More Big Brother, coming to a state near you.

[MadHound]

Well, it now appears that our very movements are going to be tracked, at least those of us with cell phones. My home state of Missouri is "testing" a new program for "traffic control" starting this summer. They, with the help of a private company are going to be tracking traffic via cell phones. The first test areas are going to be in St. Louis, Columbia, and KC, ie the I-70 corridor. But I think that shortly all of the state is going to be included on this one.

While supposedly this tracking is going to be anonymous, each cell phone will be assigned its own unique ID code. In addition to pinpointing your location, this system will be able to determine what speed you're traveling at, thus opening a huge potential for gathering revenue in the form of speeding tickets.

This is all thanks to Clinton, who pushed through a bill mandating GPS chips in all new cell phones. And despite all of the research I've done on this issue, it doesn't appear that simply turning your phone off will do the trick. If you don't want to be monitored via your cell phone, you are going to either have to leave it at home, or remove the battery when you don't want to be tracked.

Next step, putting a chip in each and every one of us. Will you submit?

So if you're traveling through Missouri, beware, you are being watched. And sadly, this will probably be coming to a state near you sooner than you wish.

More information here<http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/06/696.asp>

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I better warn hubby. He has had a lead foot now and then. :^(

[MadHound]

2. Oh, your hubby probably has a grace period of a couple of years

This is supposed to be started this summer, merely as a way to track traffic, and notify motorists of real time traffic back ups. However I imagine that at some point it will be used to hand out speeding tickets. It will be done slowly, gradually, much like the red light cameras have been. But I would suspect that this will be commonplace nationwide within ten years. I've already started telling people that they're not going to be able to get me much of the time, I'll just take the battery out of my cell, and only put it togehter when I want to check voicemail or make a call.

[MadHound]

3. early warning kick n/t