Radar detectors allowed in Germany? Now NAC...

[Ero Rademer]

Richard Beels beels at technologist.com asked:
> So how do the phone sec people stay in business if you
> don't have to pay them?

Not really sure why, but:

Most phone bills are payed automatically by charging your account.
So the money is away when you get your written bill in the mail.
Then you can complain to get the "wrong" amount back. This is
too much bothering for many, or they don't dare to go to a public
court to fight... So it seems they (the phone sex companies) get
not all but enough... And if you've monitored it, the last few
years, the amount of these annoying tv-ads in the night decreased
significantly (IMO).

> Counter-Flashes = ???

Sorry, I lack a correct translation for that device
["Gegenblitzer"], it is a flashlight mounted either near your
licensce plate or near your rearview mirror and is supposed to
flash the moment you are detected and photographed by a speed
trap or a red light camera.

Remember: Germany requires you to be identified as the offending
*driver* to fine you (and not simply the owner of the car). Only
the number plate is not enough evidence (so photos from the rear
of your car only are useless).

The flashlight is supposed to "overexpose" the photo so that the
number plate is not readable or your face cannot be identified.
Every benchmark made has shown that these devices do *not* work.
You can massage the photos to extract your face or number plate
clearly.

They are illegal because of the danger to blind others in
traffic representing a "hazardous interference with traffic?"
["gefaehrlicher Eingriff in den Strassenverkehr"] which might
be rated as a crime not as an offence or moving violation.

So long!
Ero.
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