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License Plate Tracking for the Average Citizen
Wired News is reporting that big-brother license plate tracking systems may soon be available to the average citizen. Privacy advocates, however, worry that personal information and associated movement could be used inappropriately by marketing companies. From the article: "Bucholz, who designed some of the first mobile license plate reading, or LPR, equipment, gave a presentation at the 2006 National Institute of Justice conference here last week laying out a vision of the future in which LPR does everything from helping insurance companies find missing cars to letting retail chains chart customer migrations. It could also let a nosy citizen with enough cash find out if the mayor is having an affair, he says."
I saw a picture of a Florida plate that read "A55 RGY". The fruit Orange in the middle of the plate made it look like it read "ASS ORGY".
As you (or the vehicle licensed to you) move though public places, your movements may be noted. That's all there is to it.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
I checked out the Manufacturer's website. They linked to several results of deployments on http://www.g2tactics.com/glavid.html. On the first day of deployment, there were 8 "hits", one of which was a false positive since the vehicle was mistakenly in the NCIC database. This is a 12.5% defect rate, which is horrendous. Of course, larger samples are needed, but I can see a lot of unhappy motorists becuase of this.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
Police already do that on their own - when they are just driving around, they do plate searches on vehicles that are doing something suspicious, look suspicious, are driving late at night, racial profiling, etc. For whatever reason they want, basically. They can't pull you over without you doing something illegal, however, so unless your plate has something illegal associated with it, it's the same as ever.
I imagine this automated system is more intended to be an aid to the police officer rather than a completely autonomous system. They just drive around doing their normal rigamarole, and then the little beeper goes off and says "See that car up there? It was reported stolen this morning". As far as the lesser crimes, like expired insurance, registration, etc, I am all for it. Far too many people are driving with illegal plates, no insurance, etc on purpose with no care for the law. People who innocently forget are probably better off for this system, since the cops will catch their lapse sooner, hopefully within the window of a warning instead of 6 months later.
Most places require a permit to carry a gun concealed, but only a couple
of states require a permit to own one (CA, NY, any others?).
*sigh* back to work...
they have this spray that you can buy that eliminates the reflective qualities of the plate, making your numbers/letters near invisible.
there's another one that makes it all reflective, so a camera flash will be blinded out.
Why read the article when I can just make up a snap judgement?