Slashdot | Using GPS To Catch Speeders Found Illegal

[measl at mfn.org]

On Wed, 4 Jul 2001, Riad S. Wahby wrote:

> A speeder, in this discussion, is a person who breaks the speed limit
> imposed by the _rental_contract_, not the state.  If the company has
> the technological ability to accurately (or inaccurately, although
> that would probably be bad for business) measure the speed of the car,
> they can tell if the person is exceeding their contractually
> determined speed, that is, "speeding."  If the contract says they can
> charge $5000000 for each infraction, they can.  Period.  

Even though it's likely irrelevent over the long term, I would expect that
the contract would be somewhat self-destructive where it comes into
conflict with State law, for example, where the vehicle is required by law
to travel at some minimum speed (45mph on the highways around here), and
the rental contract specifies something different.

Obviously, I pulled this example out of my ass, and it is unlikely that
any of these contracts would attempt to enforce such a low limit, however,
it is descriptive as an example of public policy vs private contract
interests.  I am sure that the lawyercritters have given us any number of
strange and not so wonderful laws which could find themselves in
disagreement with these private contracts...


-- 
Yours, 
J.A. Terranson
sysadmin at mfn.org

If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they
should give serious consideration towards setting a better example:
Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of
unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in
the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and 
elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire
populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate...
This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States
as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers,
associates, or others.  Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of
those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the
first place...
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