Repo Men Using New Technology To Track Cars

kamapuaa writes "The NY Times has an article about how real-time license plate scanning is changing the car repo business. MVTRAC is one of several companies providing technology to track car license plates automatically, in order to populate private databases. This new tech is used by car repo companies to help banks or other lenders repossess cars; by police to find stolen cars or to locate ticket scofflaws; or really for whatever application MVTRAC and its competitors feel like pursuing, as the new-found industry lacks any kind of government oversight."

Re:driving is not a right

[Joce640k]

I agree...if you want to drive you need to pay insurance/tax/parking, etc., ie. act like a member of the society you're so happy to leech off. Oh, and pay for the car as well - they catch loads of stolen cars or cars where people don't make payments.

ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are widespread in the UK and they definitely get my vote.

Re:driving is not a right

[Anonymous Coward]

People who exaggerate are worse than Hitler.

Yes because everyone knows that engaging in a bit of exaggeration is far, far worse than plunging the world into the most violent conflict of an entire century as well as orchestrating the industrialized murder of millions of innocent people.

Try having a seizure

[MillionthMonkey]

It's almost as necessary to live as water, food, shelter and clothing.

In NJ, PA, NY, CT, CA, and I forget what other state, if you let your own doctor find out during an appointment that you had a seizure or other loss of consciousness, or if someone calls 911 to report one to an ambulance/ER, state law requires the first doctor who finds out to fax the DMV immediately, so they can suspend your license as they would after a long string of DUIs. (He added, with the faintest trace of bitterness.) Specifically, if you get into an accident determined to have stemmed from this then the doctor bears culpability and is on the hook for any damages or casualties that result. I've spent my entire life living in NJ, NY, PA, and CA, and I've been pedestrianized by every single one of them.

Having a reliable warning period of several minutes before seizures makes no difference legally. (This is just continued whining now.) But tactically it makes a huge difference. I managed to hide my condition from the medical community in California for several years. I fibbed to doctors and didn't let them know. If I saw an aura from a rising seizure, I made an immediate exit and found a good place to hide (or I ran outside, into the woods, wherever). This worked pretty well but it all came to an end when I got stuck in a line at Fry's Electronics. I can't even remember what bullshit was in my hands, but it definitely wasn't worth it, especially overpriced Fry's bullshit with tricky return policies and bad support and fucking rebates to mail in. I probably collapsed because my brain was making a desperate attempt to stop the purchase. Now I'm riding a bike six miles to work to get my water, food, shelter etc. Driving is definitely a privilege. So remember as you drive, not all bicyclists are exercising yuppies. Some of us are just fucked.

Re:driving is not a right

[Qzukk]

I think most states allow you to post a bond for the minimum amount in lieu of insurance, the catch being that you don't get interest from your $50k being held.

Re:driving is not a right

[dookiesan]

For restricted areas, the bus system in Seattle isn't too bad. If you work downtown or near one of the main roads, the bus is preferable to driving (because parking is a pita). You could choose a house or apartment near a bus stop., but most of us can't be picky about where we work, so if that's not near one then you're SOL anyway.