Goodbye, privacy — Washington state considers tracking your driving
By: DORI MONSON (MyNorthwest. com)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Nearly 20 years ago, a source inside Washington state government told me that within two decades, the Puget Sound Transportation Commission had plans to make every single inch of every single road in our region a toll road. My source was solid.
When I reported this, people responded, "Oh, come on, Monson. You're full of … hyperbole."
But just this week, KIRO Radio's own traffic reporter Chris Sullivan reported on a Washington State Transportation Commission meeting where a pay-by-mile or road usage charge (RUC) system is under review. And one system could track your driving round-the-clock.
Unlike the self-reporting systems tested in this area several years ago, the transportation commission is now looking at telematics. This involves your newer vehicle automatically sending data about your driving habits to its manufacturer. It's a practice most newer vehicle owners don't even know is already happening.
Now, the commission is considering proposals to the state Legislature that would involve having automakers send that data directly to the state. No GPS needed. Your car would automatically tell on you.
Newer, smarter vehicles could do this. Older vehicles could not.
"They (new smart vehicles) have a chip that already sends back data (to the automaker), whether you want it or not," Sullivan explained. "Your weight. Where you go. Your speed. Your driving habits. All of those things can be mined. Your car would be the transmitter."
Options in the pilot project from a few years ago proposed charging vehicle owners 2.4 cents per mile. Dori fears that price could be inflated for popular routes - like those into downtown Seattle — or during rush hours.
"They (lawmakers) say they're interested in miles, not where you go - but this could be a Pandora's box," Sullivan acknowledged.
Listen to Dori's complete interview with KIRO Radio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan:
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From taxing and tracking every inch of movement in the state, they now want the cars to directly report you to the state.... Kids need to be reporting on parents, business's need to be reporting on citizens, More cameras on the lamposts than ever before at least three per intersection where there is traffic control...
How much longer before they require your house to report on your intimate affairs with your wife?
This is so 437 River St. territory! Right out of Orwell and big brother is watching us.
That's like saying "Well the government allows people to hunt and kill deer and other animals, raise, kill and eat cows, sheep, pigs and chickens, how much longer before they allow us to hunt and eat other humans?!?!".
When you're on public property or businesses private property the business owners and those responsible for the public spaces have every right to monitor those spaces. That does not in any way even allude to anyone else being allowed to monitor you, your wife or family in your own home.
When you drive on a public roadway you're required to have a registered vehicle with an identifier aka license plate so that law enforcement can observe and penalize law breakers. On private property police have no right to stop you from driving around your circular driveway at 150 mph (physics might though) and just because we have laws on public roadways does not in any way mean they are coming to put speed limits on your driveway or any other private property. To believe otherwise is simply moronic.
Government agencies that are enamored of technology don’t have a clue of how to use it, so they contract with clueless outsiders, then nobody’s responsible for calamity.
Adding to so many data breaches elsewhere, is Pennsylvania’s inability to collect tolls on a private road. It should be simple enough - in one gate, out another but they can’t even handle that.
The have a section of freeway, (WA 167) where to use the express lanes it charges you ten dollars a mile... The Tacoma Narrows bridge was built as a toll bridge, the tolls expired upon payment of the bonds used to construct it, the booths were tore down in 1944... When they built the second bridge, it was under the same proposal with the tolls ending when the bonds were paid off... five years later as the bonds were nearing payoff they extended the tolls indefinitely and added them to the old bridge...
There isn't a tax they don't like imposing... The legislature has a 2 billion surplus in the state funds but they still went on a taxing spree... And it's not only the state, the counties are doing it as well.. The state constitution says they cannot do that without a vote of the people, but the 7-2 liberal supreme court has bought every side step they are selling to prevent prevent the people from voting... seems like they are scared of the votes...
Interesting that they don't want voters when they wish to take from you but they want votes when they need you to allow them to take even more...
Talk about an upside down world...
Welcome to the Soviet Socialist State of Washington...
Well you could be living in Californication instead! There is always the Greater Idaho effort in Oregon that some California and Washington counties are looking into
Seems like a few years ago oregon was messing with this idea too. No thanks. If these pols need money so bad why don’t they raise the gas tax and charge ev owners a tax when they renew the plate?
i suppose older vehicles will have to be retrofitted to support this bs, but at whose cost?
We already have the highest gas taxes in the nation, and the last one almost caused a revolt... they are looking towards the electric car era coming on the horizon and gas taxes don't collect much on an electric car... Yes the plan is to require older cars to be fitted with a transponder, it won't collect the info that the new cars will give them but it will allow them to collect the taxes... Note this as well ten years ago, The Netherlands started using car transponders to issue speeding tickets based upon satellite positioning data, that did cause a revolt and they ended the practice...
You think when they have sufficient cars hooked up to the tracking system here that our governments would quit against a public backlash?
Not in our lifetimes... But this is what you get when you give one political party complete power over your life...
I didn’t think any state could out-california california. It seems the only thing many far left libs are tolerant of is being pushed around by their nannies. Hopefully enough of them come to their senses and vote for change. It’s a shame too, washington is a beautiful state.
i think they are jumping the gun on electric vehicles. I don’t see them becoming mainstream for another decade or more. Many challenges have to be overcome for that to happen, which it will, just not as fast as some seem to be claiming.
