Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!awpaeth
From: awpaeth@watcgl.UUCP (Alan W. Paeth)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: CHP Radar, True Confessions
Message-ID: <1543@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Mar-85 13:08:26 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.1543
Posted: Mon Mar 25 13:08:26 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 03:28:09 EST
References: <2500013@hplabs.UUCP> <2500015@hplabs.UUCP>
Reply-To: awpaeth@watcgl.UUCP (Alan W. Paeth)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 25

In article <2500015@hplabs.UUCP> iles@hplabs.UUCP writes:
>In Germany, it's all automated.  You drive across two sensors, and if
>you are going too fast, they take a picture of your license and your
>ticket comes in the mail a week or two later.  I don't think I'd
>survive too long there.

I was revisiting Bavaria this summer, and an old friend who occasionally
drives cab in Munich had a few interesting tidbits to offer:

First, the original system fired a strobe when one crossed the limit line
after red. In fact, two pictures were taken in close succession, allowing a
simple velocity measurement to be made, freshmen-physic's style. Slave-
photoflash units become common travelling companions. The unit would trigger
at the flash of the police unit, destroying legal evidence. ("Well, I was
hurrying off to do a friend's wedding...") Because of this, to say nothing of
the surprise of being assaulted by a barrage of hot photons at 3am, the system
was reworked to use infrared film, hence no visible flash, just a nasty letter.

In a second case, a twisty stretch of Autobahn posted a slow 40km/hr limit for
road maintenance. A sensing unit was installed, and in one humorous case, the
"evidence" showed a severly blurred 911 in the first frame, and a peaceful
stretch of 'Bahn in the second. Estimates placed the car' speed at >150km/hr,
but of course "the camera must've malfunctioned", and there was no ticket.

BTW, I guess pot holes didn't impede the Porsche's forward progress. :-).