this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2025
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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[–] brotundspiele@feddit.org 32 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I don't know what the laws are in the US, but over here in Germany this would be a really stupid idea. Speeding might cost you 800€ and a suspended license for a few months. ("Normal" speeding, that is. Street races or actually endangering/hurting someone is a crime)

But meddling with your licence plate is considered falsification of official documents and would put you in prison for up to five years. I wonder if such a law doesn't exist in the US.

Also, as I read in the other comments about cops ignoring that. But that would be another criminal offence on behalf of the cop (prevention of punishment by an official) which is also punishable with up to 5 years behind bars (and obviously would cause them to lose their jobs and pensions).

[–] prof 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm on vacation in the US atm and traffic is wild.

The worst drivers in Europe would be better than the best drivers here.

Everyone is constantly going 10-20 mph over the speed limit. You constantly get cut off and sometimes even pushed out of your lane. You can have your blinker on all you want, no one is ever letting you merge unlees you force your way in and yadda yadda yadda.

In the >6000 miles I've driven now I have seen one automated speed camera. There is a larger police presence than in the EU but they don't seem much interested in enforcing traffic laws.

To any US citizen reading this: This is not meant to be rude, but you guys could have it way better and way more safe than it is currently.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

To any US citizen reading this: This is not meant to be rude, but you guys could have it way better and way more safe than it is currently.

We know. :-(

[–] TheMinister@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

lol we don’t have oversight on our cops (I mean, technically we do. The FBI and internal affairs are supposed to be a counterbalance to cops’ power, but that is absolutely not how it works in reality). And I’d be willing to bet at least 60% of the license plates in this video belonged to cops. It’s wild. In nyc, walk but any precinct and all the personal cars you see are very likely to have some fuckery like this with their plates.

The move, especially in this city, to speed cameras and red light cams etc has allowed the cops to not have to pay attention. They get paid more than ever to do way less work. They’re sent to stand on subway platforms on their phones and hide by turnstiles trying to catch people jumping them and skipping the $2.90 fare.

I think as a German you’d be disgusted the way things actually work here

[–] sibannac@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

The law exist its just up to local law enforcement to enforce it. Usually it gets caught when some one gets pulled over as a +1 on the infractions.