Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/35/3540.asp

7/24/2011

France, Germany, Saudi Arabia: Speed Cameras Opposition Increases
French vigilantes spraypaint cameras, German youth pelt them with bottles and in Saudi Arabia drivers warn others to avoid tickets.

In Moselle, France an automated ticketing machine was spraypainted gray and knocked over so that the camera pointed skyward. The device had been issuing tickets between Islettes and St. Menehould in La Grange-aux-Bois, Est Republicain reported. In Saint-Christophe-du-Ligneron, the speed camera located on the highway between Aizenay and Challans was spraypainted yellow on July 16, according to Ouest France. The vigilantes even painted a smiley face on the machine.

In Zwingenberg, Germany four young men were stopped on Thursday at around 10pm on suspicion of throwing bottles at a speed camera on Walter Moeller Street. South Hessen police could not confirm whether the automated ticketing machine was damaged.

Local newspapers in Saudi Arabia are reporting that speed cameras have become so unpopular that young Saudis now consider it a duty to flash their headlights to warn oncoming traffic of photo radar locations.

"When I saw the warning signals for the first time, I thought there was a traffic accident ahead," motorist Bandar Al-Salman told Al-Watan. "I slowed down only to see a Saher car parked on the other side of the road."

The warnings have saved thousands of drivers from receiving citations.