DannyMotorcycle
Active Member
I am sure I am in the minority here but I don't have much of an issue with it - AS LONG AS IT STAYS NOT FOR PROFIT. Big caveat I know. Here's my thought: I've seen them work. A couple months back I actually got pulled out of my truck at gunpoint (talk about a butthole puckering sequence of events) because a stationary State Trooper had one of these mounted on his SUV. When I drove by him on Rt 4 south, it picked up my truck and had it flagged as a stolen vehicle. Long story short - truck was towed, reported stolen, found/called in as found, City of Baltimore never cleared it. Point being, it picked me out of a mess of traffic and had it been stolen, would've brought me my truck back.
As I see it, you cannot have a reasonable expectation of privacy while operating outside in public (on roads, in public buildings, etc.). If you're upset that a reader captures the fact that you're crossing the Calvert/Anne Arundel County line at 340pm on a Friday - it calls into question why that upsets you. How is that any different than neighbor Tom seeing you or someone taking your picture? You're in public and therefore, can be seen and documented. So, in that aspect, I don't mind it because ultimately I think it serves the greater good without changing the dynamic of your rights.
If they start scamming it for profit, than that is an issue, because it changes the dynamic of you being found by law enforcement when needed (because of a crime or such) vs. advertising your location for the profit and benefit of a third party.
That sounds like a reason to NOT want it... The guys who can't clear a stolen vehicle out of a data base now point lethal force at your face..and you trust them to do that to someone who lawfully stopped upon request without presenting any danger? you want more of this? are you nuts? Your life was just put in danger.. real danger... That's a bad thing.. and you accept the REAL Dangers in exchange for a monetary value of a hypothetical situation? For a vehicle that was either likely insured or not worth much? Did you present a danger? if not you should probably have filed a complaint about him pointing a deadly weapon at you.
Reasonable expectation of privacy? Hell I dont' think cars should even have tags. that should be your freedom to travel if you're not endangering anyone at any moment. If you are, whoever the witness is should just keep you in sight or apprehend you. Gov't is like a giant HOA bully convention generally. Gov't is a mess. You can trust them to mess up everything they get their hands on. You'd be off your rocker or naive to want more gov't.
If they start scanning for profit? You actually have doubts that they would? I'm fairly sure they would eventually.
$216,000 to catch occasional bank robbers? here's an idea, banks can enable their own security and probably have insurance.
Revenue or public safety? which do you think teh gov't is actually more concerned with?