Speed cameras in Arizona nab driver 22 times in 45 days
While we can normally sympathize with someone who has been on the receiving end of a speeding violation, occasionally a case comes up which tests our ability to forgive and forget. Such is the case with Jennifer Bitton, who was caught 22 times in less than two months by speed cameras on Arizona's Loop 101. The Las Vegas-based serial speeder was arrested by the Department of Public Safety at her parents' home in Scottsdale last Friday and booked on two counts of criminal speeding, one count of endangerment and another count of reckless driving. Not surprisingly, Bitton says that she wasn't aware of the cameras on 101, which at one point clocked her Mustang at 92 mph.What is surprising is that Bitton isn't the worst of the lot. Back in 2006, Francesca Cisneros received over 70 speeding tickets on the same stretch of road, which she immediately threw away and forgot about. When the police finally arrived at her door, she reportedly told them that she assumed that if she tossed them in the trash, nothing would happen. Not quite. In October of 2006 she was sentenced to five days in jail and fined $10,022. Bitton is expected to rack up a few days behind bars herself, along with several thousand dollars in fines. Thanks for the tip, Kris.
[Source: East Valley Tribune]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
James 2:40PM (6/26/2008)
On the surface it sounds bad, but what's the criteria for the speed cameras? Locally, the DOT tried cameras, but discovered that people were being busted for going just ONE mph over the limit. While that's technically "speeding" the courts were not amused. Everyone's time nd money was being wasted here. The holier-than-thou person running the program was reassigned elsewhere and the cameras pulled. So this girl might be a punk, but who really knows.
Reply
RMc 3:20PM (6/26/2008)
I drive by these cameras frequently being a Phoenician.
The speed limit is 65 mph and you don't get a ticket until going 77 mph or above. Many would argue that this is a comfortable and fair cushion to the well posted speed limit.
In addition, there are numerous big yellow signs announcing "Photo Radar Enforcement Ahead" prior to approaching each of the photo radar zones (there are multiple in a few miles stretch - which may bring on another issue and another possible reason to how she racked up so many tickets so quickly.)
On top of that, the cameras themselves are clearly visible and look not too unlike group of drag racing "Christmas trees" posted on the side of the highway. They are damn near impossible to miss.
And, on top of that, the cameras, in addition to your license plate, take a picture of the front of the car, including the driver, so that you can't dispute "That wasn't me driving my car!" Thereby, there is a flash that rivals looking straight into the 12 o'clock Arizona sun which is, as you can imagine, especially noticeable at night.
I can understand it taking two or three times to realize what the funny yellow signs, weird looking white metal trees and blinding flash are, but 22 times is unreal.
Randy 4:18PM (6/27/2008)
Time to get those radar / photo plate covers! I'm getting them this weekend!
Smeagle 5:43PM (6/26/2008)
It's quite shocking to read your post RMc. I never knew there were speed cameras actually being used as a deterrent. Where I live they hide them behind signs and overpasses with no warning and book you for 3km/h over the limit. You're pretty much screwed without cruise control. Problem is, this sort of approach tends to send people to sleep...
TwinTurboVR4 7:06PM (6/26/2008)
sounds like my kinda gal...:D
oh wait- they said Mustang? nevermind...
Zane 2:40PM (6/26/2008)
And 92mph? Bleh.. I'd like to invite her to America's autobahn - Georgia SR400 a.k.a. Georgiabahn. I was 'cruising' at 90 in the middle lane on my way to work today and was regularly being overtaken by soccer moms and football dads in their shiny SUVs.
Reply
epilonious 3:01PM (6/26/2008)
It's also Atlanta... where if you are more than 10 car lengths away from someone in a passing lane you obviously aren't driving fast enough.
GA400 hasn't been all that "speedy" since all the developments in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming, and even further north have ensured that the road is clogged with traffic between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM
Chris 3:29PM (6/26/2008)
I'm Atlanta as well, ten car lengths? I wasn't aware they increased the minimum distance for following from 10 inches!
GA400 is fast though, I will give you that, especially North of the perimeter.
Other fast areas, 575 ... damn people will haul ass in the divided stretches, which is probably similar to the reason major extents of 400 are so fast.
Do the cops still drive their black SUVs up by the Roswell exits?
Jason 3:52PM (6/26/2008)
Couldn't agree more
cardudeATL 4:53PM (6/26/2008)
I HATE Ga400! Fortunately I live and work on the south side, so I avoid 400 at all costs. The Downtown connector is bad enough, but 400 is a whole other story...
The Talking Hamburger 6:42PM (6/26/2008)
It's the near criminal driving that takes place in Atlanta that has convinced me that ALL Georgians are rude, impatient drivers. I know they laugh at speed limits on Alabama stretches of the Interstate.
Okay, people laugh at a lot of things driving through Alabama, but still...slow down. Getting there ten seconds faster won't make the difference!
Patrick 2:42PM (6/26/2008)
Interesting that they are both women. One of them is extremely idiotic, thinking that if she just threw them away the tickets would be erased!!
Reply
Eric 3:18PM (6/26/2008)
Yeah, thats the dumbest idea ever.
mark lee 4:27PM (6/26/2008)
Yeah, and I think it's so unfair that men have to pay higher auto insurance premium than women!
krasmo 2:44PM (6/26/2008)
This is ridiculous and is exactly why speed camera are a bad idea. When a cop pulls you over and writes a ticket, it serves as a deterrent for you to not speed the next day. When you don't get a ticket except for two months later in the mail, there is no deterrent effect , and you get ridiculous scenarios like this. Further proof that speed cameras are not about public safety but revenue generation.
Reply
jonathan charak 2:50PM (6/26/2008)
In my area I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for a few over in a camera area. Mostly its really fast (aka 92 in a 55 or 60) or running a red light
And she's dumb and deserves all those tickets.
cheezwiz 2:51PM (6/26/2008)
I can't agree with you more.
TheClassic 2:59PM (6/26/2008)
Exactly.
Couple other points:
*If* 92 is extremely dangerous to everyone else, hasn't the department of public safety been negligent in not locking her up immediately ;)
My thinking is that the repercussions of a speeding ticket are based on the fact that you get caught once out of every X times you speed, or maybe more appropriately once for every Y miles you drive speeding. A camera catching her on *every* occurrence throws the whole system off. I do think that a law shouldn't exist if its not going to be enforced, but that would require realistic speed limits. Uhoh, I better just stop now, or this will be longer than the article.
cheezwiz 3:00PM (6/26/2008)
...and for the record, I'm agreeing with Krasmo. Speed cameras are as bad as the worst the Patriot Act has to offer.
info 4:22PM (6/26/2008)
That's nonsense. Unless you are an absolute idiot and don't know what the cameras are all about, knowing that they are there should be quite a deterrent. A cop hiding behind a bridge or similar, that is nothing more than hunting for revenue. Even though they always claim that tickets are not written for revenue and that they don't have any quotas, I find it interesting that at the end of a month, it never fails to see an extra number of cops, often hiding, and also an increased number of speed traps with several cops just waiting to nab people. I'll take the cameras any time.