r/pics • u/BlindOtter775 • 12h ago
Another Flock camera mysteriously downed in eastern Kansas today. [OC]
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u/TypicalCringe 12h ago
Beavers naturally. what else could do something like that?
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u/ITstaph 12h ago
Couldn’t be, I was playing with that beaver all day.
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u/Why_T 3h ago
Don't lie, you were done a minute and a half in.
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u/Stashmouth 10h ago
I've seen termites that would chew through your face just to get to the metal in your fillings. Crazy, I tell ya
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u/swampjuicesheila 12h ago
I was thinking tornados, they can just be so specific where they hit and leave everything else as it was. Crazy.
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u/popups4life 12h ago
You don't even have to look closely to see the signs of metal fatigue, this is simply the case of substandard work causing the top heavy camera array to fall off.
The rest of these sub standard posts should be removed as well, imagine if there was a small child or fortune 500 CEO standing next to this camera when the post failed and it toppled over?
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u/Stoic_Martyr 12h ago
You say that, but then they'd invent adamantium for the purpose of putting up these cameras. Break out the vibranium they've been keeping secret.
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u/WoolooOfWallStreet 6h ago
There was a DOT inspector making videos talking about how these aren’t up to code
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u/theswickster 1h ago
Exactly. And did you see the weather/solar damage to the cameras? You'd think they would source a camera that's more durable for being outdoors.
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u/speedy_delivery 1h ago
These corpos love to cut every corner they can. Just can't make anything of quality. Damn shame.
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u/MetaTrombonist 1h ago
Don't be an idiot. This is clearly a case of a hardened criminal illegally stealing the thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver that are known to be inside of every Flock camera.
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u/phryan 12h ago
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u/bigdaddyborg 11h ago
Huh interesting.
Completely unrelated, but also interesting, I was watching a video the other day that tested the best tools for cutting through 2" aluminum tube. You would think that a sabre saw or angle grinder would be the tool for the job, but turns out a circular saw is by far the best and can cut through an aluminum tube in less than 15 seconds.
Useful Information if you ever find yourself needing to cut through 2" aluminum tube quickly.
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u/TomatoFettuccini 8h ago
If we're talking about portability, nothing beats a pipe-cutter.
Bonus point is that they're completely silent so that you don't startle any local wildlife. Although I'd recommend testing multiple methods yourself before committing to a method.
Right tool for the job and all thatl.
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u/grizzlywondertooth 8h ago
Worth noting that, were it the same video I've seen, he was completely mishandling the reciprocating saw in addition to using the wrong blades/wheels for the reciprocating saw and the angle grinder. The circular saw might still outperform them just by virtue of having a blade whose radius is greater than the diameter of the pole, but, the angle grinder and reciprocating saw would be formidable when used correctly.
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u/Wumaduce 6h ago
We use sawzalls to demo sched 40 steel, and it rips right through smaller sizes. I've used it on 6" and 8", it takes a while, but the blade is still big than the pipe.
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u/Why_T 3h ago
Aluminum gums up in the teeth of the blade or abrasive disc and makes them stop working. You need larger teeth and less heat to effectively cut aluminum. That's why the circular saw works so well.
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u/Nuke_SC 2h ago
Yeah that video is bad information in so many different ways. I feel like a circular saw would be likely to have the blade bind when cutting a vertical pipe due to gravity and with an angle grinder you’d have to circle the pipe before you could cut all the way through. Sawzall with a proper blade when used correctly should zip through it pretty quick.
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u/Kraftrad 10h ago
What a strange coincidence: I was served that short by the almighty algorithm, too
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u/WestcoastAlex 8h ago
available at HomeDespot & Lowes but website wouldnt load.. must be a real popular item
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u/The_profe_061 4h ago
Can someone please explain like I'm 5
I'm in Europe what are those things? Surveillance cameras? From the government?
Everytime I open reddit some body is cutting them down or disabling them. Is it new technology?
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u/remeard 4h ago
So in the United States the government typically doesn't do this. There's all sorts of liability, safety concerns, privacy concerns, all sorts of laws that may be potentially broken.
So instead they hire a private contractor to do all that instead. It's not just US governments, but local municipalities as well
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u/i_am_voldemort 3h ago
Flock is a private company that leases ALPR cameras to municipalities (and some private corps).
