Captain Gatso

Last updated

Captain Gatso (born in the late 1960s [1] ) is a pseudonymous England-based political activist involved in motorists' rights, specifically relating to speed limit enforcement. [2] The name derives from speed cameras, some of which are manufactured by Gatsometer BV and referred to by the abbreviation Gatso. [3]

Gatso has said he "may or may not be" the campaign director of Motorists Against Detection (MAD), [1] a group which claimed responsibility for speed camera destruction and damage in 2003. [4] [5] Gatso wore a plastic Tony Blair mask during stunts and photo ops, in reference to the prime minister of the time. [1] He said in a 2004 interview that he has "never gone round disabling cameras" personally. [1]

In August 2023 a caller to TalkTV identifying themselves as Captain Gatso claimed to be the campaign director of the 'Blade Runners', a group who have sabotaged surveillance cameras in London in response to the expansion of the city's Ultra Low Emission Zone. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Network</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by Paddy Chayefsky & Sidney Lumet

Network is a 1976 American satirical drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, released by United Artists, written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet. It is about a fictional television network, the Union Broadcasting System (UBS), and its struggle with poor ratings. The film stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic enforcement camera</span> Camera for detecting motoring offenses

A traffic enforcement camera is a camera which may be mounted beside or over a road or installed in an enforcement vehicle to detect motoring offenses, including speeding, vehicles going through a red traffic light, vehicles going through a toll booth without paying, unauthorized use of a bus lane, or for recording vehicles inside a congestion charge area. It may be linked to an automated ticketing system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Clarkson</span> English television presenter, journalist and writer (born 1960)

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English television presenter, journalist, and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes Top Gear and The Grand Tour alongside Richard Hammond and James May. He also currently writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun. Since 2018, Clarkson has hosted the ITV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Automobile Association</span> Federation of motor clubs throughout the US and Canada

American Automobile Association is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA provides services to its members, including roadside assistance and others. Its national headquarters are in Heathrow, Florida.

Mad TV is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine Mad, Mad TV's pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodies of popular culture and occasionally politics. Many of its sketches featured the show's cast members playing recurring original characters and doing celebrity impressions. The series premiered on Fox on October 14, 1995, and ran for 14 seasons. Its final episode aired on May 16, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piers Morgan</span> British journalist and television host (born 1965)

Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan is an English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid The Sun. In 1994, aged 29, he was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch, which made him the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in more than half a century. From 1995, Morgan edited the Daily Mirror, but was fired in 2004. He was the editorial director of First News from 2006 to 2007. In 2014, Morgan became the first editor-at-large of the MailOnline website's US operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Corporation</span> American insurance company

The Progressive Corporation is an American insurance company. In late 2022, Progressive became the largest motor insurance carrier in the U.S. The company was co-founded in 1937 by Jack Green and Joseph M. Lewis, and is headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio. The company insures passenger vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, trailers, boats, PWC, and commercial vehicles. Progressive also provides home, life, pet, and other insurance through select companies. Additionally, Progressive offers auto insurance in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatso</span> Brand by Gatsometer BV

Gatso is the brand that Gatsometer BV use on their speed cameras and red light cameras. The most commonly encountered Gatso speed cameras emit radar beams to measure the speed of a passing vehicle. If it is travelling above the preset trigger speed, one or two photographs are taken. These use a powerful flash, to show the rear of the vehicle, its registration plate, and calibration lines on the road. Newer installations used digital cameras which have limited exposure latitude compared to film, these installations use an auxiliary flash placed close to the position where a speeding vehicle would exit the radar beam and the first photograph would be taken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NTV (Russia)</span> Russian free-to-air television channel

NTV is a Russian free-to-air television channel that was launched as a subsidiary of Vladimir Gusinsky's company Media-Most. Since 14 April 2001 Gazprom Media controls the network. NTV has no official meaning according to Igor Malashenko, the author of the name and co-founder of the company, but in the 1990s unofficial transcripts of the acronym include "New" (Novoje), "Independent" (Nezavisimoje), "Non-governmental" (Negosudarstvennoje), "Our" (Nashe).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car chase</span> Chase between two automobiles, often involving law enforcement

