U.S. looks to British for licenseplates that transmit data up to 300 feet

[Ian David]

Brit License Plates Get Chipped
By Mark Baard
02:00 AM Aug. 09, 2005 PT

The British government is preparing to test new high-tech license plates containing microchips capable of transmitting unique vehicle identification numbers and other data to readers more than 300 feet away.

Officials in the United States say they'll be closely watching the British trial as they contemplate initiating their own tests of the plates, which incorporate radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags to make vehicles electronically trackable.

<snip>

Proponents argue that making such RFID tags mandatory and ubiquitous is a logical move to counter the threat of terrorists using the roadways, and that it will scoop up insurance and registration scofflaws in the process.

<snip>

"It's too easy for (RFID license plates) to become a back-door surveillance tool," said Jim Harper, director of information studies at libertarian think tank the Cato Institute and a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee.

More:
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,68429,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

[jus_the_facts]

1. Big Brother up yer ass....

:nopity:

[Lerkfish]

2. war is peace. freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

"1984" is unfolding in front of our very eyes. And no one is stopping it.

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. For some perspective

that's a football field without the endzone. (edited to correct my stoopid math skills)

What's everyone so up in arms about? If you're doing everything "Right", you have nothing to worry about. "Right"? :evilgrin:

[Ian David]

4. Okay, so let's say I'm driving from Boston to Miami...

As I hit the Washington Beltway, a police officer on the side of the road signals me to pull into the shoulder.

An officer immediately approaches my car and takes my license and registration. He says, "I pulled you over because we have you on a list of possible National Security threats. The database says you're a member of Democratic Underground, NARAL, ACLU, HRC, and Amnesty International."

I wait for about an hour in a line behind about a dozen other cars that were pulled over ahead of me.

When it's my turn, an officer comes to my car and asks me, "Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Are you planning on entering Washington, DC? Are you planning on attending any protests? Who are you planning to visit? Are you traveling for business or pleasure? What do you have in the trunk? Do you mind if I look?"

Eventually, I am sent along my way.

I leave the D.C. area and enter Virginia, and a State Trooper pulls behind me and signals that I should drive my car into a truck Weigh Station.

"Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Are you planning on attending any protests? Who are you planning to visit? Are you traveling for business or pleasure? What do you have in the trunk? Do you mind if I look?"

Everything goes fine until I get to Georgia.

I'm cruising along the Interstate where the speed limit is 75 MPH. I'm doing 80, but everyone is blowing past me doing at least 95 MPH. Even doing 80, I'm the slowest car for miles around.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a State Trooper pulls up behind me and turns his lights on. As I'm pulling off into the shoulder, cars continue to pass us doing 90 MPH, as if the cop wasn't even there.

It turns out that the cop was sitting on the side of the road and registered an out-of-state vehicle going by, and decided to give me a ticket because he figured I wouldn't be driving all the way from Boston to fight it in court.

"Do you know why I pulled you over? Do you know the speed limit here? Do you know how fast you were going?"

"Yes, officer. I was going about 15 MPH slower than all the cars with Georgia plates that you watched pass me."

"Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Are you planning on attending any protests? Who are you planning to visit? Are you traveling for business or pleasure? What do you have in the trunk? Do you mind if I look?"

---
In other words, this device will allow them to pull people over based on a database of any information they care to collect.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Exactly!

Which is why it really gets my goat when I hear CONservatives say, "you only need to worry if you're doing something wrong."

Police already have unwritten/unofficial profiling techniques. No doubt, technology such as this will be propagandized as "one more tool" to "catch the bad guys". Part of the problem, IMO, is that several have forgotten the fundamental innocent until proven guilty and gone straight to hang 'em from the tallest tree and save the taxpayers some money.

[Ian David]

7. What if a conservative is traveling through a "Blue State"...

"Hi, we noticed that you're a member of The NRA and you have a Fire Arms ID registered in your name. Can I see your license, registration, and FID card?

"Do you have any guns in your car?

"Can you step out of the vehicle, please? If I search your vehicle, will I find any firearms in it? Can you open the trunk, please?

"Did you know that you need a Massachusetts permit to transport a fire arm into the state, even if you have a valid license in your home state?

"Did you know that in Massachusetts it is illegal to carry a fire arm in your vehicle if it is loaded, even if that fire arm is secured and locked?

"Do you see the ammunition clip on this gun I found in your trunk? Did you know that it has capacity for three bullets more than Massachusetts law allows?

"Did you know that all of these are felony violations?

"These prescription pills in the glovebox don't have your name on the label. If they belong to your wife, then why are they in the car if she isn't traveling with you? Do you know that these pills are a controled substance?

"Please place your hands against the vehicle...

"I see here that you're a member of The NRA and The American Family Association. Are you coming to Massachusetts to protest the Gay Pride Parade? Were you planning on bringing that fire arm with you? Where were you planning on staying while you were here? Who were you planning on visiting?

