February 21, 2002

12:29 PM

Rental car firm ordered to stop GPS speeding fine (CNN via Wired) Those Acme Rent-A-Car guys in New Haven who were using the GPS units in their vehicles to track and fine customers who were speeding (mental image of Coyote holding just-opened credit card bill with eyes bugging out, mouth wide open, and ears straight up) have been ordered to stop and pay back all the fines they have collected so far. Big Brother held back for another day....
posted by BGM (7 comments total)

Thank goodness. Man, what a bunch of bastards.

Of course, this is a car rental business, a specific business that you can choose not to use or endorse (i.e. you can always choose to go to another car rental company). What about all the utility companies (things that you can't live without) that create monopolies in an area, and create rididulous fees for the customer that they (i.e. we) cannot choose to decline? Does anyone have any interesting stories about this? Have you ever been forced to pay an absurd fee, becasue if you didn't, you'd lose said utility? Why won't the government stop these monsters?
posted by tiger yang at 12:39 PM on February 21, 2002

Tiger: Look at how phone companies charge outrageous set up fees. It recently cost me $45 for them to flip a switch and turn my service on. They don't even have to go to your place to do it.

As far as the car rental story goes, personally I'm glad action was taken against the company. However, on a logic stand point, it can be considered a paradox. The gov't fines the illegal act of speeding. Additionally, in the North East, you can get a speeding ticket in the mail for speeding through EasyPass (it has other names in other states). But in this case, when someone else tries to discourage speeding, the gov't slaps them on the wrist and returns money to people who sped. I guess there can only be one Big Brother.
posted by Werd7 at 1:12 PM on February 21, 2002

But in this case, when someone else tries to discourage speeding, the gov't slaps them on the wrist and returns money to people who sped. I guess there can only be one Big Brother.

The government built the roads, for cryin' out loud!!!! Not a rental car company! Actually, if there are public roads around your area, you agreed to pay for them merely by choosing to live where you did.
posted by raysmj at 1:52 PM on February 21, 2002

Also, private companies don't have the right to enforce laws on their own. With the gov't, you can at least argue before a court of law that, y'know, the cops screwed up here. It's a due process thing.
posted by raysmj at 1:55 PM on February 21, 2002

Score!

This was my first link, last July! I love seeing this kind of follow-up.

Note: they poked at me for my 1984 references, now I feel double vindicated. Thanks BGM.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 7:32 PM on February 21, 2002

Also, private companies don't have the right to enforce laws on their own.

They weren't enforcing a law. They were enforcing the terms of their contract, which were that (among other things) you would obey the law.
posted by kindall at 8:33 PM on February 21, 2002

They weren't enforcing a law. They were enforcing the terms of their contract, which were that (among other things) you would obey the law.

Ahhh, but they were interpreting the law. And where's the oversight that their equipment is up to standard? Who's there to prevent abuse?

And if they can do that, why can't the government stop the manufacture of cars capable of speeds over 75 MPH? (Corvettes now approach 170 MPH)
posted by eas98 at 6:57 AM on February 22, 2002