Wuhan Professional Paparazzi Report Traffic Violations, Earning Four Thousand Yuan a Month
Wuhan professional paparazzi report violations and earn four thousand yuan a month; reporting drunk driving yields high rewards. Illegal activity images are handed over to law enforcement departments to claim bounties. The latter's filming behavior includes both covert and overt filming, capturing not only illegal and immoral actions but also breaking news, lifestyle interests, humor, or acts of love and virtue. These images are typically uploaded to the internet for sharing, expressing their sense of social responsibility, love, credibility, or news sensitivity. Successful ones can also be rewarded by websites based on click-through rates from netizens.
Driver Attempts to Assault a "Covert Photographer"
At around 9 a.m. on May 27, near the steel market on Qintai Avenue in Hankou, Mr. Zhou, a "covert photographer," was sitting in his minivan using a DV to film traffic violations. Two angry men rushed over and kicked in the car door. After receiving the police report, officers from the Yuelake Street Police Station of the HanYang Public Security Bureau conducted multiple investigations and identified the suspects as drivers Zhou and Li from the steel market. According to the "Public Security Administration Punishment Law," Zhou and Li were administratively detained for 15 days due to intentional damage of public and private property.
It is understood that Mr. Zhou has been filming traffic violations at this location for two months, capturing hundreds of violations. There are more than 800 professional covert photographers like Mr. Zhou in Wuhan who specialize in photographing traffic violations.
The incident of the covert photographer being assaulted immediately drew high attention from Wuhan citizens and revealed the mysterious group of "covert photographers" who specialize in filming traffic violations. How do these "violation covert photographers" film traffic violations every day? Can people understand their methods?
With these questions in mind, yesterday, our reporter approached the life of another "covert photographer," Zhang Ping (a pseudonym), attempting to understand their living conditions.
A Day in the Life of a "Covert Photographer"
Zhang Ping is in his thirties. He does not wish to overly expose himself in the media, refusing to discuss his workplace, family situation, or the main locations where he films violations. The only photo available is his back while exchanging views with driver friends at Hubei Chutian Traffic Radio.
Zhang Ping is an employee of a state-owned enterprise, working rotating shifts. He previously specialized in wedding videography and, according to him, has been playing with a DV for seven years. In March this year, the city's traffic management bureau introduced a reward policy for reporting six major traffic violations, which made him somewhat interested. Encouraged by friends, he started focusing on filming motor vehicle traffic violations, given his passion for playing with a DV.
Yesterday, after finishing his night shift in the morning, Zhang Ping quickly rested before getting up at noon to eat something. At 2 p.m., he drove out with his DV to capture traffic violations. By 6 p.m., within just four hours, he had filmed more than ten vehicles either driving against traffic or running red lights in Wuchang. A vehicle driving against traffic caused a traffic jam, which he also captured.
He said that because of an appointment with a journalist, he finished work earlier today. Normally, he works until around 8 p.m. After work, he needs to organize the evidence he has filmed and submit it to the traffic management bureau for review within three days as required by the department.