mpls: photo-cop flack

The strib had an article about how the three month-old photo-cop experiment (called "Stop on Red") is playing out on the streets.

This just in:

One source of frustration for drivers is that the ticket is issued to the first person listed on the title, said Brenda Langfellow, court operations manager for the violations bureau and hearing office. That can cause problems if the car has been sold but the title hasn't been transferred, or another family member is driving.

Langfellow also is concerned about cases where the driver does not speak English. She said she has been trying to get written materials in other languages.

This last seems not a bit stupid, considering that a few of the traffic cameras are placed right in the heart of ESL communities. I’m sure the myriad photo-cops in the U.K. are able to speak mutiple languages. How hard can it be to teach a computer to speak spanish? Is this another sign of the MPD’s allergy to multiculturalism?

Still, you have to give mpls props for putting this into effect. Now, if only they'd get rid of that damn speed trap on the Hennepin Avenue bridge...