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Plow Operators Object to GPS Tracking System
An anonymous reader writes "The Boston Globe is reporting on a dispute between private plowing contractors and the state highway department. The state has mandated all trucks to equip with GPS enabled cellphones for tracking. The drivers have refused, just in time for a big winter storm. The latest seems to be that they have reached a compromise (no details yet), but the dispute highlights the public safety versus employee privacy issue. Presumably plowing could be more efficient and possibly save lives during storms if the trucks could be tracked.. a good thing. Or is this simply a step closer to an Orwellian society, where the State knows where we all are?" This earlier story does a much better job of detailing their grievances - apparently it's about money as much as anything, with the GPS tracking system being only a secondary issue.
rimshot
seriously, i don't see how this is orwellian in the least
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
I think the same applies to the pilots. It always bothers me when the radars track their airplane's position real time.
There should be a way for them to "opt-out". A "stealth mode" button will be nice. Pilots do not need the big-brother constantly watching them.
What about me, I lease my own plow. How am I gonna feel when I get fired because my boss somehow "just knew" I had his daughter out at the drive-in. You heartless bastard.
It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
would never put up with this type of thing.
Because us American's have a natural and benificial mistrust of big business and big government!
Which is precisely why you don't have the largest companies and biggest government in the world.
Oh, wait...
Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
It's a contractual issue.
It's all about ensuring the state gets what it pays for, and any tracking is done exclusively during the employee's work.
This is legal, and this is good.
By similar reasoning, we should attach GPS trackers to each of our elected representatives, to ensure that we get what we pay for, and that they're doing the work they claim to be doing.
Boss: what the hell? why are all the plows parked at the strip club?
Driver: we're getting snowjobs
my karma will be here long after I'm gone