Red Light/Speeding Cameras

Get ready for a rant here...sorry, move on if you don't want to hear it.

Background story - Ever since I was a child, my father has ingrained in me the importance of listening to talk radio. I guess I don't think he really ingrained it as he caused me to become a bit obsessed with listening to it since it is what he mainly listens to. I have found myself listening in the car to and from work and also now in the mornings at work before anyone else gets here. Yes I'm just fine with you thinking that I have become an old lady down here in Iowa :)

In Sioux City, many of our stop lights have red light cameras. We had these in Duluth as well (not to many of them) and I am sure other communities around the Midwest/who US have them as well. Turns out here in Sioux City, our fines are a bit rough. While listening to the radio this morning, a lady called in and said that her son from Des Moines was here and got a ticket for $195 and that back in Des Moines he had one for only $85. LADY, your son has a problem with learning how to stop at a stop light, but I digress. Yes, that is a HUGE difference in costs between and much bigger city and our smaller city here.

Don't run red lights and you won't have to pay the fine. Plain and simple. Stop at the stop light, do a 3 count and then turn right. If you run the light, you should be fined. I believe the point of the SC lights being so expensive is to deter people from RUNNING the lights. So many accidents and deaths happen because someone didn't stop at a light or a stop sign. You run the light, you pay the fine.

We also have a speeding camera/sensor machine thingy on I-29 when driving through Sioux City. It was put up to stop the speeding through the construction, which turns out will last forever! (Duluthians who hate the 35 construction have NOTHING to complain about here...that was 2 years, this one is going on year 3 and isn't even close to being done) People are also now complaining about this...if you speed, you should get a ticket. They put these cameras up sometime in April. There were 2, and then some dumb girl hit one and obliterated it...apparently they are super expensive machine thingys. We have had 13 dealths in the last 5 years on that short stretch of I-29 through Sioux City. That's quite a bit! It isn't more than 10 miles and goes through town with various exit and entrance ramps and now we've added many construction men. The purpose of said camera is safety for those people and the people driving. The plan of the city is to remove said speeding camera when the construction is done. SAFETY! Goodness people.

SO Irritated with people! If I got a ticket for texting while driving, it would be my fault. If I get a speeding ticket, it's my fault. If I get a red light ticket, it is my fault. The city is trying to make this place safer for all of us, get over it! PLUS that money they make, goes towards the city and helps keep our taxes down. Move on to another issue people...geez.