Fuel Guzzling Speed Camera Vans

Thanks. Now I get it.

Paperboy: Why did it take you 15 minutes to walk past the van ?

Farq + Ant = Fant

They are the same creature

Who the hell is FANT?

vg said :

You’re on fire FANT

Can’t even get your traffic law enforcement agencies right.

Oh my hat!

Again, jumping to incorrect conclusions. I never accused the plods of running the vans, just jumping down the original posters throat because that what they do on law and order issues. Are you so desperate to score some points that you need to put words in my mouth? That is kind of sad.

Still planning on suing the site? Look forward to hearing of the outcome.

BTW: I missed what was said, but I can guess. Not cool.

I’d be surprised if the vans ran the engines constantly during operation. I would expect there’d be an operating procedure that said ‘run the engine for 15 mins every hour’ or some such to ensure the battery doesn’t get flat. The vans would probably run the equipment from the van battery (maybe have dual batteries installed). Car batteries (especially heavy duty commercial ones) actually have a fair bit of electrical capacity.

1.5 litres of fuel per hour at idle sounds about right to me. They run 4 cylinder engines, and my 5.7V8 only uses about 2 and a quarter litres per hour at idle.

This whole story is a storm in a teacup, something that is becoming disturbingly prevalent on RiotACT these days.

Post 26: did you not read Post 25? I would imagine if you were face to face talking , you would be the one doing it.

vg said:

vg said :

You’re on fire FANT

Can’t even get your traffic law enforcement agencies right.

Oh my hat!

I haven’t posted in this thread, but VG seems to want me to, judging by the above comment. He likes to hear disparaging comments about police, it seems. Can’t imagine why, maybe he hates them.

You’re on fire FANT

Can’t even get your traffic law enforcement agencies right.

Oh my hat!

This is the most feeble argument against mobile speed cameras I have ever heard. “They are using too much petrol” !!! LOL.

Do you think the dozens of Commonwealth drivers waiting outside Parliament House freeze their bits off or allow pollies to get into a cold car ? Perhaps paperboy should address that instead.

But then again, they aren’t punishing speeding drivers.

farq you are a moron….anything to do with law enforcement you go off on some diatribe dribble….. You really hate the PO-lice don’t ya?

Sorry to tell you that the PO-lice have nothing to do with the speed vans so grow up idiot…. Sounds to me you have a serious sour grapes issue.

OOOhhhh they sooo rude to me. Dry your eyes princess.

That old thread was a good read, especially the arguments for fixed spped cameras. Don’t hear that anymore!

On another note, to throw off the calculations the vans run on diesel, more expensive but they use less fuel. Secondly, I’m pretty sure these guys are contracters, (as also referred to in the old thread) so it wouldn’t affect the bill regardless of how much fuel is used. Unless there is a fuel surcharge, but I doubt that.

@ Farq, why would the plods get uppity about anything to do with Camera vans as they are run by urban services out of the Dickson Motor registry?

I hate to agree with WMC although in this case I have to – ignorant person going off half cocked.

Trust the plods to get all uppity. Their professional conflict resolution skills in action.

The vans can take photos in either direction (front or back of your car). I have the ‘back’ shot to prove it

pug206gti said :

I notice the vans have some small stickers on the doors. Anyone know what they say? Assume ‘we have security systems so don’t break the van’ or something?

Some photos I submitted a while back:
http://the-riotact.com/?p=2167

pug206gti said :

The story about stealing the plates and speeding past is a bit hard to swallow – you’d have to be pretty quiet removing the plates and no get noticed running away. And I understand (at least from the free! photo they provided showing my numberplate and headlights exceeding the limit) that the photos are taken of the car driving toward the van, not away, so the for sale sign on the rear window seems a bit far fetched.

I notice the vans have some small stickers on the doors. Anyone know what they say? Assume ‘we have security systems so don’t break the van’ or something?

1.5L/hr seems low too..Anyone drive a late-model Golf? They tell what you’re using at idle.

originally, the vans had one operator / driver. then the plate got pinched and the radio announcements started ” please remember that the vans are under the authority of the AFP, so damaging the van, or the occupant is an act against the police, and it can lead to prosecution” etc, etc. They weren’t, but ACT Govt needed to stop people picking on the van occupants. Then, there was an extra guy who appeared in the van.

this is all 3rd party hearsay, but it may be true.

