Well, I guess I'm just a horrible "conspiracy theorist" - bought parts and built a contraption that actually tracks my speed and direction via GPS satelites and broadcasts it over the 144MHz Amateur Radio Band. Of course, that's only if I remember to throw it in whatever truck (or, eventually, the Cougar) in which I happen to be driving and plug it in!
Seriously, it was the
original "Lo-Jack" system; first built as a "radio geek's" toy so they could keep track of each other. And it was first used by some dude in Connecticut (I think) to help the cops track his stolen car. He called all his Ham buddies who fired up their radios and Delorme-equipped computers to keep him advised of where they saw his ride; and he told the cops what his Ham buddies told him. He probably doesn't see a single dime in royalties from the LoJack guys
In two weeks, my company truck gets outfitted with a new "Technician Dispatch System" which includes a GPS and a cellphone; as well as a Palm V and a printer. We've already been coached on the penalties for "disabling" the GPS/phone.
Personally, I'm thinking that this is gonna be great! There are a couple of places in our service area that are, shall we say,
remote? - but our dispatch center can't believe Yuma County can be that big! I'm looking forward to making a run out to one of those areas; and having Phoenix call my boss to say that "412's truck took off way to the north along the river, and then stopped reporting its location!!!!!" To which he's gonna reply, "Oh yeah, that job is out at Martinez Lake, where cell systems don't work. We've been telling you for years that it's farther out of town than your
highly precise and accurate database says it is"
The rebel in me just
loves to stick it in the Phoenix cubicle-dwellers' ribs now and then
Do I care that it's gonna report my speed? - not really! For those who haven't personally experienced one (or heard me b***h about it); the much-vaunted 4.6 OHC motor is a
real dog when it comes to hauling a heavily-laden F150 around - I can't maintain even 65 without the tranny going for third (or sometimes second) on the slightest of inclines in the company sled. Going to the main distribution terminal at Martinez Lake (from our office) is a 31.2 mile trip. We're allotted 15 mintues for the drive. Don't bother; I've already done the number-crunching - it's 128.4 MPH. I think, if I took off the camper shell (and ladder racks) and got Fleet Services to okay a PO for the wheels/tires,
suspension and Roush-blown 3 valve 5.4 from a latest-model Lightning, I coyuld make it!
Maybe some radar-absorbant paint would help with the Highway Patrol guys.....
Really, the whole "black-box" idea doesn't worry me all that much. I wouldn't waste my money on "On-Star"; when a spare key, or a
baseball bat (BFH, 14" Crescent wrench, .44 hollowpoint) would serve the purpose if getting in my wheels were a matter of life-or-death.
And, I generally carry two or three communications devices on my person that can call up any manner of public safety squads should the need arise.
If I really wanna be an insane a-hole driver; remember that I left the radio industry to ultimately become well-paid for doing this Broadband/Internet/Localnet gig. Don't you think I could come up with some way of disabling all that crap in my vehicle? If I can figure it out, anybody else could.