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Man Stalks Ex-girlfriend With GPS

Posted by michael on from the oh-look-it's-you-again dept.

grouchomarxist writes "According to this article at CNN: Police arrested a man they said tracked his ex-girlfriend's whereabouts by attaching a global positioning system to her car. Police said Gabrielyan attached a cellular phone to the woman's car on August 16 with a motion switch that turned on when the car moved, transmitting a signal each minute to a satellite. Information was then sent to a Web site that allowed Gabrielyan to monitor the woman's location." A ruling last year stated that police need a warrant to track individuals in a similar fashion.

15 of 415 comments (clear)

  1. Awww, that's so romantic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I need to get one for my girlfriend's car. Alright, she's not my girlfriend, yet, but she will be once I'm able to track her 24/7.

    1. Re:Awww, that's so romantic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      :) See this is what happens when someone becomes a slashdotter AFTER they have had a girlfriend, they learn all these cool things and can start stalking their exes.

      And isn't it cool a slashdotter (must have been a slashdotter) made "real news"?

  2. This is exactly why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    See, this is exactly why we need fuel cells in our phones...I mean...eh...this is just wrong and illegal...

    1. Re:This is exactly why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Actually this proves beyond a shadow of doubt that he's an idiot. He would have attached the phone into the car headlights/parking lights for recharging if he were a real geek!

      Instead he get's caught trying to change a battery... Stupid.

  3. Better Articles by the+pickle · · Score: 5, Informative

    This has also been covered briefly on Engadget and more thoroughly on BoingBoing, where links to the original article and the District Attorney's report are provided.

    p

    --
    In Korea, long hair is for old people!
  4. WOW - this guy had a SATELLITE too? by RagingChipmunk · · Score: 5, Informative

    "transmitting a signal each minute to a satellite." WOW - this guy had a SATELLITE too? ...Why does the News continually report GPS technology as sending data TO a satellite - GPS receivers are completely passive. Either our media/news is completely ignorant, or they assume that all their readers are completely ignorant.

    --
    The only PT Boat Journal on the web: http://www.PT171.org
  5. Perfect metaphor by cgenman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    >The woman learned how Gabrielyan was following her when she discovered him under her car attempting to change the cell phone's battery, police said.

    This is a perfect metaphor for the 21 century... Hyped futuristic capabilities with obvious and forgotten shortcomings. 12v line from the power system, anyone?

    If you are going to be compulsively obsessed to the exclusion of all else, at least sweat the details.

    --
    The ______ Agenda
  6. You again by MikeMacK · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Police said Gabrielyan tracked the 35-year-old woman, who was not identified, after she ended their relationship, showing up unexpectedly at a book store, an airport and dozens of other places where she was.

    Dozens? After about the first six she should have gotten a restraining order.

  7. Hopefully ppl will understand now why privacy... by jbash · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...is so important. There are LEGITIMATE REASONS to not want to have a tracking device in your car, not just tinfoil hat paranoia. Sure there may be "privacy protections" but keep in mind that a company's privacy is only as strong as the minimum wage employee who's bribed $100 to let a stalker have some info.

  8. How is this different that widespread surveillance by smiff · · Score: 5, Interesting
    For all of you people who say it's okay to put surveillance cameras on public streets, RFID tags on store merchandise, RFID readers on store doorways, and RFID toll-pass systems on highways. The general argument is that no one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in public.

    Yet it is illegal for a private citizen to follow someone in public. What is with the double standard?

  9. Re:Where can I buy a mobile phone detector? by wayward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Where can I find a boyfriend who actually cares where I am?

  10. Re:Where can I buy a mobile phone detector? by wayward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No one here actually believes that you are a woman.
    That's OK. My gynecologist does.

  11. Re:Where can I buy a mobile phone detector? by Zouden · · Score: 5, Funny
    Where can I find a boyfriend who actually cares where I am?
    Slashdot Personals. You'll get a GPS under your car in no time!
    --
    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
  12. Ouch. Convincing a gynecologist may be a bad move by Gnavpot · · Score: 5, Funny

    You must have a lot of courage. Making a gynecologist believe that you are a woman sounds scary.

    "Hey, what is that?"
    "Dunno. Never saw one on any of my patients before. Remove it."

  13. Re:Where can I buy a mobile phone detector? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's a hint: next time a guy takes the time to get to know you and is actually a nice guy, don't brush him off with the 'I see you as a friend' routine while you fall in love with the first unemployed alcoholic that crosses your path.