Have You Driven a Ford Lately?

That name was taken from a Ford marketing campaign in the years 1984-1985 for you young people out there. &nbsp,

My entire life I have owned four Fords. The first was a Lynx, which I inherited from my dad. A Lynx is only a few steps away from a Pinewood Derby Racer, yet in store state. Poor Lynx lasted about two centuries before blowing a head gasket and giving up the ghost due to the elderly man’s inaction with things like oil changes, transmission washes, and yet tire movements. &nbsp,

My 2003 Ranger is the one Ford that holds a special place in my heart, despite the fact that I even owned two passable Ford automobiles. Basically, it was Mrs. Brown’s trip when we met. When she wanted to enhance, I paid it off and made it into a job, hauling, and camping trailer. The tailgate does n’t work, there is an issue with the electrical system I have never been able to track down, and the step bars are turning into rust depositories, but man, does it run! Despite all this day, it also cranks and drives like a dream. I have to take it in for repairs specifically again, and that was because of a small wheel problem. &nbsp,

Other than that, I have never had a bit of problems. It must have been a result of a manufacturing process whereby the company produced a high-quality solution. Request a man who owns a Ranger from that time if he wants to sell the trailer, and you’d better hope he simply says no. You’ll be lucky if he does n’t draw down on you. If you requested to use the property, he would probably tell you to depart. In the middle of the time, people have offered to buy my truck from me. The answer is often,” No. Get ahead”. They may have my Ranger when they pry it off my warm, dead street.

I’m unlikely to get another Ford any time soon, putting away my affection for my beloved Ranger. never one at least made one in the next ten or so years. Or twenty times, if I live that long. This is because the second generation of Cars will likely have brands like the Ford Snitch, the Ford Squealer, and the Ford Quisling. The Ford Rat Fink might be it. &nbsp,

The technology now exists to track your driving habits and frequency. Companies are selling that data to organizations like insurance companies so they can use it to raise your rates or change your plan. Some companies once provided a device that you could freely fit in your car to track your driving habits. This was promoted to encourage skilled drivers. Best. Most cities have customers cameras that are used to monitor driver activity and sensitive law enforcement when they speed up or otherwise violate. If Mrs. Brown’s car thinks you are making an illegal lane change, even if you are n’t, it will immediately take control of the vehicle and cry like a stuck pig. &nbsp,

According to CBT, Ford has now filed a patent for a brand-new” Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations” program. This vehicle in which it is installed will not be monitored by this program. Otherwise, it will record the speed of the moving car and truck through a number of sensors. Sensors and cameras may get an image of the driving vehicle, log the GPS data and other information, and therefore send the entire item directly to law enforcement. Then, the police could choose to do the vehicle and find it or not. Although I’m willing to wager that the data would also be entered into a database that would generate an email with a request or solution. &nbsp,

Customers tracking technology is already in use, as noted above. According to a New York Times article, Ford and other automakers market driver information to brokers, who then turn turn sell it to insurance companies. Then comes this unsettling snippet from the post:

Also, numerous studies have indicated that manufacturers collect considerable personal info, including facial features, cognitive characteristics, and yet sensitive information like sexual orientation and spiritual beliefs.

Spiritual beliefs? How do they know that? It is not as challenging as you might consider. My telephone is able to locate me at religion without a trace. It informs me each Sunday morning of the duration of the travel because it is aware of my usual route and day. Never, ever, ever forget that almost every minute of every day, regardless of whether you agree or not, data is being gathered on you. You may not have an FBI account, but you have an extensive data report, and it would definitely freeze your heart to know who has that knowledge.

Along with the thorny issue of data collection, CBT rightfully points out the matter of ethics. A car driven by someone who may not be aware that their vehicle is targeting you can track and identify your car without your knowledge. CBT notes:

Over half of the police cars in the United States bear its logo, and Ford, a leader in providing police cars, is now at the center of a debate over privacy and data usage. While improving road safety, the company’s technology has the potential to be extensively used to monitor and report driving behavior, which raises questions about the appropriateness of such data use.

According to the article, in December of last year, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass. ) sent letters to Ford and thirteen other automakers, asking them to adopt stronger privacy practices. In response, Ford said it allows customers to turn off vehicle-sharing data and all connectivity features. However, doing so would “encroach on some applications and services that rely on this data” ( and there’s always a “but” ).

To be honest, I’m not sure how well the technology would work. I do n’t know about your neck of the woods, but in Utah, I-15 runs right through the state. If there is NASCAR in Hell, it looks like I-15. In the urban areas, the speed limit is 70 MPH. But no one drives 70 MPH. The typical speed at which you need to drive is 80 MPH, just to maintain traffic flow. There are many drivers who travel at or above 90 MPH. I’ve seen elderly women driving at the speed limit. And that’s not considering the ones who are auditioning for the reboot of” Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” .&nbsp,

It would be unlikely if someone with a metal hockey mask attempted to kill you with a homemade chainsaw on I-15, at least through Utah County. I’m assuming Ford’s daring little spy device would last for ten minutes on I-15 before gagging on the Blue Screen of Death. And I doubt that the local constabulary, including the Utah Highway Patrol, has the time and manpower to track down that many violators. And any UHP trooper who reads this would probably agree. I’ll wager that there is a road that is very similar close to you. And how precise will it be? How many “false positives” will it issue, resulting in someone unjustly having their license suspended until their court appearance?

Technology is developing at a nightmarish pace, and no, I am not being hyperbolic. By the time Ford releases it, the system might be very adept at identifying and reporting on violators. You might find yourself facing a citation in the future if you simply pass another car or attempt to transport a loved one to the hospital. There is no justification for reckless driving, and this new technology may make the roads safer. That having been said, as technology grows, so does the surveillance state. And as the surveillance state grows, so does the number of crimes for which you could find yourself charged, justly or otherwise.

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