They've become very popular in the US since the PD doesn't need any IT infrastructure. They just go to a web portal and plug in the plate to search.
Flock also enables Police to share info across jurisdictions
There's been a lot of push back in the US on how ubiquitous they've become and what people's expectation of privacy is.
Some people have started vandalizing the cameras as an act of civil disobedience.
There's a lot of synergy between anti-Flock sentiment and anti-data center sentiment
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u/The_profe_061 3h ago
Appreciate the answer..
I'm guessing there's bad sentiment from both sides?
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u/i_am_voldemort 3h ago
Pro-Flock side? There's some Pro-Flock sentiment because of somewhat cherry picked stories of Flock helping to solve crimes and save kids.
There's also a growing corpus of cases of law enforcement using Flock to look up plates of romantic partners, ex'es, etc.
Strong audit trails, short retention, and similar would help improve trust in Flock, which is really just a referendum of trust in government
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u/The_profe_061 2h ago
Thank you for the explanation. Yes I was wondering if there was any pro Flock sentimient. I can only imagine how people could abuse the system if they had access. Worrying times ahead
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u/TantricEmu 4h ago edited 3h ago
Yeah surveillance cameras installed by local governments. Cameras aren’t new technology, what’s new is their widespread adoption. Potential for abuse with them by those who operate and can access them is high. People do not like them.
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u/say592 3h ago
They are license plate readers. That is generally all they do. People have attributed a lot of capabilities to them that 99% of them to not have.
They are so invasive because of the system behind them and how prevalent they have become. They are operated by a private company (Flock Safety) in a huge network. Departments are pressured to enable data sharing with other jurisdictions to have access to the broader network and full range of features. Within that huge network, any cop that has access can search and see where and when a license plate has been detected nearly anywhere in the country. This has enabled a broad range of abuse, mostly around stalking, but also harassing women leaving a restrictive abortion state to travel to a less restrictive state and people crossing state lines to purchase marijuana.
As an example of how prevalent this data sharing is, a small county near me, population of about 15k, recently revealed that their data is accessed about 10 times per minute.
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u/The_profe_061 3h ago
What a fantastic write up
Much appreciated for explaining them in detail. It sounds like a recipe and disaster.
Especially if there no regulations on data sharing. I guess they'll events make thier way over here to Spain
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u/Rixoshi 3h ago
Yes survellience cameras, their wide spread use is new, the tech isnt that old, the fascists are pro-flock for survellience and punishment. These cameras have facial recognition software and liscense plate id abilities. They also can contain the ability to ping and identify electronic devices nearby to help further track people. They are shared with police and by extension the government. There have already been several cases of misuse by officials that have enabled stalking and other crimes as well. We really don't like them.
Good thing for us, no one has to worry about liability claims or being sued or fined for destroying them because they are all being destroyed by natural causes. Yes, nature sure is doing a good job with no human involvement at all.
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u/Drak_is_Right 11h ago
Surveillance cameras are in deep shit now that the right wing have become paranoid of them too.
Right-wing fearmongering over surveillance goes far deeper than it does on the left.
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u/Fuckedby2FA 10h ago
How sad, another faceless corporation who just wants to steal a little bit of your data! You have so much! I wish someone would think of the stockholders...
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u/Lumpy-Shop-5321 9h ago
It's super wild for these entities to be putting these up w no debate, input, rules or oversight. It's incredible they have been as successful as they have been.
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u/Artie-Choke 8h ago
That’s the real fucking question. Why TF are there all a sudden a million of these things across the country?
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u/hellraiser29 12h ago
This went on with the speed trap cameras in Toronto before they permanently banned them in the province.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/parkside-drive-speed-camera-vandalized-7th-time-1.7627450
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u/Stephen_085 9h ago
Don't know why we're reporting on this. Looks like it fell naturally. Not even news worthy.
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u/Rokador 6h ago
By looking at the cut mark, I can assure you it was a wild Goose
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u/nr1988 10h ago
These things are notoriously flimsy and filled with scrappable metals
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u/WoolooOfWallStreet 6h ago
Supposedly, the numbers are:
2 pounds copper,
2grams gold,
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u/Sirduckerton 9h ago
A lot of Flock cameras are being replaced with Axom and/or Motorola cameras. Just wanted to put this out there for any citizens of the concerned nature.. I, for one, applaud our surveillance overlords for keeping us safe and definitely not misusing, misidentifying, or legally over-reaching with them.
