problem just for people who can't drive... it doesn't matter if you are an awesome driver that can travel the speed of light without crashing.

The problem is also other drivers, bystanders, and numerous situations in which bad accidents can be avoided if only people would respect the speed limits.

But we live in a world of hypocrates. Usually, people will only support speeding cams when they have someone close to them killed by someone who was speeding.

Sad but true.

Also this: [xspblog.com]

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

@Nick: Well for one, those cameras don't go off unless you're speeding. There are the random times where they go off in the wrong circumstances but I doubt that's the case for this guy as he owes $6700 in fines.

Thomathan

@nutbastard: back from burningman:

Indeed. We should just remove all speed laws. The skilled drivers all know who they are and should be allowed to drive as fast as they want.

Thomathan