Read this in my paper a few days ago and wanted to let you all know what is coming... Seems that West Virginia jsut passed legislation (and Texas has too...) that will allow insurance companies to charge you for your car insurance dependent on how many miles you drive. Sounds good to those of us who don't drive much, we might save a little money!!! But...(you all knew that was coming didn't you???) they will use a GPS system to keep track of your miles. I have a lot of quesitons about this. Will they know exactly where you go all the times?? How will this affect your personal freedoms?? Maybe you never go anywhere out of the ordinary, but do you really want someone tracking you all of the time??? What if you refuse??? You will probably pay a lot more!!!!!

I am so tired the constant new ways to corral people and infringe upon our privacy. Between airport strip searches, bar-coded grocery "savings" cards, library cards, drivers licenses,and now this... We might as well forget about personal freedom and privacy!!!

What do you think??? It will probably be coming to your state soon!! State Farm insurance is said to be very interested in this!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 27, 2002

Answers

I hate it. Our Maryland Insurance company pestered me for my odometer reason til I scribbled something illegible, photo-copied it, and mailed it in to them.

-- Rick in Southwest WV (Rick_122@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002.

I have not heard of this. And just who is going to put a GPS system on our old, battered truck?? lol Yes, the infringements upon personal privacy are multiplying at a very rapid pace and are quite disturbing. I truly don't know what to think any more, except that I am deeply grateful that we are as self sufficient as we are.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

It makes me more than angry. And a little depressed to see our freedoms being taken away day by day.

On the other hand, if someone wants to keep tabs on dh and I, they are going to be very, very bored. Grocery store, feed store, vets office, church, thrift store, library, second-hand book store. Once in awhile WalMart if I really need something there. Hauling horses out to pasture and back twice a year, and our quarterly trips to the county dump. And once in a very rare while we actually get to load up a horse and go for a ride in the mountains or out on the desert. Once a week (Saturday night) is our "big night out" - we sit at home and watch "Cops" and make a bowl of popcorn.

No casinos, no adult book stores, no new car dealers, not even a liquor store. I'm sure whoever does any spying on us will die of boredom.

Well, have to go stir up some more excitement, my milk goats are calling....

-- Lenette (kigervixen@nospam.com), April 27, 2002.

Isn't there mention of "the mark of the beast" in the Scriptures? First, they are talking about planting computer chips in babys feet, so when your unpaid parking tickets get to a certain level they can detect your whereabouts via a hidden sensor. Why don't we all just go get a bar code tatooed on the back of our necks?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 28, 2002.

Mitch,

There is a LOT of controversy on that subject. Many think the "mark" will come after the Rapture. I'm not sure either way. I personally think that it will not be something secretly implanted but will involve a conscious decision on the part of each person to accept/reject the mark. (Others will disagree with me.) I believe those who reject it will suffer severe persecution.....in other words, only their commitment to God to allow them to remain steadfast, as it will likely mean their death and they'd better be willing to pay the ultimate price for their beliefs.

Even though I'm not real worried about the mark (since I don't plan to be here when they hand it out) :) I see it getting closer by the day. A dozen or so years ago our church did an End Times study, and though we all believed that what we learned WOULD take place, it all seemed so foreign we couldn't comprehend how it would happen. It seemed very futuristic. But now the technology is so obvious, and it could all take place very, very soon. Whether the mark comes before or after the Rapture, we'd all best be prepared with an answer for the most important decision we'll ever make in our lives. Do I want to die? No. Would I accept the mark? No. And I see it's appearance as being just on the horizon.... Mitch, I hope I didn't sound too preachy, just stating my personal beliefs and what I believe I see unfolding in world events. And Melissa, if my post seems too controversial, feel free to delete it.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@nospam.com), April 28, 2002.

What worries me the most is the comming creation of a DNA scaner that does not require anything be implanted.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 28, 2002.

the trouble with things such as this is that people seem to be under the impression that they are powerless to do anything about it..they are NOT!!!! What on earth would be the end result if millions of Americans called their senators and screamed bloody murder, saying, "I will NOT be tracked by insurance companies..if you do not DO something about this, I WILL not vote for you." Trust me, it would become a dead issue overnight. When people sit back and allow these things to occur, they gain momemtum..so few thinking people nowdays, it is truly frightening..they are willing to give all this power to the government without a single thought! It is hard for me to believe that TEXANS would allow this to happen in their state..were they asleep??????

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), April 28, 2002.

Texas passed it FIRST. The article said that West Virginia was going to contact them to see how they were implementing the program.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 28, 2002.

