In reference to an iPhone app that notifies users when they are approaching a speed camera, Lanier is quoted as saying "It's designed to circumvent law enforcement -- law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives."
Well Cathy, thanks very much for being concerned about my life, but I think your ire has more to do with the next little tidbit...
"Photo radar tickets generated nearly $1 billion in revenues for D.C. during fiscal years 2005 to 2008."
That's One. Billion. Dollars. In three years. Holy jumpin' Jesus! No wonder she's so upset. I'll bet that little iPhone app and others like it have the potential to put quite a dent in the city's revenue stream.
I've known my share of police officers, and every last one has said that they don't care if people use radar detectors, or flash their headlights, or put up giant signs on their front lawn warning motorists. Their sole intent in setting speed traps is to slow people down (that's a different argument for another time), not issue tickets, and all of the above mentioned things do that.
Cathy Lanier is a different breed. She WANTS to bust you. She WANTS to see you slip up. And she WANTS the revenue generated when you do. She all but says so in this article. Lanier also "promised her officers would pick up their game to counteract the devices, which can also help drivers dodge sobriety checkpoints." What's she going to do... send out a legion of little Roscoe P. Coltranes to jump out of the bushes and plant fake speed limit signs along roads to catch unsuspecting travelers?
As if that's not chilling enough, I'll leave you with this...
When asked whether she'd pursue banning the iPhone app, she said, "with the Internet and all the new technology, it's almost impossible to stop the flow of information." Stop the flow of information... hmmm... sounds like state sponsored censorship doesn't it?
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