3 ms·

The same thing that stopped people 50-100 years ago. Actual police work.

Raphmedia 8y ago
You would replace photo radars, red light cameras and automatic paying tolls with actual employees? That sound like a waste of manpower. Does that also mean that petrol is now free since you could just fill up and drive away without ever being recognized? Or are we also putting someone at each pump to make sure nobody drives away? This would also make actual police investigation harder. How would you call the police on someone driving recklessly without being able to provide the plate? What about when they need to find someone that has a done a crime? Should they close down traffic and search every single cars of the same color and make as the criminal's? The only way removing plates would work is if you replace it with something more invasive (i.e. facial recognition). In short, you could do any crimes you currently do with a stolen car or fake plates without any effort.
- tempestn 8y ago
  Re petrol, you could do what's done everywhere in Canada as far as I know, which is simply have people pay at the pump before filling. (And yes, it works for filling the tank too, since you can authorize a larger amount than is spent.)
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - Raphmedia 8y ago
    I can't talk about all of Canada but I know that those pump before paying stations are still quite common in the eastern provinces during daytime hours.
    - tempestn 8y ago
      Ah, ok, I think the furthest east I've pumped gas is Quebec, but most of my knowledge comes from BC, Alberta and Ontario. Anyway, pre-paying for gas is a thing that's pretty straightforward, is my main point.
    - perl4ever 8y ago
      It's strange, now that I think of it, to consider that getting gas before paying has died out in a lot of places, such as where I live, but getting (and consuming) food before paying has not.
      - tempestn 8y ago
        Along with the social norm, there's probably a financial incentive behind that. If you make people pre-pay, they're much less likely to stick around and spend more. But obviously the norm is huge too; you'd be associated with fast food.
  - ilovetux 8y ago
    I think all gas stations in the areas I frequent in the US (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia) are prepay only. I haven't seen a gas station that you could pump first since I was a teenager in the 90s.
    - eric_h 8y ago
      > New Jersey Nitpick, but last I checked, New Jersey still doesn't let you pump your own gas.
      - ilovetux 8y ago
        Very true, but by definition that means that you need to establish payment before they will pump. I thought it would unnecessarily complicate my comment to mention this so I'm actually glad you made this comment so I could make this reply.

You would replace photo radars, red light cameras and automatic paying tolls with actual employees? That sound like a waste of manpower. Does that also mean that petrol is now free since you could just fill up and drive away without ever being recognized? Or are we also putting someone at each pump to make sure nobody drives away? This would also make actual police investigation harder. How would you call the police on someone driving recklessly without being able to provide the plate? What about when they need to find someone that has a done a crime? Should they close down traffic and search every single cars of the same color and make as the criminal's? The only way removing plates would work is if you replace it with something more invasive (i.e. facial recognition). In short, you could do any crimes you currently do with a stolen car or fake plates without any effort.

tempestn 8y ago
Re petrol, you could do what's done everywhere in Canada as far as I know, which is simply have people pay at the pump before filling. (And yes, it works for filling the tank too, since you can authorize a larger amount than is spent.)
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- Raphmedia 8y ago
  I can't talk about all of Canada but I know that those pump before paying stations are still quite common in the eastern provinces during daytime hours.
  - tempestn 8y ago
    Ah, ok, I think the furthest east I've pumped gas is Quebec, but most of my knowledge comes from BC, Alberta and Ontario. Anyway, pre-paying for gas is a thing that's pretty straightforward, is my main point.
  - perl4ever 8y ago
    It's strange, now that I think of it, to consider that getting gas before paying has died out in a lot of places, such as where I live, but getting (and consuming) food before paying has not.
    - tempestn 8y ago
      Along with the social norm, there's probably a financial incentive behind that. If you make people pre-pay, they're much less likely to stick around and spend more. But obviously the norm is huge too; you'd be associated with fast food.
- ilovetux 8y ago
  I think all gas stations in the areas I frequent in the US (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia) are prepay only. I haven't seen a gas station that you could pump first since I was a teenager in the 90s.
  - eric_h 8y ago
    > New Jersey Nitpick, but last I checked, New Jersey still doesn't let you pump your own gas.
    - ilovetux 8y ago
      Very true, but by definition that means that you need to establish payment before they will pump. I thought it would unnecessarily complicate my comment to mention this so I'm actually glad you made this comment so I could make this reply.