[OT] NH protest against HP printers with RFID chips Nov. 5th

[Paul Lussier]

Brian Chabot <brian at datasquire.net> writes:

> Plus all over they have cameras.  Pointed at your license plate.  You 
> know it wouldn't be too hard to use OCR and a stopwatch to catch you 
> speeding through tolls.

Travis Roy <travis at scootz.net> writes:

> That is probably the most important thing to me with RFID, that it
> only transmits a unique ID that is later cross referenced by somebody
> else that has the information. I don't want my name and other info
> sent over RF waves, but if 2451346256345243245 does and then a cop or
> whoever can look up "2451346256345243245" and that brings up my info,
> that's alright with me.

And what if it *isn't* you driving the car.  The big difference
between them issuing you a ticket at the toll booth and
cross-referencing the information is the fact that may not in fact be
you driving, and you're getting mailed a ticket for something you may
not have done, nor even be aware of.

If they issue the ticket at the booth, they can at least issue it to
the actual person driving.  But if they just record the license plate
number or RFID number and "mail it in", as they often do with
traffic-light cams, there is no way they can know you weren't driving
the car.  Suddenly you now have to defend yourself against a crime you
didn't commit.  The best case scenario is that they drop the charges
when you contest, however, you've still been cost a day of your life
defending yourself.  The worst case scenario is that you have to prove
your innocence and somehow lose.  So, now you're out time, money, at
least one vacation day from work, in addition to increased insurance
premiums.

Tell me again how this use of technology is a good idea?

> If you're worried about it, you can take other roads, use coins for
> this trip, or (novel concept) not break the law.

Right, and how about the novel concept of the *state* not breaking the
law!  Are you aware that *every* speed limit sign in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, with the exception of those within and marked by
School Zone signs, must, by state law, be approved and issued by the
State Highway Dept. ?  Are you also aware that *daily* hundreds of
speeding tickets are issued to drivers based on speed limit signs
"just put up" by local towns without having followed the proper State
laws?  So, by law, if there is a speed limit posted in an area, and
that speed limit was not approved by the State Highway Department,
*legally* you can not be issued a speeding ticket for speeding in that
area, because it an unlawfully posted speed limit.

So, if the State can't even follow the simple laws of posting properly
approved speed limit signs, *why* should I ever think they're going to
do so when it comes to the abuse of a technology that has the ability
to easily increase their revenue with little or no expenditure on
their part?

-- 

Seeya,
Paul