-Caveat Lector-
[These days, any one that fails to take this possibility into consideration
(e.g., gangsters, criminals, secret agents, politicians, industrialists,
corporate VIPs, etc.), then they deserve to be hurt by their idiocy.
Duh! --MS]
Beware GPS in Rental Cars !
By Richard Stenger
CNN
(CNN) -- An ordinary trip turned into an Orwellian ordeal for one
Connecticut driver, forced to pay multiple fines after a car rental company
tracked his every move via satellite.
James Turner of New Haven took Acme car rental company to court, calling
the technology too intrusive. Acme countered that Turner knew the risks.
Regardless, the litigation has such an unexpected high-tech spin that the
state attorney general joined the legal fray.
When Turner needed a van to drive from New Haven to Virginia some months
ago for business, he turned to a merchant near his home that he had relied
on many times in the past.
But the theater box office manager overlooked a clause in the contract
stating that its vehicles were equipped with a Global Positioning Satellite
(GPS) system and that going over the speed limit would cost $150 per
infraction.
When he returned home and tried to use his ATM card, he discovered that the
rental company had taken out $450 from his account. Acme Rent-A-Car had
determined that he had gone over the speed limit three times and dipped
into his account for each one.
"They took the money out before I returned the car," Turner told CNN this
week. "I was very, very surprised. I was not aware of what GPS could do. I
thought it was an onboard navigation system, to use when you get lost."
High-tech tracking
The van was outfitted with more than standard GPS technology. It had a much
more sophisticated monitoring system, AirIQ, which allowed Acme to check
Turner's speed and location.
Turner hired a lawyer and went to small claims court, but Acme said Turner
was well aware of the contract provisions.
"I don't think it was too intrusive. The warning is printed in big bold
letters on top of the contract, saying any sustained speeds over 79 mph
would be subject to fines," said Max Brunswick, Acme's attorney.
"It's not something that's in the fine print. It's explained to the
customer and the customer has to initial it," he said. Bernadette Keyes,
Turner's counsel, countered that while some Acme customercontracts did
include a specific speed limit, the one her client signed did not.
Making money or tracking cars?
Turner protested that the company had no system of due process by which he
could challenge the charges. Brunswick said that for each infraction, the
satellite system notified Acme only after Turner had gone over 80 mph for
at least two minutes.
"The real purpose is not to make money from people speeding. The real
reason is to track cars," Brunswick said.
The monitoring system allows Acme to find cars that are not returned, a
persistent problem that can drive small car rental companies out of
business, he said.
Moreover, drivers knowing their speed is being checked tend to drive
slower, leading to less liability for the company and fewer accidents for
the drivers, according to Brunswick.
"It's safe to say this policy saves lives," he said.
The state has stepped in to help settle the legal morass, leaving the small
claims case in limbo.
"The court is waiting for the consumer protection board and attorney
general to make their ruling," which could come within weeks, Turner said.
=======================================================
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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