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Well, I guess if they're not doing anything wrong then

they don't have anything to worry about. LOL

[Ian David]

10. It is insanely easy to do something wrong un-intentionally

Especially if you're carrying a firearm-- even a legal one you have the right to own. The laws are strict and nuanced and it's easy to make an honest mistake-- and cops don't play games with it.

For example, what if you carry extra prescription pills in your car, but you don't have them in the labeled bottle? Or if a passenger accidentally dropped one of their own in your back seat?

Or you borrow a car from a friend, but don't realize his registration expired? I almost got arrested for THAT one driving my MOM'S car!

Or you happen to be carrying the wrong combination of stuff home from the supermarket-- cold medicine, lithium batteries...

I've heard of one guy being questioned for "suspicious reading materials," in this case a copy of 2600 Magazine.

What if you just got back from taking your cans to the recycling center, and one of your empty beer cans got lost in the back seat. The cop pulls you over and finds an "empty container of alcohol" there.

And even if you're "not doing anything wrong," there's often some inconvenience or trauma while they sort things out.

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Apparently, I've failed to connect with your sense of humor

I'm with you on this one! They don't need this, IMO. It's just one more "tool" (as it will be called by supporters) in the hands of Government. We are relentless watched without even realizing it. Now, it seems that the next step is to track us. Has everyone forgotten that GPS systems are mandatory on new cars within the next couple of years?

And as to police *ahem* 'discretion'...well, I'm with you on that one, too! In about the past 4 months, I've been pulled over twice in my little 1993 POS car. Funny, this never happened before. The first time it was for 'improper turn'. Without going into a play by play of the stop, I'll just cut to the chase and tell you my husband was driving and he was trying to calm ME down about the stop. It was ridiculous! All around us were cars 'improperly speeding'. Not to mention the fact that the intersection we were stopped at (with the police car behind us) had just had a lady in a late model mini-van trying to make up her fricken mind which lane she wanted to be in!

The second time, I chose to go to court. Another ridiculous stop. It just so happens that it was the end of the month. Cop pulled me over for 'tinted windows violation'. Funny, I've been driving this car for almost four years and this law enforcement professional is the first to notice? I was pissed (again) and asked him if this model is profiled or something. He then starts to "explain" to me that I "could be smoking pot in the car and he wouldn't be able to see me." :wtf: Then, he quickly got his wits about him and told me that someone could be beating me up in my car and he wouldn't be able to tell. (While I'm driving I'm being beaten up?) I know the reason for the law...it's to protect the officers, not the public. The really stupid thing is that it's only not allowed on the front and front-side windows--behind the front seat you can go as dark as you want. That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense when police always park behind you when they pull you over!

So, yes! I agree!

Be prepared, though. As I said before...CONservatives will be in strong support of it. It will be another 'tracking terrorists' schtick with the "if you're not doing anything wrong, don't worry". Then, when one of them gets pulled over, he/she will be whining and bitching about arrogant sons of bitches civil service people abusing his/her tax dollars to harrass and detain a Good Patriotic American!

[AirAmFan]

6. Networked RFID readers could be deployed in any lightpole, traffic light, or

traffic-controlbox, to build massive databases tracking EVERY car's whereabouts over time. Lists of "suspicious" people's plate numbers could be automatically compared against those databases in real-time, and "hits" could be archived indefinitely.

When a crime is committed at point A, police will be able to generate a list of HUNDREDS of "suspects" automatically.

This is really Kafkaesque, beyond Orwellian.

[Ian David]

9. So, you come home from vacation and find this in your mailbox...

To: Mr. X

Re: Vehicle ID number 123xxx

Dear Owner:

Between the dates of December 10th and December 17th of 2005, your vehicle violated the following posted speed limits:

1) 12/10/05 6:00 AM Traveling 37 MPH in a 35 MPH zone westbound on Smith Street- $70 fine
2) 12/10/05 6:10 AM Traveling 45 MPH in a 35 MPH zone westbound on Park Street- $140 fine
3) 12/10/05 6:12 AM Traveling 31 MPH in a 25 MPH School Zone westbound on Park Street- $300 fine...


Your total citations for this week: $610,316.00
RFID surcharge: $6,000
Wounded Officer Fund: $2,000


Total Due: $618,316.00

[AirAmFan]

12. And sidewalks and bicycle paths will be eliminated from new subdivision

plans out of "Homeland Security" concerns. After all, "terrorists" could move about freely completely without detection, on foot and on bicycles, skateboards, blades, etc.

Unless every PERSON out in purblic were required to display an RFID license tag on his or her back....

[Ian David]

13. An RFID tag implanted in the back of the hand, and barcode on the head

[Lochloosa]

14. Wonder if this stuff will work....

http://www.phantomplate.com/photoblocker.html

NEW AND IMPROVED, PATENT-PENDING!
Reflects photo radar flash. Spray it and make your license plate invisible to cameras. Proven to beat photo radar and red light cameras.

Independently tested by FOX NEWS and Denver Police Department.

And tested by FOX...so it's fair and balanced paint...