All the new traffic lights in our area have webcams pointed directly into the windshield of drivers stopped for the light. To what end, I don't know. But drivers on their way to the Apple store don't seem to mind their pictures being taken.
It seems Kyle's mistake was in publishing the results of surveillance. We don't care if we are watched, because we don't have to form a belief in the reality of the images stored. We do care if we see ourselves published, because that makes the reality of being watched undeniable.
Consider for comparison the TSA body scanner images being seen to be seen by agents at the scanner, versus not seen being seen by agents in a room. Passengers were not ok with the first, but ok with the second.
These examples offer a roadmap to a happily ignored surveillance society.
"All the new traffic lights in our area have webcams pointed directly into the windshield of drivers stopped for the light. To what end, I don't know"
They could be webcams but the more common explanation is that they are visual sensors to detect cars in the turning lane, replacing the old wire loops in the pavement:
They are not just to detect cars in the turning lanes but to detect whether cars are waiting for the light, and how long the queue is. This (supposedly) helps optimize traffic flow. I have my doubts as to whether it works any better than fixed timers. The claim that they are cheaper and easier to maintain than in-ground wire loops does seem believable.
Your explanation makes sense given most of the lights in question, but some have no turning lanes, such as at crosswalks. Perhaps bureaucracy has them required at all new lights regardless. Either way, government at work. :)
// Cool link, thanks. Shared with cyclist friends.
I thought that was part of the red-light camera system. If you run a red light, it's not enough to have just a license plate, they have to prove that it was actually you driving the car.
The red-light camera systems in place near where I live have the camera built into the red light it self. The little web cams up on top where added later, and are on more lights than the camera enforced lights.
It seems Kyle's mistake was in publishing the results of surveillance. We don't care if we are watched, because we don't have to form a belief in the reality of the images stored. We do care if we see ourselves published, because that makes the reality of being watched undeniable.
Consider for comparison the TSA body scanner images being seen to be seen by agents at the scanner, versus not seen being seen by agents in a room. Passengers were not ok with the first, but ok with the second.
These examples offer a roadmap to a happily ignored surveillance society.