So much so that I think I’ll keep my 2000 Nissan Maxima for the rest of my and certainly rest of its life.
This is crazy, next they will try to tax farts
The State of Washington is becoming the test bed for what they can get away with before they have a revolt...
If they want to track you, those cells phones are a much easier way to do it. This is not a big deal. So they want to see where I work? State already knows that. Where I go shopping? Who cares. Know where I live? I pay taxes so...they kind of already know.
Especially the ones coming from cows in their rural counties!
I listened to Monson for decades, (along with "Big" Dave Ross), and he is an alarmist. Finally stopped listening to him about 10 years ago....looks like he has finally gone completely insane.
Yep, well, he is now the #1 local radio talk personality in the nation... Gone completely insane? yeah a lot of liberal peeps around here say that, but again what is amazing? EVERYTHING he expounds on outside of the obvious opinion fluff has concrete evidence and fact to back it up... Unlike most MSM around here...
It's one of the things he is famous for... They have been trying to take him off the radio by claiming he's lying so many times it's old hat... They have quit trying cause he proves everything he says when challenged... Beyond any shadow of doubt... If there is one truly honest media reporter in the country today it is Dori Monsen...
The Liberal Lie killer ...
Local in the nation?
In any case, can't agree. He used to be pretty middle of the road, even had a sense of humor, now he's just a radicalized rightist....really is a shame, I enjoyed his show in the past.
Yep, would it surprise you that they not only rate the national shows nationally but the local shows as well... He does have a national following as well.. I'm sure you cannot agree, but it's not because he has moved right, it's because the society he in and comments on has moved HARD LEFT... Way past Marxist leftism to Wobblies type leftism... Whatever they are, they are proven to be autocratic dictators who don't give a damn about helping anyone, just lining their pockets and the pockets of anyone who blindly supports them... They have already spent 2 billion dollars on the "Homeless" problem and the governuer has pledged another 800 million to it as well...
Almost 3 billion dollars and the problem has gotten nothing but worse... You think there might be a problem with the approach?
What's the big deal? China already knows everything about all Americans. Almost everything you use has Chinese parts in it even if it's American-made. Everything that those parts sees, hears, feels, smells and tastes is sent up to those many Chinese spy satellites circling the planet and rebroadcast to thousands of Uyghur slaves from Jinxiang chained to their computers and recorded for your social credit ratings. Your vehicles already send up everywhere you go and how often, even what your gas mileage is; your refrigerator and oven send up what you eat: your TV sends up what you watch: your cellphone sends up who you speak to and what you say: your washing machine and dryer sends up what you wear and of course your computer records every word you read and post: and now since nobody reads books any more and would rather burn them if they're contrary to their religious or political beliefs so they use kindles and other such electronic devices to read which means that even what you read is known now. China knows everything about you better than your spouses and your parents and it is developing a means to make you disappear from a ray that zaps you from space without a trace or memory. And didn't you know that the covid-19 and all its variants will in 3 years after becoming infected turn you into a zombie who will use only products manufactured or grown in China in order to pump up the Chinese economy?
If Xi Jinping discovers that I have revealed these secrets to you, you will no longer ever hear from me, because I am bound to disappear forever.
As Tess Ocean (Julia Roberts）said in the Oceans 11 remake：“There's always someone watching."
Hang on to your older vehicles. A plan is in the works to mandate all new vehicles to be able to detect alcohol on the driver too. Gee, another computerized car system for you to pay for against your wishes (and against your best interest), which will ultimately jack up the price of new cars and everyone’s insurance rates across the board. What could go wrong? About a million things.
On the plus side it would keep Pelosi off the road.
Of course all of you are aware that many, if not all, Auto Insurance Companies already have monitoring capabilities for your vehicle that----with your permission----that will install or utilize to allegedly save you money for your good driving behavior.
So, this---------thing---post---or what ever is a big toof about toof, right?
You do know those monitoring devices that auto insurance companies offer for installation in vehicles are completely voluntary right? You don't have to put one in; and you can remove it an any time and there isn't anything they can do about it except maybe raise your rate a very minor amount. I put one in my car for 6 months to get my rate lowered; and then removed it. Outside of my rate taking a very minor- not nearly as much as the discount I earned for having the device in for their sixth month test- increase; not one thing happened.
What this article is talking about is states monitoring everyone's auto travel without permission in order to tax us. Of course I am sure they will just be gathering distance driven. Not where you are going; the speed you are traveling at; how long you stay at certain places; or any other nefarious purposes. Politicians would never stoop that low; or invade your privacy that badly.
Some people could care less, and some are all for it, problem for those aforementioned is that some care a great deal... And they cannot understand why...
Did I not say, "With your permission?" You want the discount you've got to play the game.
As far as "states monitoring". Well gee. Where you been? There are cameras on the light poles, traffic lights, retail stores, grocery stores and everywhere else. There it is. There you have it. Done and done.
Privacy? What? You forget about The Patriot Act already? Wake up, dude.