A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Camera surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

Automated camera companies market their devices as automated license plate readers — tools for catching stolen cars, flagging warrants, and aiding serious investigations.

Sold as a Crime Tool. Used as a Fine Machine.

  • Zombie-Mantis@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    20
    ·
    edit-2
    7 hours ago

    I’m an enemy of the panoptic surveillance state of course, but at least in this instance the all-seeing eyes of big brother found a worthy target this time. She, and a whole lot more people, shouldn’t be driving cars.

    Edit: all of you who have downvoted me and castigated my words are fools and animals who do not understand or deserve the rights you enjoy. Better men than you gifted you with liberties in the vein hope that you would use them to become more enlightened than themselves, now you will allow the cabal of pedophiles to take everything from the rest of us, so that you might sleep more soundly in the knowledge that when you are slighted by a criminal, they will be found. Of course, such a criminal state would not bother to find your criminal, as its masters are all too busy using the Palantir to spy on your children as they shower.

    • bountygiver [any]@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      34 minutes ago

      deserve the rights

      Reminder that driving is not a right, it is a privilege. It is often first taught in driving schools.

      • Zombie-Mantis@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 hours ago

        Yes, and I’m saying that it’s good that she was ticketed. I still don’t like having cameras everywhere watching and tracking your every move and every word. This was an instance of a bad system producing a good outcome, just as brutal American police officers who rape and pillage sometimes arrest murderers as well.

        You people, fools, sheeps and dogs, do not have the reading comprehension to it understand my sentiment, yet you falsely accuse me of failing to read.

      • __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        11 hours ago

        Why would it be in her lap while driving if she wasn’t using it shortly before they picture was taken?

        • Saryn@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          10 hours ago

          Yes, let’s just make the worst possible assumptions about every person in every situation ever. I mean, what could possibly be wrong with that?!

          You might as well be saying “PLEASE SIR, TAKE MY RIGHTS AWAY, I’M TOO STUPID TO EXERCISE THEM ANYWAY”

          • __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            10 hours ago

            What assumption are you making then? Why was her phone out of she wasn’t using it? Your lap is not a storage location that makes any sense when driving. You don’t have a right to drive a car, there are a lot of rules that must be followed. Do you want someone to run you over because they aren’t paying attention?

            • Sharkticon@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              ·
              9 hours ago

              Here’s my assumption: fuck you prove it. That should be the assumption of everyone accused of a crime. Especially accused by a bunch of cameras installed by the Epstein class to spy on us all day. I keep my phone on my lap so I can listen to podcasts and thats where I can hear it best.

              So maybe stop simping for billionaire pedophiles and remember you are supposed to be someone living in a free society and protected by the rule of law instead of licking fascist boots.

              • __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                3
                ·
                9 hours ago

                The fuck is wrong with you? You think I’m simping for billionaires because i don’t think you should be able to drive while using your phone? And back to the original question, what good reason could she have to have her phone out? I can’t think of one.

                • Saryn@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  7 hours ago

                  You need to go back and read the article because you obviously don’t understand what actually happened.

                  I mean, holy hell batman, people are actually losing their ability to read and comprehend what they just read and then go on weird tyrades while totally misrepresenting the substance of the article because they were too lazy to read more than every 50th word.

                  This is fucking scary guys. Get a fucking grip. It’s not that long and the language used is not that complex. Adults should be able to read and comprehend this short basic article, for fucks sake.

                  We are SO doomed as a species.

                  • __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    6 hours ago

                    I get what happened. I don’t agree with the ticket. I don’t like spy cameras everywhere. These are not what i originally posted about. I asked what reason could someone have to have a phone out on their lap while driving their car. Did i go on a weird tirade? I didn’t think i did.

                • Sharkticon@lemmy.zip
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  6 hours ago

                  First of all I just gave you a reason, so I’m going to agree with the other guy in that you’re extremely bad at reading comprehension.

                  As for the rest? Yeah you were 100% simping for the Epstein class. Anyone who supports the police surveillance state is doing the work of pedophile billionaires. That’s who you’re in bed with. So either get the fuck out of that bed or keep licking I guess. Ain’t going to help you though.

                  • __Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    5 hours ago

                    I don’t think yours is a very good reason. If you are holding it in your lap to listen to podcasts that’s not a good spot. It can very easily fall on the floor or next to the seat, which will absolutely distract you enough to cause an accident. Get a dash mount, they’re like $5.

                    I’m not supporting the cameras and don’t think they should be writing tickets. I’m just talking about how holding your phone on your lap makes no sense to do. I think there is like a 99% chance she was looking at her phone 5 seconds before this picture was taken.

    • Saryn@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      10 hours ago

      I think reading comprehension mihht be a prerequisite for being an “enemy of the panoptic surveillance state”. You should look into that.

      • Zombie-Mantis@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 hours ago

        Copying this from another reply, because it fits both:

        I’m saying that it’s good that she was ticketed. I still don’t like having cameras everywhere watching and tracking your every move and every word. This was an instance of a bad system producing a good outcome, just as brutal American police officers who rape and pillage sometimes arrest murderers as well.

        You people, fools, sheeps and dogs, do not have the reading comprehension to it understand my sentiment, yet you falsely accuse me of failing to read.

        • Saryn@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 hours ago

          Calm down, Pol Pot. Before dehumizing everyone else and declaring yourself the guardian of all truth, consider this: admitting you made a basic mistake instead of going on an infantile tyrade about how people don’t deserve rights will go a long way for you personally. Do it for yourself, not for something or someone else.

          Thank me later. Or don’t. Just as long as you try. There is no shame in making a mistake. Even less so in admitting it and apologising (quite the opposite actually). But there is a lot of shame in knowingly doubling down. It’s clear what happened. Just own up to it. With time, you will discover it’s almost like a super power. Your anxiety levels are also bound to go down.

          Now go have a cold one and try and contemplate on the message without spewing vitriol toward the messengers.