Another Scary Ass Story About UK Car Surveillance You'll Probably Ignore
As someone who worked at Cable News Network from Day one to Day 3,650, I understand the true "news pyramid." At the top: international news. In the middle: local news. At the bottom (the foundation): what's going bad in your refrigerator. So I'm not really all that surprised that our largely U.S. audience couldn't give a rat's ass about the fact that the U.K. is rapidly becoming Orwellian, or even bother to wonder what Eric Arthur Blair was on about. Still, the anti-speeding jihad has opened the door to some truly frightening policing. The latest example [via Pistonheads]: "The number plates of speeding drivers will be flashed up on new ‘smart signs’ in a bid to shame them into slowing down… When fully operational, the system will flash up the number plate of any vehicles exceeding the speed limit as a visual reminder to drivers to slow down. The system includes a large trailer-mounted variable message sign and remote speed and Automatic Number Plate Recognition detection units." Privacy? "The agency said the data gathered will not be used for enforcement and the system does not record any personal data, therefore complying with the Data Protection Act." Call me a tin foil hat wearer, but do Brits really buy that?
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What shame? I don't know about the UK but something like that sure wouldn't work in California. I don't know anybody, and have heard of very few, who would feel ashamed at going 5, 10, or even 15 mph over the speed limit. As long as you're not weaving in and out of traffic, I've got no problem with you going 85 or 90 mph. There are some desolate places in Eastern Oregon that I have the unfortunate necessity of traveling through to go visit my mom where I don't think there should even be a speed limit. The last time I travelled that way in early June I counted a grand total of 37 cars on the road in a 74 mile stretch of mostly straight highway where the speed limit is a ridiculous 55 mph. Yet, I don't dare go over 60 mph since my mom got pulled over and given a $200+ ticket for going 67 in a 55 zone. The people that should be ashamed are the goverment officials and the police implementing this silliness.
You're talking about a country where people have to spend hundreds of dollars a year renewing their government license to freakin' watch TV. And where G-Men troll around neighborhoods in tricked-up vans looking to catch violators of said policy. Nothing like this is going to surprise.
In America, this would just encourage people to speed. Those "Your Speed Is" signs that they randomly place on roads already show that. Folks just speed up to get a higher score!
NY license plate cameras are linked to Albany DMV computers and if there is anything wrong with history of car or driver or insurance they tow the car and if you are in it you get arrested. Read about it in Dan's Papers, in the Hamptons, he got busted in 2008 by a camera on a patrol car cruising down the main street of Village of East Hampton, because of a 2 week period in 2006 where his insurer screwed up and showed his paid up insurance was void while his car was shown as registered, but he had traded it in and gave the keys away to dealer. He got busted on the street, car towed, ticketed etc. The cops told hiim if he got in the car he would get cuffed and charged. The insurer admitted fault and gave him the full $ for out of pocket, but nothing beyond that. East Hampton says it is doing this for safety but its clearly for the revenue. You brits who want to move across the pond, stay the hell out of NY.