# My Dash Cam WORKED!



## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

... in a way I never expected. I was pulled over by a UW cop tonight, who asked me if there was a _reason?? _why I just went through a red light. I said it turned yellow and I was into the intersection before it was red, and I thought it was safer to go through than slam on the brakes.

First he said it didn't matter as far as the statute was concerned whether the light was red or yellow. And then he said that it was red before I got into the intersection.

And then he said, "I want to inform you that I'm wearing a body cam tonight. "

Which lit a light bulb in my brain. I just bought and installed a pricey dash cam a few weeks ago and the event was recorded from my POV. And it wirelessly synched to my phone and I could play it back on the spot.

So I said, "I'm glad you mentioned that, cause I have a dash cam running. Can we look at me going into the yellow light? ".

He was a young guy, probably with his own new video toy, and he first said he didn't have time, but i told him I could call it up in a couple of minutes. So he agreed.

It turned out the footage was ambiguous. The lights on my side of the intersection were still yellow when they went out of frame above the car, but it wasn't possible to tell exactly where the car was when the farther lights went red.

I think the truth is that I entertained the guy, and he gave me a verbal warning instead of a ticket. Neither of us admitted that our version of what happened was wrong, but maybe he rethought whether what he thought he saw was as clear cut as he first thought.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Awesome, Yoj!

Glad it worked out so well. Man, I want one. Which did you get? Love the syncing & viewing with your cell. Purty awesome.


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## Bart McCoy (Nov 4, 2014)

cool story bro


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## Bean (Sep 24, 2016)

Perhaps he didn't want to have to go to court to have a judge review the footage and potentially make an ass out of him.
Awesome that you had the cam! Every day that goes by is a day I wish I had one. I oughta bite the bullet and put one on credit. It's almost too risky not to.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Bean said:


> Perhaps he didn't want to have to go to court to have a judge review the footage and potentially make an ass out of him.
> Awesome that you had the cam! Every day that goes by is a day I wish I had one. I oughta bite the bullet and put one on credit. It's almost too risky not to.


Yeah, Bean. I think so too. (to risky)


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## Grahamcracker (Nov 2, 2016)

Bean said:


> Perhaps he didn't want to have to go to court to have a judge review the footage and potentially make an ass out of him.
> Awesome that you had the cam! Every day that goes by is a day I wish I had one. I oughta bite the bullet and put one on credit. It's almost too risky not to.


It's also tax deductible. OP makes me want to get one similar to his. Mine doesn't sync to my phone.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Grahamcracker said:


> It's also tax deductible. OP makes me want to get one similar to his. Mine doesn't sync to my phone.


Me too, Graham. That is a great feature. After an accident or like Yoj's thing, mighty handy to have.


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## DocT (Jul 16, 2015)

That's great, yojim!

I still want to upgrade my dashcam to the BlackVue IR for night vision cabin recording.


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## Leesafur (Apr 29, 2016)

Nice! What cam did ya end up buying?


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

Danny3xd said:


> Awesome, Yoj!
> 
> Glad it worked out so well. Man, I want one. Which did you get? Love the syncing & viewing with your cell. Purty awesome.


="Leesafur, post: 2080652, member: 54626"]Nice! What cam did ya end up buying?[/QUOTE]

BlackVue DBlackVue DBlackVue. 2 cameras with IR lights for the inner cam. Very pricey, and I had no idea there would be any use for the phone app/playback. I figured i was paying extra for the recording time and for the 2nd camera with lights. Never thought I'd use it as a tool on the street to argue with a cop.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

* BlackVue DBlackVue DBlackVue, $379.05.

32mb sd card, $12.03.*
*

Winning an argument with a cop, priceless.

snork*


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## AceManShow (Sep 24, 2015)

The dashcam just paid for itself.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Ayup!



AceManShow said:


> The dashcam just paid for itself.


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## dirtylee (Sep 2, 2015)

Bust out the CC.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

yojimboguy said:


> ... in a way I never expected. I was pulled over by a UW cop tonight, who asked me if there was a _reason?? _why I just went through a red light. I said it turned yellow and I was into the intersection before it was red, and I thought it was safer to go through than slam on the brakes.
> 
> First he said it didn't matter as far as the statute was concerned whether the light was red or yellow. And then he said that it was red before I got into the intersection.
> 
> ...


I doubt his body cam would show you running the light, if he was trying to intimidate you with that info, unless he was standing on the curb. Seated in his car it probably wouldn't pick up much beyond the dash of his car, if it was even on. My son activates his as he approaches an individual, turns it off when he's done with the contact.
Great story, and I'm glad your investment paid off. I have had a Black Vue dash cam for over three years; haven't had to prove anything yet.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Chauffeur & Yo Jimbo, I am planning on buying the Black Vue very soon. Would this still be your choice for dash cams?

I'm gonna get the box, power thing with it and is pricy. So being cautious. It comes out as the #1 choice in every review I have read but I know you guys.
(well, internet "know" ya know, lol)

For many reasons and one of them being your thread, YoJimbo. Don't want to skimp.


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

Even though I picked the blackvue, I've still kept looking at the competition and I haven't seen anything else better.


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

The one I have (older model- 550) can be wired and set to monitor while the vehicle is parked. It is made to shut down before it runs down the car battery. I don't use that feature because my car is garaged and rarely parked in higher risk areas. My son uses it on his Jeep and has been happy with it. We bought ours at the same time. I have an extra power cable and mounting bracket installed in one of my other cars, so it takes only a moment to switch. Mine is a single camera, but I don't have need to record anyone in my car. Overall I'm very pleased with mine.


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

Older Chauffeur said:


> I doubt his body cam would show you running the light, if he was trying to intimidate you with that info, unless he was standing on the curb. ...


I don't think intimidation was his intent at all. More like a pro forma recitation of some script managenent wrote. It's a very PC police force.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

*Thanks guys! Cemented my decision.*



yojimboguy said:


> Even though I picked the blackvue, I've still kept looking at the competition and I haven't seen anything else better.





Older Chauffeur said:


> The one I have (older model- 550) can be wired and set to monitor while the vehicle is parked. It is made to shut down before it runs down the car battery. I don't use that feature because my car is garaged and rarely parked in higher risk areas. My son uses it on his Jeep and has been happy with it. We bought ours at the same time. I have an extra power cable and mounting bracket installed in one of my other cars, so it takes only a moment to switch. Mine is a single camera, but I don't have need to record anyone in my car. Overall I'm very pleased with mine.


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## Emp9 (Apr 9, 2015)

he knew it would be dismissed in court, that is why he didnt write a ticket. nice job dash cam.


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## Danny3xd (Nov 7, 2016)

Emp9 said:


> nice job dash cam.


Ya got me thinking of an adage of my own that I try to live by, EMP;

Never sorry to have an insurance but can be really bummed to have needed it and hadn't got around to getting it. 
(I am a bit of a procrastinator)


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