paint it black..

[hertsbiker]

ok, I couldn't resist the title, but I have a question:

Would it be an offense for a member of the public to paint the back of a speed camera in a bright colour?

I'd be interested in the answer, and the reasoning behind the reply, if it was to be illegal. Bearing in mind the police are meant to be painting them anyway...

rgds.

[Nightmare]

vandalism?
graffiti probably.....
dunno - JR?

[Neil Menzies]

If its legal, can I come round and paint your house dayglo yellow while you're out?

I think its criminal damage.

[apache]

I don't think he was going to paint his house dayglo....who actually said they were going to do this, perhaps they could be approached or some explanation of why it hasn't been done offered

[Dave_H]

Maybe we're looking at this in all the wrong way.We need to aproach this in the same way that the gatso-planters plant gatsos.

What we need to do is strap a grow bag on the back of our cars with some evergreens/shrubs hiding the rear number plate, then drive past gatsos at what ever speed you like - "I'm sorry officer,that's not me, that's just a bush" :d

[Marv]

or you could do you bit for the environment and plant a rather large bush in front of the gatso.... similar to the ones they conveniently hide the gatsos behind

Marv

[preston1990]

Would it not be a better idea to paint over the camera lense? Only joking Constable!!

[mmertens]

Hmmm, dunno about the legality () but near my place in Holland a couple of gatso's were treated with a tire+some petrol and a match... . They didn't stand that very well. After a couple of months they were replaced, to suffer the same fate within a couple of weeks. As these are apparently not the cheapest machines, and as everywhere plod is on a budget in Holland, they haven't been replaced since. Shocking, maybe, illegal, yes, effective, oh yes! Painting and such (has been tried very often, mostly the lenses though) is too easily repaired, I'm afraid.
Not that I'm advocating any gatso assaults, mind you, but there are more ruthless people around than the civilised community on Pistonheads...
For this and some other creative thoughts from Holland, look at
http://ttc.solidcode.net/fotos/slooppaal/slooppaal.html

[mel]

Just looked at the link below and although my language skills are very poor so unable to comment on the text the pictures are a little concerning in that the attacks are certainly indiscriminate. Image 2 is a camera located next to a kiddies playground and Image 4 is actually a trffic light camera. Isn't this what they are meant to be used for ???? Most of the other images are either unclear about location or look like cash collectors.

[WalterU]

from what I gather, there are so many Gatsos around that the dutch now regard them as an infringement on their civil liberties. It's always the last straw that breaks the camel's back. Obviously, some people feel so strongly about it that they're prepared to act in the way they did.

Perhaps mmertens could provide us with a gist of the text on the website.

Rgds, WalterU

[richb]

Since the police have now enlisted the help of Gran's Army or the Gray Fuzz as I have heard them called to assist with Speed Trap duties, perhaps some equally public-minded people should volunteer to assist the cops their with Gastso camara painting duties. It's hard to see how they could decline such an offer and if they did it would make an excellent news story for the ABD Rich...

[hertsbiker]

hi, I have already suggested it for an article in the ABD mag.

Good to see some opinions on this matter, but I can't see why there should be any objection on *moral* grounds. Ok, maybe *legal* reasons, eg, not exactly the right shade of yellow or something trivial...

[Marv]

I know it would be ilegal but ust out of curiosity what do you think the local authority would so f someone painted the back of a camera properly with floresent chevrons etc....

Do you think they would try and remove it and paint it back to grey or leave it in the interest of road safety?

Edited by Marv on Tuesday 6th November 17:36

Edited by Marv on Tuesday 6th November 17:37

[hertsbiker]

That was the general idea...
Can't see a *good* reason for being done for it.

But when did they need to have a good reason to prosecute? eg 2mph over limit.

Wonder if I approached the fuzz/council, and offered to paint a few for FREE, if I would be allowed to do so?

[macca]

I've seen some with the Chevrons. Does that mean that somebody with sinister motives is painting them or is the Council making them more visable?


Cheers

[Marv]

but macca, you could hardly say road safety, common sense and less stealth taxes is a sinister motive?

Might be worth sending an email to the tansport dept at the local council. I doubt they would let any member of the public do it but it might prompt them to keep their promises

[mmertens]

Actually, the picture of the "pisa" gatso at the playground has some text below it stating that the playground obviously is a logical place to have it and that speeders deserve to be caught there. The traffic light one, oh well, it was blown up on 31 december when people traditionally light fireworks in Holland.
The location of the rest of the pictures is described in the text. MOst of them are "revenue makers" and serve to display the imaginative ways to demolish them (or protect them, see the last picture). The page is actually part of the website of the Tuftufclub, a rather more militant form of the ABD acting against the "kleptocracy" of the DUtch authorities as regards car users. For an -as ever humourous- account by mr J Clarkson see
http://ttc.solidcode.net/fotos/archief/columnjeremy.jpg

[jimbo]

I can confirm that there are many more cameras in the netherlands than in the UK, and the police over here use even more sneaky tactics than in Blighty.

On my way to work there are somewhere in the region of 12 cameras spaced over the 35km. A journey that usually takes me an average of 1.5 hours by the way, so I can't see that they actually catch anyone !!.

Mind you it hasn't stopped people vandalising at least 5 of them - they have been blacked out, and smiley painted on the back of them to let you know.

Jim

[mel]

mmertens,

Thanks for that I'm glad it was a language thing. Sounds like we need to forge stronger links with this lot they sound like our kind of people

[raceboy]

Coming through north Derbyshire on Monday, I noticed that they have painted some of there Gatso's a nice shade of green, which just about matches the bushs it was next to.