fast as fast can be

Houston police will soon have a new set of eyes watching out for red-light runners -- cameras at intersections. They are already used in some cities and entrepreneurs have responded by creating ways to disguise license plates. It turns out people are willing to try unusual and illegal products to escape a ticket, Local 2 reported Monday.

It's illegal to use PhotoBlocker in Texas since it's a Class C misdemeanor to alter license plates.

A spray called PhotoBlocker is helping some drivers beat the red-light cameras on Florida streets.

The product is marketed in car magazines and sold on http://www.PlantomPlate.com. It costs $29.99. A can contains enough spray to cover four license plates for life.

Motorcyclist Matthew Winer swears by it.

"Oh, it works. It definitely works. I've never spoken to anybody who uses the product who's gotten a ticket," he said.

Denver police tested PhotoBlocker two years ago using similar cameras that capture speeders. Officials found that the spray was effective at overexposing photos of a treated tag.

A Florida highway patrolman said it was difficult to detect.

"You accomplished defacing the tag without being visible. You can't tell and they could get away with something," he said.

In December, the Houston City Council passed an ordinance approving the use of cameras to catch red-light runners.

The Harris County Toll Road Authority said people in Houston have already discovered the spray despite the fact that it is illegal to alter license plates in the state of Texas.

"It's a Class C misdemeanor, at minimum, which is punishable by up to a $200 fine. But if you can prove that the person did it knowingly, the person can spend up to six months in jail or have a $2,000 fine or both," said Capt. Dwayne Ready, with the Houston Police Department.

Regardless of the punishment, city officials are worried that Houstonians will start using the product to avoid red-light cameras.

Other products available online include plastic plate protectors that cover or distort a license plate. They are also illegal.

Would You Buy It?

In an exclusive Local 2 Flashpoll, SurveyUSA asked approximately 500 Houstonians, "Would you buy a spray that makes it impossible for cameras to detect your license plate?"

Twenty-six percent answered yes, while 64 percent said no. Ten percent were not sure.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4657280/...00412&qs=1;bp=t

the artical says i works has anybody tried it?