I hate to sound fatalistic, as I truly am not, but this is one issue I see as inevitable. Not that it would have to happen this soon, like Lesley said, if people would pitch a royal fit and refuse it, we could at least delay it a long time. I DON'T see that happening. And IMHO, the reason is that the majority of Americans have already turned into lap dogs. As long as someone will provide them with enough treats, they aren't going to bite the hand that feeds them.

Politicians acquire power by handing out more and more goodies to the people, and few are willing to turn it down and actually work for a living or do without a few things. We've become fat and lazy, and we not only want it all, we want it all handed to us with no effort on our part. I see it everywhere I look and it scares the daylights out of me. I have no problem seeing people in NEED getting help, but it seems everyone is trying to figure out how to get something for nothing from the government. Or they want the government to protect us from EVERYTHING, no matter what the cost. Dependency has a very steep price and I fear we will all soon be paying it.

And Mitch, I agree with your concerns. I've had some great discussions with a few people over the fact that dh and I are microchipping our horses (ourselves, w/ no help from any vet or agency) for our own use. Some think we're setting ourselves up to be tracked down if we need to flee. I guarantee I am in no shape to flee from "the government" on horseback, and if I were so inclined, the technology has advanced far beyond them needing microchips in our horses to locate and/or identify us. I think it's way beyond that. Not to mention at this point I'm a lot more concerned about the EU than our own government. I truly don't think everyone in our government is evil, but it only takes a few of the right ones to hand power over U.S. citizens to the EU.

Lots of storm clouds on the way, and I'm very glad God is still in control and will remain so. I personally couldn't face it otherwise. I'm guessing many of our generation are in for the roughest times of their lives.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@nospam.com), April 28, 2002.

Melisaa, Insurance companies in Ohio have set insurance rate based on the number of miles you drive for a long time. Hardly new idea. They didnt however have an easy way to verify the number of miles you go.

GPS doesnt tracking anything. It simply calculates a location and the GPS system is one way. You can use a satellite uplink, Over the road drivers have had them for years. They quite expensive, but they do allow you to keep track of your fleet.

Onstar navigation uses a similar system but it is also pricy and usually only found on higher end system. Onstar naviagtion system are also being ripped out by dealers because customers dont like the idea of being tracked. THe commericals look nice until you relise they can tell were your at. Check out the higher end GMC vehciles, even trucks. you will see a little 3-4 inche antenna sticking out usually right above the driver.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 29, 2002.

I realize they use the number of miles to determine rates, but ours just says driven less than 10,000 miles annually. I still find this a bit disturbing!!!! But people will go along with it because no one wants to make waves. I was talking to the librarian last week and she said the same thing, soon we will just ahve a bar-code orinted on our foreheads, then we won't have to cary so many different cards. Just because something is "easier" for the powers that be, does not make it ideal, or right...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 29, 2002.

Amen, Melissa. In fact, most of the time the "easy" way is not the right way.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@nospam.com), April 29, 2002.

No, I don't work for an insurance company, but I bet there are lots of people who tell the company they drive "only" x miles, and "only" for pleasure, etc., and pay lower rates than they should.

I know that when you get in an accident, one of the first things they check is your odometer reading, and if it is 'way off they would be legally justified in saying "sorry, you're not covered because you falsified information". And, short of you either driving to your agent and having them verify your odometer every year, or in the case of people who don't have indie agents, going to a third party or having them come to your home (and would you want them doing that either), the companies may think that the GPS is the least intrusive way to go.

However, there was a case of some rental car company tracking customers in rental cars that way and giving them expensive "tickets" when they went over the speed limit because of GPS info, although I believe the case was thrown out because the tickets were not lawfully given, i.e. not given out by a bona fide police officer.

Gary brought up over the road drivers, one legitimate use of them, to make sure people aren't using company vehicles for personal errands, and to show where they are. The Lo-Jack system for tracking stolen vehicles (only available in large cities) is another use for a tracking system.

What I think is unfair is penalizing you insurance-wise for driving a two-seater vehicle. We used to own a Honda CRX--it got close to 50mpg, so great commute car! Unfortunately, because of only having two seats, we paid higher insurance because it was considered a "sports car". Please, Hondas are not sports cars by any stretch of the imagination.

And, EVERYONE should start out with low rates until they get into an accident, then they should jack them up for the three years. I know lots of teens who are responsible drivers, and they are penalized simply for being young.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 29, 2002.

Thanks for the heads up, Melissa. I haven't heard a peep of this. A resident of Texas, and a client (maybe not for long) of a company who's song goes "Like a good neighbor . . . " NOT!

If they want to know our mileage, why don't they just jot down our odometer when we pay the premium? I don't care if 'they' know how much I drive, it is the where / when that gets me steamed.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), May 02, 2002.