Amarillo's missing intersection cameras...

[west-texan]

This is really odd...because remember several years ago...

When all those cameras were installed on all 4 sides of all the intersections with traffic lights...

We were told in the Globe News that those cameras were not able to read license plates.

But...now that our city leadership voted to place red-light cameras at like 5 intersections to use for writing tickets...

ALL the cameras have disappeared from all intersections.

Hmmm...Maybe those cameras were really able to read license plates.

We'll have to see if we get an explanation for this in the Globe News...but don't hold your breath on it.

[tinkerbell]

Aw we know you stole them so they would not catch you driving in the bikers lane!!!

[west-texan]

Ok...the small white cameras that were at all the controlled intersections...

Mounted on the crossbars holding the traffic lights...

Appear to now be gone all over town...except at a few intersections.

I've noticed the cameras are still at 34th & Coulter and Soncy & Westgate Parkway and I-40 & Soncy and maybe at I-40 & Coulter.

But the cameras are gone from all the other traffic light intersections.

And yep...I drive a lot in the bike lanes...because I still drive on the right side of the street...where I have always driven...

And I do not drive in the middle of the street where the Bike Lanes Mayor wants me to drive.

I've only seen one idiot so far...trying to ride his bike like 6 ft out from the curb...in a bike lane...and with 4 or 5 vehicles going by just inches from him...I noticed in my rear view mirror...that he had smartly abandoned the bike lane...and was riding against the curb...where it was safer...than out in the bike lane.

We had oncoming traffic on the street...so my SUV right side mirror...just missed the guy's head by a few inches...when he was out in the bike lane.

[tinkerbell]

Dang I did not mean to open up a theropy session!

[fallingjupiter]

They're taking the traffic camera's down here. They have been taking pictures and mailing out citations.

Big time controversy and an increase in rear-end accidents in those intersections.

[west-texan]

We used to have the little cameras on all 4 sides of traffic light intersections...but now we've only got them on like Coulter and Soncy.

What is very strange and a bit suspicious is...

that the other day about 1 PM...I called the 378-4218 Traffic Engineering Dept info number listed in the AT&T phone book...

And the guy who answered the phone...initially tried to act like he didn't know which cameras I was talking about.

Then he tried to tell me they hadn't taken any cameras down...and were putting up more.

I then was polite...and just said thanks for the information...and got off the phone.

That is really weird...unless they are replacing cameras with new ones...and you'd think they would not take them down until they had replacements.

Whatever...I'm not used to being misled by city employees when you ask a question.

I think the cameras may have been able to read license plates...even though we had been told in the Globe News...that they could not read license plates...and with the current controversy...they had to take them down.

[gitpikker58]

They were supposedly used to help traffic flow but danged if they didn't stop everyone going any direction stopping ANY flow. I think it was a business decision, made you stop, look around to see businesses, also it causes you to burn more gas, that way you get to use GM's TNTs for gas since they are at most intersections, it also causes more break wear, clutch/transmission wear, and irritation on my part from having to stop and go and stop and go and stop and go...................idiot city engineers! Any time I see those cameras I'll flip them off. Supposedly they aren't for any traffic violations, so if I get summoned for my gestures, well we'll know they were lying.

[west-texan]

Saw the guys working there the other day...

And yesterday afternoon...

I saw that it appears that red-light cameras have been installed at Coulter and Elmhurst.

It's a minor intersection...where the lights are commonly ignored by pickup and SUV drivers.

It now seems that the worst drivers in Amarillo for speeding and running red-lights...are adult male jerks in the 20's to 40's age range...driving pickups.

Not all the pickup drivers are stupid...but it seems that most of the bad drivers are guys in pickups.

The 2nd worst driving group...seems to be cell-phone yakking soccer moms in SUV's.

That's right...I'm now seeing adults doing more stupid A-hole stunts on the streets...than teenagers.

Amarillo seems to be littered with adults...who think they have the right to exceed the speed limit...and go through lights after they turn red...and turn left after lights turn red.

Amarillo adults in their 30's and 40's seem to have a far worse driving attitude than kids.

It's also amazing how many of the 30's and 40's pickup drivers still think noisy pickup mufflers and screeching tires are cool...which you'd think they would have left back in high school.

The way so many of the pickup drivers act...I'm glad I drive an SUV...because I don't want to be associated with the current Amarillo pickup crowd.

Gonna be interesting how many complaint letters end up in the Globe News...when some adult jerks get caught running lights.

[west-texan]

But I did notice yesterday...that a guy in a blue vette...appeared to have run the light at Western and Olsen...and smashed his front bumper.

[west-texan]

Went to Sam's late yesterday afternoon...about 6pm...

And noticed that red-cameras have been installed at I-40 and Ross.

These red-light cameras are not on the traffic signals...but are located on poles...beside the road.

Also...on my trip east on I-40 to Ross yesterday afternoon...

I saw another pickup jerk in a white pickup from Big State Remodeling...going east on I-40 at probably 70mph in a 60mph zone...weaving a bit in traffic...and got up there...and then was tailgating someone big-time.

Randy Reid...you need to learn to get your employees to drive safely and legally...because it was not safe for your jerk employee to be driving like that...at about 70mph...on I-40 through Amarillo.

[west-texan]

I'm actually opposed to red-light cameras...because I think people should be smart enough to drive safely and legally on their own.

But after years of very lax and loose traffic control from law enforcement in Amarillo...

We now have a big adult driver attitude problem in Amarillo...and the guys driving pickups...seem to have it worse than others.