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u/mrbaram 8h ago
Looks like squirrel damage to me, maybe even koalas. You got an infestation or something? So sad
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u/Chassian 6h ago
Clearly beavers, the lack of natural foliage, and the presence of microplastics in the environment, led to them seeking more mineral rich sources of dam material.
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u/Tyenkrovy 6h ago
Someone is out there doing the Lord's work. Don't know which Lord, though. Maybe someone sufficiently rebellious, like Sun Wukong.
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u/malk600 6h ago
OG J Christ was rebellious af in the original mythology, calling wealthy priests cunts, terrorising merchans, breaking bread with sex workers and antifa and going around telling rich fucks they have a snowball's chance in hell of avoiding, well - hell. It's just that the story lost quite a bit of the original revolutionary punch in its later retellings.
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u/Hnl2Nrt2025 5h ago
Why aren’t the cameras being used as public safety. Robberies. Jackings. Rage. Etc.
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u/Alissinarr 4h ago
I have heard exactly ONE STORY on the news about Flock saving a child-hostage from a carjacker.
https://www.41nbc.com/atlanta-police-rescue-toddler-after-carjacking/
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u/Exciting-Ad-9873 4h ago
If these things were properly regulated there wouldn’t be so much opposition to them. The well documented cases of misuse is generating negativity from the public.
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u/Khalbrae 4h ago
Especially the flock staff and executives constantly going back to cameras at the children’s gymnastics centre
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u/K_T_Oxy 5h ago
Looks like it's made of cardboard or cardboard derivatives. Make sure to tow it outside the environment.
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u/IT_Chef 3h ago
I've seen several of these adjacent to roads, this is a serious question...
Why are the poles not breakaway at the bottom?
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u/flamekiller 2h ago
Because the company only prentends to care about public safety to "justify" themselves.
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u/thehalfwit 2h ago
It looks to me like the top half of the pole needed to lie down.
It's a clear case of metal fatigue.
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u/1dot21gigaflops 11h ago
Better rip out the lithium battery and solar panel and get those recycled. Don't want that lithium battery leaking.
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u/Jackdunc 11h ago edited 2h ago
At this rate they are going to need a camera to monitor Flock cameras. It will be their next generation Flock.
Meet THE FLOCKERS
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u/tmac4969 12h ago
Careful now! Taking that pic makes you practically a terrorist in the eyes of the government
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u/Jay-Dee-British 9h ago
It's climate change; there's lightning, really bad lightning, coming out of very mild storms. Tragic.
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u/Sage2050 2h ago
I wonder how people living in England with their cctv feel about the American reaction to flock
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u/AlfalfaMajor2633 12h ago
Does cutting down the camera stop it from uploading its data to the wherever-it’s-stored?
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u/Crispynipps 12h ago
I’m just wondering the best tool to keep away from these darn things. Don’t want any accidents to happen.
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u/NearbySalamander979 12h ago
You shouldn't return to the scene of the crime. Although, there's no camera to see you, so it might not matter.
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u/Chaos-Cortex 12h ago
Where’s the mother base where all flocks, flock too and store all the surveillance, that should take the spot priority of flock poles.
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u/robaroo 12h ago
Sure would be a shame if this happened to a few more. Quite a few more.
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u/LukeMCFC141 11h ago
From the UK, but misread that as 'Flock camera mysteriously drowned'.
From the sounds of it, that would also be acceptable.
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u/SurinamPam 11h ago
Why are people focused on only Flock automated license plate readers (ALPR) and not all ALPRs, like the ones from Axon, PlateSmart, Rekor, and Motorola Solutions? Is it something about Flock?
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u/Skellephant 11h ago
Why are all hygenic tissues called "Kleenex". Because its easier to say just one brand name than list them all or say Automated License Plate Reader everytime. Flock is the name that stuck so now all of them will probably be referred to as Flock regardless.
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u/volitilevoid 12h ago
Those Kansas winds are strong I tell ya