Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!fowler From: fowler@uw-beaver.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Re: Radar detectors for everyone? Message-ID: <678@uw-beave.UUCP> Date: Fri, 24-Jun-83 15:30:00 EDT Article-I.D.: uw-beave.678 Posted: Fri Jun 24 15:30:00 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jun-83 17:46:03 EDT Lines: 30 There have been several instances of police deliberately setting up dummy radar traps that I know of: 1) Official policies of keeping the radar on, even when the cops are eating lunch, etc. 2) The policy of the RCMP in B.C. (circa '77) of announcing where their radar traps are for the day. (The rationale is that they didn't want to be accused of cruelly ambushing anyone who cares enough to find out where they are. The morning traffic reports on some radio stations would tell you exactly where these alleged speed traps are. Of course the RCMP wouldn't lie, but on the other hand, they don't actually have to stay at that spot all day. I never saw any sign of radar at the announced locations. 3) The practice of at least one highway patrol organization (between B.C and California, inclusive. I forgot where I saw it) stripping the guts out of a trashed-out patrol car, putting a dummy (other than one of their regular officers) in the driver's seat, and towing it to a likely speed trap location. The one I saw even had a phony radar horn made out of what looked like tar paper and held on with a piece of scrap lumber. The fun comes when they remove the hulk a week later and put a real patrol car there. 4) In conjunction with 3), I heard mention of very cheap radar frequency transmitters (no receiver, just a transmitter) that can be scattered around the highways, especially around danger spots. Again, the idea is that you (an alert, radar detecting speeder) will detect the signal and slow down (at least initially). To make it effective, the dummy transmitters are also used as the sites for real radar traps. I'm not sure whether this has been actually used, but the devices have been manufactured.