California Tracks Everyone Using Toll Transponders

obtuse writes "Direct monitoring of traffic sounds pretty cool, but some people don't want their toll transponders tracked. They aren't installing direct driver tracking for law enforcement now, but the collected data could be subpoenaed. Of course, anyone who didn't want to be tracked could just put it in the glovebox anyway, so they won't be catching clever felons or tracking real paranoiacs."

Here's a tip to avoid this

[SpanishInquisition]

Walk

This always bothered me

[FuzzyDaddy]

I use to have a toll transponder and commute to work. When I got my bill, It listed the time I went through any given toll. There were two tolls - one to enter the road, and one to exit.

I'm sure glad I was never asked to explain how I made it nine miles in under eight minutes on a 55 MPH road.

Re:Automatic tickets coming up soon

[TheKubrix]

i dunno....that might be hard to prove if taken to court, considering the speed of light ain't what it use to be!

Re: I want to be alarmed by this...

[xp_fetchbeer]

but I just can't be. Of course they are just trying to desensitize us to this kind of invasion of privacy, but so what. It seems pretty inevitable that we are going to have to start living more like Europeans anyway. Except for the surrendering to Germany every few years part.

Re:I can live with that.

[Kenja]

OK, your crazy, a ferakin loon.

You sit in a small box with lots of windows on a public street and expect privacy?

What's the *vertical* range?

[XianDeath]

This could lead to a whole new sport involving low flying jets. Image how the data would look after factoring in a couple "cars" traveling upwards of 250 - 400mph.

This just in...

[johnlcallaway]

In most states, an unmarked police car can follow you on the road and note your every movement without you even knowing about it or agreeing to it. There is no way to prevent it, and, even more scary, it is not illegal. There is not even an opt-out capability. They can use this information in court against you at any time they chose!!!

The only way to prevent this loss of privacy is to stay at home, lock the doors, don't use the phone or cable TV, or even pick up your mail. You must remain inside at all times and out of site.

Only then can you really enjoy your privacy. Of course, you can't enjoy anything else, but who cares. At least you can enjoy your privacy.

a list of future problems coming up

[bons]

More people who appear to be tollway violators because they didn't pull their transponder out soon enough.

Transponder mod chips for random serial numbers.

People on cell phones pulling out transponders as they try to get through the booth.

People setting up their own silent tracking antennas and keeping all information.

Transponder mod chips with serial numbers belonging to people tracked with the previous method.

Beowolf transponder clusters to make it look like you're a traveling traffic jam.

Re:This always bothered me

[Russ Steffen]

I'm sure glad I was never asked to explain how I made it nine miles in under eight minutes on a 55 MPH road.

Just tell 'em you would have done better if you hadn't had to stop to fix that flat tire.

Great, another way spam will be used

[TrollsamaBinLaden]

You cell phone rings and you hear, feeling hungry? There is a Mcdonalds a mile from your current location on the left!

Re:I can live with that.

[boomer_rehfield]

"By your logic, I should be able to tint all my windows to 95% and drive around without license plates. Of course, I can't do that for obvious reasons."

I gonna have to call bullshit. You've obviously never lived in Florida.

Re:Here's a tip to avoid this

[Anonymous Coward]

No need to walk. Just become a Toll Booth Ninja [icculus.org].

Oh dear...

[allism]

Just what did you do to have highway patrolmen often tell you otherwise???