I gave Leggett the benefit of the doubt, even after I got stung while following along with traffic on River Road. I believed him when he said the cameras would not be installed in “gotcha” spots, but would only be set up to keep school zones and problematic spots safe. Then I went away on vacation and returned to find my neighborhood community 'surveilled' by eight cameras. As for their locations, four were set up near school zones, but not exactly in them. Four of them were installed behind the crests of hills (the definition of “gotcha” spots).
What’s more, the coverage area of at least two sets of cameras are a least about a quarter mile away from a school That means that once past the focal zone of the camera, automobile traffic speeds up with no surveillance right in front of the school the camera is supposed to be protecting! In fact, I have counted three school zones in my community where the cameras are trained in such a way that they never cover the crosswalks. As you might expect, traffic slows down by the camera and then speeds up in front of the schools.
In the five years I’ve lived in the area I’ve never seen or heard about an accident happening in the places where the cameras have gone up. Maybe I don’t get out enough….
As for the instance when I got stung, I accepted it. I was on my way to a CVS for a Valentine’s Day card after midnight (I’m a procrastinator, what can I say? At least it was the morning of the 14th!) and I was tagged by a crest-of-a-hill camera on River Road nowhere near a school. I know this may put me in line for some criticism, but I have to wonder - is there really a need to provide protection when/where there isn’t anyone to protect? There are no pedestrians, school buses or children or traffic at 1am.
I think it insults our intelligence to have the Executive laugh and say it’s only about safety. How about a little candor to go with the cameras, please?
Kudos for your honesty and candor. Many of us feel the same way as you. After a recent Gotcha ticket on Route 28 near Harris Teeter, I had enough.
I hope you will continue to speak out and encourage people to sign a petition to send the speed camera bill to referendum.
Although the SPEED CAMERA AHEAD ! signs that are popping up all over Potomac may not solve the problem, I hope it will raise the awareness of the Speed Camera issue.
Follow on Twitter @potomacsecret and Facebook potomac secretagent
Keep it up! PSA
You're post is exactly right when it comes to Ike Leggett and the whole speed camera deal. This is just another way of the government digging into our wallets and stealing OUR money. To see him laugh quite frankly disgusted me but I was not surprised, this is the man who spent 60000 dollars of taxpayer money to build himself a private bathroom. Its time we got rid of him and the speed cameras, they aren't there to protect our kids and just exist to take our money.
Let's face it. These devices are nothing more than cash cows for those that want to use them. In fact a few weeks ago, Mayor Fenty stated that he wanted these types of cameras to generate revenue...without a single word about saftey. This is probably the only truth he has said since taking office.
As far as camera use. I am not opposed to them, provided a policy on their use (ie. will they be used strictly for traffic enforcement, or can they be used as 'Big Brother' for other surveillance activities) and a policy on what the revenue will be used for is published. I have yet to read anything definitive on this.
As far as Ike goes, in my opinion he is an embarassment to the county much like Marion Barry is an embarassment to The District. I did not vote for him last time, and will not vote to re-elect him.
Keep up the good work on Channel 7.