Stolen number plates and speed camera vans = Urban Legend 101:

http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/snaptrap.asp

The story about stealing the plates and speeding past is a bit hard to swallow – you’d have to be pretty quiet removing the plates and no get noticed running away. And I understand (at least from the free! photo they provided showing my numberplate and headlights exceeding the limit) that the photos are taken of the car driving toward the van, not away, so the for sale sign on the rear window seems a bit far fetched.

I notice the vans have some small stickers on the doors. Anyone know what they say? Assume ‘we have security systems so don’t break the van’ or something?

1.5L/hr seems low too..Anyone drive a late-model Golf? They tell what you’re using at idle.

I remember the days when petrol 1.60 per litre… Oh how I love to reminisce.

paperboy said :

I’m thick skinned. I can take it.

You’ll never convince me the motor is running to power the camera set up. Any half decent recharge unit will give enough power for a day’s operation. It’s only a camera and laser.

The engine running to keep the operator warm.

In summer I’ve seen the vans with the back door open to let in some fresh air.

In winter, put on a jumper.

What about at night when they use the infrared camera units they place outside the vehicle – think that would be powered by a couple of AA batteries?
I believe there is a bit more equipment then you think. What about the flasher unit – the photo storage – all these things would need power and have you ever left your lights on in your car for a few hours and realised you had a flat battery? Because the engine is not recharching the battery.

I don’t think it’s the ‘putting it out there’ that’s the problem. It’s the complete lack of thinking it through first. It’s like half the muppets I work with:

Muppet: “Hey, why don’t we [insert stupid idea with obvious dire consequences that would occur to them if they left their mouth in neutral for another five seconds]?”

Me: “That’s not a very good plan, because [insert dire consequences].”

[repeat day after day after day after day]

Muppet: “Hey, why don’t we…”

Me: “Look, seriously, just try thinking it through for a bit first.”

Muppet: *sulks and accuses me of being close-minded*

Paperboy

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.

Its how the Riotact has always worked – and when it was at its best, long before the ‘who does the best coffee, hairdresser, etc’ that it has dropped down to now.

The old Riotact would have been leading the charge on Stanhope’s Estimates lies, Zed moving to MacArthus and breaking other stories before the Canberra Times. Now this place is a puff piece like any Jessica Wright story in Sundays Times…

I’m thick skinned. I can take it.

You’ll never convince me the motor is running to power the camera set up. Any half decent recharge unit will give enough power for a day’s operation. It’s only a camera and laser.

The engine running to keep the operator warm.

In summer I’ve seen the vans with the back door open to let in some fresh air.

In winter, put on a jumper.

Whats happening to RiotACT?! While I agree with a few of the comments on here – whats with the more and more aggressive and abrasive comments on here. It’s like Pandy gets a bit frustrated at work each day and jumps on here to just cut people down!

Sarcasm is one thing, and each one to their own – I thrive on it (isn’t is the highest for of wit). I personally found this topic pretty boring, but it’s the right of all members to put a question out there and not be personally attacked by the responders.

I would like to categorically state that I do not power anyones air con. But after Tacos I may be able to produce enough gas for the Tuggeranong power station

You can get ferrets that power your air-con! Cool.

What – you suppose he just plugs in to an electrical socket to operate the equipment in there???

He’s obviously got the van on to create power for the electric guzzling equipment….

OMG – TAD – Classic!!!

Slightly off topic – I have heard a story doing the rounds that some young guys stole the number plate off a speed camera van and put it on the back of their car and sped past the van about 5 times – pretty funny however the second part of the story is that the guys car had a 4 sale sign with his mobile number on accross the back window – apparently they got nicked!

Can anyone validate if this is a true story?

If only there was some way to get Ingeegoodbe to ring the guy in the van to ask him “what the fcuk he thought he was doing!”

I hope paperboy planted some trees to offset the carbon in the hot air he let off in that post.

Sunshine, Go and read your electricity bill. Tell me how many tonnes of greenhouse gasses your one kilowatt/hour bar radiator produces, then we can have a decent conversation rather than the grunts I am getting from you now.

Seems I’ve touched a raw nerve.

But for the sake of an argument, let’s accept that idling a car uses only 1.5 litres an hour.

At last count, Canberra had five vans patrolling the roads for up to 18 hours a day.

I know there’s some moving around between locations and setting up, but that’s near enough to 50,000 litres of fuel a year.

That’s a pretty significant environmental impact.

My air conditioning runs off smugness.

And the aircon and heating in your cozy office is powered by ferrets FFS?

What do you think powers the equipment in there?? Batteries only last so long.

Grow up!

They use the equivalent of about 1.5 litres an hour on idle.

More than compensated by the revenue they get from you boy.