The story of the Colorado man who got
fined $50 for using a device to change
traffic lights on his way to work from red to green has made its way around the internet already. As much fun as it
is to read about the man’s eventual capture after two years of playing god in traffic, it’s more fun to
watch this CNN video
of townspeople pissed off that the guy got off virtually scott free. Hilarity also ensues watching the authorities
explain how after fielding two years of complaints about an unexplicably long red light at this particular intersection
they finally went to the tapes and noticed a reoccurring Ford Ranger pickup that never got caught… by the light,
that is. [Source: CNN via AutoSpies]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AutoFan @ Apr 20th 2006 4:13PM
Meh. They're just pissed that they didn't think of it first.
jordan @ Apr 20th 2006 4:29PM
My mom does dispatch at her local police office (including fire, emergency, etc), and I told her it would be great if you could have a box that would send the signal to change lights. She left me under the impression that if you did that in our city, you would be in a lot more than $50 worth of trouble. I wanna move to that city. I bet I could get away with robbery as long as I apologized. :)
zverg @ Apr 20th 2006 4:32PM
Yeah um, it's a felony to possess one of those so why the hell he got off with a 50 dollar fine is crazy. Disrupting the flow of traffic with an illegal device daily for 2 years?! That's insane.
Give him the chair! (kidding of course, but what an asshole).
pinko @ Apr 20th 2006 4:33PM
The guy was obviously a Republican.
It's all about me, screw the peasants, my quality of life is all that matters, etc.
Garrett @ Apr 20th 2006 4:40PM
gah i hate people that abuse stuff like that, i have one on my truck...but i am a firefighter and have actually never used it because well they only have one traffic light compatible with it within a 30 mi radius, and i only have it because it came with the rest of my strobe package, but what i hate is police officers that abuse them, i was sitting in traffic here at school in raleigh for like 5 min one night finally i see the other direction's light turn yellow..here comes a cop and i see the flash and it turns back green for him..asshole he wasnt in pursuit of anything, just usual lazyass cops
bobdobbs @ Apr 20th 2006 4:41PM
Another hard-hitting expose by the liberal media.
Andy @ Apr 20th 2006 5:26PM
#4: You're obviously a Democrat.
always getting the shaft, making things political when they're not, the man holding you back, etc.
Phillip @ Apr 20th 2006 5:46PM
#7 That was a good call on #4's comment.
As far as the Colorado man goes, what can I say?..he had a great two year run with that device. Now he has to wait like the rest of us.
ibefine @ Apr 20th 2006 5:47PM
ya just mad cause ya think of it first
***** Unencrypted transmission WTF,
How many times does security need to be enforced
*****
Image if he was using the device and GREEN LIGHT to all traffic
***** Unencrypted transmission WTF,
How many times does security need to be enforced
*****
Sal @ Apr 20th 2006 6:07PM
#7 You're obviously an asshole.
Butting in when you're not asked, making smart quips when it's anonymous, trying to make caring about others sound weak.
Make that a Republican asshole.
That One Person @ Apr 20th 2006 7:59PM
#5...cops around here are notorious for abusing their powers. Today alone I saw five cops use their lights just to get through an intersection. One of them was from another city. I understand a lot of cops from the neighboring city of Dearborn Heights go through Dearborn because its quicker to get to certain sections then go around. But what makes me mad is I see a lot of those cops use their lights to get through intersections or around large groupings of cars.
But that guy deserves more than a $50 fine. Thats ridiculous...
Steve @ Apr 20th 2006 10:30PM
I suppose the punishment this guy got was in line with how the law defines his crime. I would assume that the law will be much tougher for the next person who tries that in the town.
You want to be outraged, here in San Jose last year, a 78 year old woman "lost control" of her car (hit the gas instead of the brakes) ran onto the curb and ran over a nanny and a baby in a stroller. The baby was killed and the nanny injured. Her punishment was 2 weeks probation and she kept her driver's license.
Seems a $50 fine for screwing around with a traffic signal and inconveniencing a bunch of people seems like cruel and unusual punishment in comparison.
anahit @ Apr 20th 2006 10:31PM
#10, cops use their lights to get through intersections to get to 911 calls. Odds are highly minimal they're doing it for whatever ridiculous reason you think they are.
If you don't their driving requirements, don't call the cops when you need their help. Other people do need help and cops need to get there fast regardless of your petty resentment.
And cops don't need to take routes only within their city. They can use any route they need to arrive at the call faster.
Geez, it's like explaining things to a 6 year-old.
Mike @ Apr 21st 2006 9:41AM
wow, I care about people and I am a republican... does that make me an anomoly?
What the hell does someone using this device have to do with his/her politics? all this asshole republican vs looney liberal left B.S. is insane, and you all need to get over yourselves.
I lived in longmont for over a year, and I never had a problem with any traffic lights. This isn't a major metropolitan area, this is a small town about 30 miles north of Denver. I haven't checked the laws in our state yet but I am sure that the court did what was in its best interest (plea bargain rather than trial) not intending to receive national news coverage from such a small story.
TheClassic @ Apr 21st 2006 10:13AM
#12 The cops aren't responding to shit when they turn their lights on to go through an intersection, speed up to 70 miles an hour, then slow down and continue driving at the speed limit for 3 miles.
anahit @ Apr 21st 2006 1:06PM
#14, thanks for proving the old adage about assuming. Here, though, the adage would end more appropriately with "you and you" instead of "you and me".
Here's what very frequently happens: cop gets dispatched to a call requiring him to "go code", which means get there ASAP. He goes through a traffic signal/intersection with lights and siren. Shortly thereafter, the call is canceled. He therefore starts driving normally.
This happens all the time in every jurisdiction.
GotThatVibe @ Apr 21st 2006 2:44PM
Number ten said:
"...cops around here are notorious for abusing their powers. Today alone I saw five cops use their lights just to get through an intersection"
He was being overly nice to the cops of the area, at least, to the Dearborn Heights cops. I worked in Dearborn Heights for about 3 years, and I must say, the cops are major @$$holes, everyone there knows it (unless maybe you drive a Ford and are friends with the cops). Not to mention, they seem to SWARM the entire city. The number of patrol cars I see is rediculously out of proportion to any other city I've ever been in. 12, maybe you shouldn't talk about police in a city you have no experience?
As for the guy using the device to change the lights...HILARIOUS, but yes, it's a bit of an @$$hole thing to do, especially if it could change lights so abruptly as to put people in immediate danger.
nelson @ Apr 22nd 2006 7:29AM
Does any know where I can get one of those gadgets?