A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive industry in the 20th century increased car ownership, leading to a growing number of criminals attempting to evade police in their own vehicle or a stolen car. Car chases may also involve other parties in pursuit of a criminal suspect or intended victim, or simply in an attempt to make contact with a moving person for non-conflict reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red light camera</span> Type of traffic enforcement camera

A red light camera is a type of traffic enforcement camera that photographs a vehicle that has entered an intersection after the traffic signal controlling the intersection has turned red. By automatically photographing vehicles that run red lights, the photo is evidence that assists authorities in their enforcement of traffic laws. Generally the camera is triggered when a vehicle enters the intersection after the traffic signal has turned red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mads Mikkelsen</span> Danish actor (born 1965)

Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen, is a Danish actor and former gymnast and dancer. He rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the Pusher film trilogy, Detective Sergeant Allan Fischer in the television series Rejseholdet (2000–2004), Niels in Open Hearts (2002), Svend in The Green Butchers (2003), Ivan in Adam's Apples (2005) and Jacob Petersen in After the Wedding (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Hamm</span> American actor (born 1971)

Jonathan Daniel Hamm is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series Mad Men (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama in 2008 and 2016, two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2015. He received 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for acting in and producing Mad Men and for his guest appearances on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speed limit enforcement</span> Effort made by appropriately empowered authorities to improve driver compliance with speed limits

Speed limits are enforced on most public roadways by authorities, with the purpose to improve driver compliance with speed limits. Methods used include roadside speed traps set up and operated by the police and automated roadside 'speed camera' systems, which may incorporate the use of an automatic number plate recognition system. Traditionally, police officers used stopwatches to measure the time taken for a vehicle to cover a known distance. More recently, radar guns and automated in-vehicle systems have come into use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road speed limit enforcement in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of the road speed limit enforcement in the United Kingdom

Road speed limit enforcement in the United Kingdom is the action taken by appropriately empowered authorities to attempt to persuade road vehicle users to comply with the speed limits in force on the UK's roads. Methods used include those for detection and prosecution of contraventions such as roadside fixed speed cameras, average speed cameras, and police-operated LIDAR speed guns or older radar speed guns. Vehicle activated signs and Community Speed Watch schemes are used to encourage compliance. Some classes of vehicles are fitted with speed limiters and intelligent speed adaptation is being trialled in some places on a voluntary basis.

<i>Shaun Micallefs Mad as Hell</i> Australian television series

Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell is an Australian comedy news television program hosted by Shaun Micallef. The show first aired on ABC at 8:00 pm on Friday, 25 May 2012. The show was named as Most Outstanding Comedy Program at the Logie Awards of 2016. Its title is a reference to the 1976 American satirical black comedy-drama film Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-14 Armata</span> Russian main battle tank

The T-14Armata is a Russian main battle tank (MBT) based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform.

Michael Hughes, popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. He died on February 22, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel television series. Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Bray</span> Anti-Brexit activist

Steven Bray is a British activist from Port Talbot in South Wales who, in 2018 and 2019, made daily protests against Brexit in College Green, Westminster. He is variously known as Stop Brexit Man, Mr Stop Brexit or the Stop Brexit guy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Adisa</span> American actor, producer, and writer

Lawrence Adisa is an American actor, producer, and writer. Adisa is majorly known for Clockers (1995), New York Undercover, and 7th Heaven.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Macalister Hall, Malcolm (26 April 2004). "We're MAD as hell..." The Independent. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  2. "We're MAD as hell..." Independent. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  3. Lyall, Sarah (26 October 2006). "British drivers wage war on speed cameras - Europe". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  4. "Speed camera destroyed in a day". BBC News. 10 February 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  5. Khan, Stephen (7 September 2003). "Saboteurs take out 700 speed cameras". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  6. "Anti-ULEZ Vigilante Justifies Camera Destruction". TalkTV. Retrieved 30 August 2023.