A scam too far...

PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp

On Feb 3, 9:54*pm, (Brent P) wrote:
> PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>
> http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp

With the digital cameras and their large storage, this is long overdue.

"Brent P" > wrote in message
news
>
> PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>
> http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp
>

Good idea, but there's still a possible flaw.

Digital cameras do not seem to have administrator modes vs. user modes, and
so it's still possible for the parking enforcement person to set the date
and time of the camera for the date and time that they want on the
fraudulent ticket, then photograph the car parked, and then write the
fraudulent ticket for that date. It's extra work for sure, but if the
parking enforcement person really wants to write a fraudulent ticket, it's
hypothetically as easy as:

1. Parking enforcement person wants to write a fraudulent ticket for a
vehicle, let's say for this example they will write a fraudulent ticket on 6
February 2008.

2. Parking enforcement person sets the camera date and time for 02/06/2008
and some arbitrary time that would make the ticket credible as an expired
meter ticket.

3. Parking enforcement person then takes a photo of the vehicle parked on
02/05/2008 (even if the meter is not expired on 02/05/2008), but the
metadata of the photo and the date shown on the photo shows as 02/06/2008.

4. Parking enforcement person then writes a fraudulent ticket on 02/06/2008,
and submits the digital photo proof with a date clearly showing as
02/06/2008.

So why is this still conceptually possible? Because the following text:

"a) Digital photograph required.--At the time a parking ticket is issued,
the person issuing the ticket shall take a digital photograph clearly
depicting the rear of the ticketed vehicle and all registration information
on the vehicle's registration plate. The photograph shall be attached to the
municipality's copy of the parking ticket."

....does not also require clear digital photo evidence of the vehicle being
parked with the meter also clearly showing as expired.

In article >, Daniel W. Rouse Jr. wrote:
> "Brent P" > wrote in message
> news
>>
>> PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>>
>> http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp
>>
>
> Good idea, but there's still a possible flaw.
>
> Digital cameras do not seem to have administrator modes vs. user modes, and
> so it's still possible for the parking enforcement person to set the date
> and time of the camera for the date and time that they want on the
> fraudulent ticket, then photograph the car parked, and then write the
> fraudulent ticket for that date. It's extra work for sure, but if the
> parking enforcement person really wants to write a fraudulent ticket, it's
> hypothetically as easy as:
>
> 1. Parking enforcement person wants to write a fraudulent ticket for a
> vehicle, let's say for this example they will write a fraudulent ticket on 6
> February 2008.
>
> 2. Parking enforcement person sets the camera date and time for 02/06/2008
> and some arbitrary time that would make the ticket credible as an expired
> meter ticket.
>
> 3. Parking enforcement person then takes a photo of the vehicle parked on
> 02/05/2008 (even if the meter is not expired on 02/05/2008), but the
> metadata of the photo and the date shown on the photo shows as 02/06/2008.
>
> 4. Parking enforcement person then writes a fraudulent ticket on 02/06/2008,
> and submits the digital photo proof with a date clearly showing as
> 02/06/2008.
>
> So why is this still conceptually possible? Because the following text:
>
> "a) Digital photograph required.--At the time a parking ticket is issued,
> the person issuing the ticket shall take a digital photograph clearly
> depicting the rear of the ticketed vehicle and all registration information
> on the vehicle's registration plate. The photograph shall be attached to the
> municipality's copy of the parking ticket."
>
> ...does not also require clear digital photo evidence of the vehicle being
> parked with the meter also clearly showing as expired.


It was clearly designed for when the tickets were written by filling in
random plate numbers. The lying about time is still possible and not even
addressed. Odds are that's the direction the scam will move.

In article >, Scott in SoCal wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:54:27 -0600,
> (Brent P) wrote:
>
>>
>>PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>>
>>http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp
>
> Thanks for the tip. I just bought some Adobe stock, as I anticipate a
> large upswing in the sales of PhotoShop on the part of PA meter maids.
>
> BTW, I think it's pretty cool that the guy in the wheelchair has a
> vanity plate with the single letter 'P' on it. If Illinois will issue
> single-letter vanity plates, you should get that for your Mustang.

I would prefer 'B'. Or maybe BDR 529

Scott in SoCal:
> On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:54:27 -0600,
> (Brent P) wrote:
>
> >
> >PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
> >
> >http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp
>
> Thanks for the tip. I just bought some Adobe stock, as I anticipate a
> large upswing in the sales of PhotoShop on the part of PA meter maids.

You think that the meter maids have the intelligence required to work
photoshop?

