New Ticketing System For Europe And The USA: Beware! from Bikes in the Fast Lane

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New Ticketing System For Europe And The USA: Beware!

December
2008

  File under Opinion
  Author: Mike Werner
  Location: Normandy, France

Authorities in several countries are looking at better and more efficient ways of parting you of your hard earned money, financial crisis or not. The key technology enabler is RFID

.

The European Union is spending €8.1 million (about US$ 10.3 million) to study the use of RFID in Finland, Germany and France. They plan to use the technology to issue tickets for minor traffic infractions, those that usually are left alone. But governments all over the world need the cash nowadays, so you've become an easy target.

RFID is used more and more by retailers to protect their merchandise, and even ID cards like passports will receive these small components.

Your motorcycle could well be equipped with one of these devices, and once it's on, the authorities can easily track what you're doing, and if you're doing it badly, you get an automatic ticket.

For example, they can easily "see" if you're tailgating. Get too close to another vehicle, and "gotcha", ticket is on its way.

At this moment in the three European countries, they are testing the system on commercial vehicles, but you can be sure that this technology will find its way into motorcycle before you can say "objection you honor".

The system is not limited to Europe, in Arizona, USA authorities announced that they will be using the system for truckers. Already in 2005 a bill was proposed in the state of Texas to mandatory use RFID in all license plates, but thankfully, the bill did not pass (for now).

So with money running short in governments around the world, they are going to find new ways of getting more money. Printing money is one way, but that doesn't help inflation, but going after every small traffic infraction will quickly fill the budget holes.

Mark my words, before you know it, our motorcycles, cars, pets and we ourselves will have a RFID implanted.... I guess what I need to invent is a RFID blocker...

Via: The Newspaper