Speed Camera Question

[GregE240]

Having endured driving up and down the A14 yesterday from Northamptonshire to Essex, and encountering several speed cameras (which utterly spoiled the journey), I wondered: Why hasn't anybody thought of covering the lenses with two pieces of polaroid film at 90 degress to each other ?

When I did physics at school (yonks ago, mind) we gasped in amazement at these clear pieces of film that would go totally black if you turned one piece at right angles to the other.

I'm thinking that if you stuck a piece of this to the lens it would still look normal (as opposed to some yesterday that had been set on fire), yet when the picture was developed, it would be completely black.

Has someone thought of this already ? I know it's a bit naughty, but better surely than pouring petrol over them.....

[mattjbatch]

quote:Having endured driving up and down the A14 yesterday from Northamptonshire to Essex, and encountering several speed cameras (which utterly spoiled the journey), I wondered: Why hasn't anybody thought of covering the lenses with two pieces of polaroid film at 90 degress to each other ?

When I did physics at school (yonks ago, mind) we gasped in amazement at these clear pieces of film that would go totally black if you turned one piece at right angles to the other.

I'm thinking that if you stuck a piece of this to the lens it would still look normal (as opposed to some yesterday that had been set on fire), yet when the picture was developed, it would be completely black.

Has someone thought of this already ? I know it's a bit naughty, but better surely than pouring petrol over them.....

Nah, pouring petrol over them is much more fun

[ianpicknell]

quote:clear pieces of film that would go totally black if you turned one piece at right angles to the other

As you say, in order for the image taken by the camera to be blacked out, there would need to be two pieces of polarised glass between the camera lens and your number-plate, offset by 90 degrees. But if you place them both on the camera itself, no light will pass (in either direction), so it will be obvious that the camera has been tampered with.

But, if you place just one piece of glass over the camera lens, and the other piece of glass over your number plate (offset by 90 degrees) then the camera will look fine, your number plate will look fine, but the combination of the two will be blacked out.

[CarZee]

But - if you get the orientation wrong on the polarising film on your plate, anyone with polaroid sunglasses will see what you've done.. all of a sudden, Oakley wraparounds will become standard plod issue..

[ultra violent]

I had thought about this, although I thought about using a material that's used on cash machines so people can't see over your shoulder. Cover your number plate with this material configured in such away that it blanks your plate for angles generated by road/camera. Slight problem is that a plod walking up to your car may generate the same angle and notice that your plate has just gone blank.... Oh well...

[plotloss]

What someone needs to invent is a numberplate where the letters are placed there by electricity. One could have a constant current and the letters show, avoiding any inspection from the babylon and then when seeing a camera, intercept the current and lose the letters.

I have no idea how one would go about this, but I am sure there must be a way.

Matt.

[DavidP]

Try

www.priva-plate.com

I think they're about 150 squid. Probably very illegal. I think some of the guys on the Yahoo Cerbera group tried 'em out.

Cheers
David

P.S. Get the really sincere disclaimer at the end of their site

>> Edited by DavidP on Tuesday 16th April 13:11

[loudpedal]

a nice daub of vaseline on the camera lense should sort it. stuff the focus up but look fine until right up close...

[mondeoman]

quote:
a nice daub of vaseline on the camera lense should sort it. stuff the focus up but look fine until right up close...

And there was me thinking there was only one use for vaseline..........

[ZZR600]

anyone seen the jethro vid where he gets questioned on the use of vaseline , and jathro says to the bloke , "me and the wife use it when were having sex" to which the bloke replies "your the first person to admit using it durning sex, What do you do with it ?" jethro says "i scop it out with my hand and smear it on the doorknob so the kids cant get in till we're finished!"

>> Edited by ZZR600 on Tuesday 14th May 19:07

[Nacnud]

Just a thought - if one polarising glass was put over the camera and another at 90deg placed over the FLASH.

Would that stop light from the flash being recorded on the film ?

[mattjbatch]

No. I think. When the light is reflected it becomes unpolarised an there's also normal daylight which isn't polarised either. Standing by to be corrcted though...

[outlaw]

the only thing what will stop the stealth tax camras
scam, is when enougth peeps have had there fill of em and the go missing as fast s they put em up.

the day is coming

[JMorgan]

Why not do the job proper. Industrial sized pipe cutter as Cool Hand Luke did, ground level and bung a rose in the hole, the buggers won't notice for ages.