TX: Mandatory Transponder Update

VanMan69 · 04-08-2005, 12:59 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by theNewspaper.com

Texas Bill Would Require Transponders in All Cars
A Texas state representative wants all cars to have electronic transponders.

Texas Rep. Larry PhillipsA bill introduced in the Texas House of Representatives by Larry Phillips, Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Committee, would require electronic transponders to be built-into state automobile inspection stickers. This new device would be initially used to allow an roadside verification of every passing vehicle's insurance information. A car with expired insurance information would be mailed a $250 ticket.

Each transponder would transmit the vehicle's VIN, insurance policy number, license plate number and any other information the DMV requires. The legislation creates a database of every Texas automobile insurance policy to allow the checks. The transponder would also operate with Texas toll roads.

Anyone who does not receive or respond to the mailed ticket would have his license and vehicle registration suspended.

The text of the bill is also posted under the article.

kiltjim · 04-08-2005, 01:11 PM

Great. Just another step to having the government riding in the car next to you. I swear, I am this close to wearing a tin foil hat. Or covering my car in tin foil. Which ever one looks more crazy.

Is the car not personal property? Do they have the right to do something like that? I can understand them giving you a ticket when you get pulled over for something else, but now they are not only going to be able to track whether your insurance is out of date, but where you are at a given time, how fast you were going in what direction, etc.

I'm not even from Texas, and I'm ****ed.

yonu · 04-08-2005, 01:14 PM

i agree i hate the idea of Big bro watching and monitoring me hope NC doesn't come up with any crazy **** like this

wizardPC · 04-08-2005, 01:25 PM

okay, I can almost see something like that happening in Cali, NY, Oregon.....But friggin TEXAS? WTF!

urge to kill rising.....

red green · 04-08-2005, 01:31 PM

I have my cars registered in TX, and I'm not totally opposed to an idea like this... before I get flamed, hear me out:

That's a lot of data. I seriously doubt that unless your being sought after by the police, they're even going to care about tracking your movements, etc. Think about the ability of the systems to track specific vehicles, like during an Amber Alert. Anyway, I don't see it as all that bad. Hell, anyone who uses credit cards should be just as paranoid, because everytime you buy a pack of gum at Target, then go to Friday's for lunch, etc., they know exactly where you've been and when.

That being said, I also doubt that a system like this will come to fruition anytime soon. It sounds to me like rep. Phillips needs to get his name on something for his constituents. He'll likely fail, but get to say to his people, "Hey, I tried." Happens all the time on the hill.

My $.02

VanMan69 · 04-08-2005, 01:36 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by joshthepilot

It will also make it more dificult for illegal aliens.

Riiiiiiiiiight.

KyleYankan · 04-08-2005, 01:38 PM

Yeah - but AMBER alert isn't computer controlled. It's easy to subtract two times to get a distance/time. If time < 5:00 THEN send(ticket);

Amber's just a bunch of people looking for the car in question - not an RFID monitor tracking each car.

Definetly invasion of my privacy - also what aout cars form other states traveling in tehas?

WebDog · 04-08-2005, 01:45 PM

Would that really be worth it? just to get insurance info? I mean it wont work for suspended lisenses and stuff because maybe a family member is driving?

Also what would the cost be to implement it? they would probably raise taxes to cover it.

VanMan69 · 04-08-2005, 01:46 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by red green

I have my cars registered in TX, and I'm not totally opposed to an idea like this... before I get flamed, hear me out:

That's a lot of data. I seriously doubt that unless your being sought after by the police, they're even going to care about tracking your movements, etc. Think about the ability of the systems to track specific vehicles, like during an Amber Alert. Anyway, I don't see it as all that bad. Hell, anyone who uses credit cards should be just as paranoid, because everytime you buy a pack of gum at Target, then go to Friday's for lunch, etc., they know exactly where you've been and when.

That being said, I also doubt that a system like this will come to fruition anytime soon. It sounds to me like rep. Phillips needs to get his name on something for his constituents. He'll likely fail, but get to say to his people, "Hey, I tried." Happens all the time on the hill.

They don't really need to "care" about tracking you, because it's all electronic and automated. Automated speeding tickets. Automated red light tickets. Automated insurance premium adjustment. And on and on...

I don't use my credit card to buy gum. I generally don't use a credit card for any purchase under $100. And knowing that I was at a convenience store in one city and then at a restaurant the next day is a little different than knowing the exact route I took, what speed I travelled, where I stopped to take a ****, etc.

As much as people may have doubts about whether or not it will come to fruition, the fact of the matter is that it's being pushed by the governments of a number of states, and millions are already being spent developing and testing the systems. If they're not going to implement it, that's money down the toilet.

red green · 04-08-2005, 01:50 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by KyleYankan

Yeah - but AMBER alert isn't computer controlled. It's easy to subtract two times to get a distance/time. If time < 5:00 THEN send(ticket);?

Sounds like an excellent plan for the turnpikes, then...

Quote: Originally Posted by KyleYankan

Amber's just a bunch of people looking for the car in question - not an RFID monitor tracking each car.

Maybe it should be.

Anyway, I think threads like this are funny. Lots of the same people who get paranoid about a news story like this gladly send all kinds of information to Bill Gates everyday... talk about conspiracy theory.

wizardPC · 04-08-2005, 02:03 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by joshthepilot

...people need to learn to get insurance and not be driving without a license...... It will also make it more dificult for illegal aliens.

See, the thing about it is this: Will people who are already criminals comply? Doubtful. Just like the whole national ID thing and the failed assault weapons ban, the only people this infringes on are people who arent doing anything wrong in the first place. Criminals will find a way to get around it.

Scouse Monkey · 04-08-2005, 02:08 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by wizardPC

See, the thing about it is this: Will people who are already criminals comply? Doubtful. Just like the whole national ID thing and the failed assault weapons ban, the only people this infringes on are people who arent doing anything wrong in the first place. Criminals will find a way to get around it.

exactly what i was about to write!

it's quite scary how you sometimes write what i am about to!

wizardPC · 04-08-2005, 02:23 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by joshthepilot

Yea, take the bus.

or remove the transponder part of the sticker

techy101 · 04-08-2005, 04:38 PM

Personally it makes me mad that people want to track everything about everyone. Even though in Section 2 it states that "This Act takes effect September 1, 2005" I doubt it will actually pass. And if it does (Texas being a very right state) groups like the ACLU and EFF will jump all over it.

And it sounds about as effective as CAPPS II (Airline passenger profiling and surveillance system) or the RFID tags that Brittan School District (Northern California) has embeded into the school ID's to track their students. (this is an ongoing legal battle at the moment, mainly cuz it was done without parental concent)

I'll stop ranting here before it goes too off topic. The only way that i might become ok with it is if they did some major re-wording. Because as of the moment it's got things like this listed as information that they can have embeded into this tag:

(Pulled from Sec. 601.502) "(4) any other information reasonably required by the department."

Even the curent transponder systems for the toll roads use an ID number and scan that. Then it is refrenced within a (semi) secure database to deduct funds from your account. They aren't broadcasting all the info about you and your car, etc. to whomever happened to have a reader

rubicon · 04-08-2005, 05:57 PM

Reason #6281 to not go to Texas.