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From: wbt@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.electronics,rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Can 31 party balloons aggravate 1 police RADAR?
Message-ID: <1405@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 88 20:42:56 GMT
References: <880928.0208.11468@ontmoh.UUCP>
Reply-To: wbt@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 34

In article <880928.0208.11468@ontmoh.UUCP> peter@ontmoh.UUCP (Peter Renzland) writes:
>
>While driving an 11 year old Mazda GLC filled with 31 balloons and a
>passenger, I was stopped for speeding -- 88 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
>
>The 31 balloons were filled with helium and had "metallic" colours.
>
>Are "metallic" colours on balloons really metallic?
>Might speed-detect radar respond to such balloons?

I believe such balloons are made of aluminized mylar. I'd guess
that they could, indeed, reflect police radar. However, they'd probably
make a much smaller target than your Mazda, being of much "stealthier"
design (no sharp edges, etc) and generally less area. I wouldn't think
they caused the high reading; more likely, the radar was at fault.
But I'm not an expert...

You might try to fight the case in court because of the balloon
interference, but that begs the obvious question : Why, for the love of
God, were you driving a compact car stuffed full of opaque balloons ?
Surely it obstructed the view from your rearview mirror, and even out
your side windows !  I'd say you're lucky the cop only gave you the 
speeding ticket; I'd consider that "reckless endangerment" or some
such.

BTW, it would have been much more ironic if the radar had caught you
carrying 99 red balloons... 8-)

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