> BTW, I think it's pretty cool that the guy in the wheelchair has a
> vanity plate with the single letter 'P' on it. If Illinois will issue
> single-letter vanity plates, you should get that for your Mustang.

I wonder if FK CALROG or KRL SUX is taken..... ;-D

--
"Why? Why?? WHY??? Why is it that most people who
are against abortion are people you wouldn't
want to **** in the first place??"
--George Carlin

In article >,
Brent P > wrote:
>
>PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>
>http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp

It only requires a picture of the car's license plate, not sufficient
information to show the violation.

--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

In article >,
richard > wrote:
>
>As for the cameras, a person would need to be in charge of them.
>Ensuring that each camera used that day had the correct date and time,
>and rechecked upon return. Perhaps they could work with a manufacturer
>and make it impossible through software to ensure the "meter maid"
>could not falsify the photo's date and time stamp.

Such forensic cameras already exist.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

"richard" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:54:27 -0600,
> (Brent P) wrote:
>
>>
>>PA parking tickets may soon require photographic proof or be thrown out:
>>
>>http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2204.asp
>
> Good idea. Considering the fact that "Discovery Channel" has been
> airing a new series called "Parking wars".

That Parking Wars program was billed as some kind of human interest story,
idea being that meter maids are human, and if we could just walk in their
shoes for a while, we might learn that they are lovable (or at least
likeable) human beings.

Actually, after watching just two episodes of that program, it seems to have
back-fired, in my case. If anything, I think those morons are worthy of the
disgust that most people feel when they hear the term "meter maid". Just
doing their job? Yeah, if mindlessly causing ordinary people no end of
headaches for no reason other than financial gain can be called a "job".

In one episode I saw, the lady (I'll be kind) was actually shown hiding
around the corner waiting impatiently and GLEEFULLY for 4PM, when she could
ticket and tow a bunch of cars that were -legally- parked, but which were
required to be moved by 4PM. It was so stereotypical, I couldn't believe
that they actually AIRED that. People think of meter maids watching their
watches for the second that the meter expires and writing tickets in advance
so they can pounce the moment the red flag pops up. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE
WAS DOING!!! But she took it a step further, and had the cars towed. God,
it made my blood boil watching that.

I've had to dispute parking tickets that I did not deserve, so these kind of
tactics really **** me off. In one case, I parked between two signs stating
that I couldn't park between the signs after 5PM. I was parked there from
12PM to 2PM, and found a parking ticket on my car at 2PM when I went to
leave. Got the ticket dismissed eventually, but it still ruined my whole
****ing afternoon. *******s. I mean, first I had to find the place where
they expected me to pay the parking ticket, then I had to find the office
where disputes were handled, then I had to fill out a dispute form (in
triplicate, no less), then I had to find another office in another building
so I could deliver it in person. (or I could have mailed it in, but I was
so ****ed I wanted it settled, and not be told later that they never
received the right form, etc.) By the time I left that town (I didn't live
there) it was almost dinner time, and I should have been home hours ago.
The alternative would have been to pay the fine. Then years later, the DMV
would refuse to renew my registration, claiming I had an unpaid parking
ticket from... (I've had THAT happen to me also . . . no UNPAID parking
tickets, but DMV records screwed up, so my car registration was held for
ransom until I proved my innocence. Like I need THAT headache, right?)

In another episode of parking wars, they showed the boot team. What really
****ed me off about them, yeah I know they have a job to do but...

They are driving slowly down the street entering **** EVERY **** plate
number they see into a computer system until they find one with unpaid
parking tickets. When the computer comes up with a match, they boot it.
Whether it's legally parked or not. Considering how ****ed up state records
get in regards to parking tickets and whether they are paid or not, I just
KNOW that some poor guy has found his car booted due to parking tickets he
didn't know he had, or parking tickets that he PAID ALREADY. This probably
happens frequently. But I doubt if they'll show THAT GUY on TV. But they
glorify the booting squad like they are ****ing heroes or something. It
makes me ill just thinking about it. -Dave

On Feb 4, 2:16 pm, richard > wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:54:27 -0600,
>
> And part of the law should automatically grant a grace period. Say
> like 10 minutes. So any citation issued immediately upon expire would
> not be allowed.

Apparently, you don't park where I do. Milwaukee meters and other
I've seen in the past dozen years all first go to "Expired" mode and
then after your 'grace period', it changes to "Violation" mode. Heck,
even the old mechanical ones I remember had two flags. "Expired" was
yellow and "Violation" was red, so the reader could see 'em easily
from a distance.
--
C.R. Krieger