"Shit! Da prez ain't gonna like this..."
Posted on 03/02/2010 10:45:55 AM PST by Second Amendment First
At the core of this technology-intensive trend is a set of high-speed digital cameras mounted on the hood and trunk of a vehicle that snap pictures of license plates while passing other vehicles, even at 80 miles per hour. Photos of the plates (including the time the photo was taken and the car’s GPS coordinates) instantly pop up on a laptop computer inside the repo man’s vehicle. Optical character recognition software converts the plate numbers to text.
The process gets more technical: the plate numbers are checked against an encrypted database of delinquent cars, compiled from lenders and stored on the computer, which is refreshed continuously using a wireless link.In most cases, the license plates photographed are attached to cars with no payment problems. But when a plate on a wanted list is found, the computer screen displays further information, including the make and model, its vehicle identification number, or VIN, and the name of the lender. The data is used to confirm that the right car has been found — scofflaws sometimes swap license plates, for instance.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"Shit! Da prez ain't gonna like this..."
I saw this camera setup used by the Philidelphia Parking Authority on “Parking Wars” to identify cars that have unpaid tickets.
I’m surprised they don’t have a device that shuts off the ignition if the payments aren’t made. Same for TVs, stereos, refrigerators, etc.
I once heard of a company that wired a fuse to an extension number within a telephone PBX. If the business stopped paying for the system they could call in and be transferred to the extension, the ring voltage would "blow" the fuse, and the system would go down.
When they called for service they were reminded they were behind in their payment and the service tech would need payment before they fixed the problem.
Of course the customer did not know it was only a fuse.
I don't recommend this method but it did seem to work.
Many police departments use this system.
The problem is not who they catch (the bad guys), but those with no problems.
Police units scan up to 3,000 plates per hour. This data is stored for ‘future use’ for ‘data mining’.
Do repo guys really cruise around looking for cars from lists of delinquents? Seems awfully inefficient, even with this sort of system. I thought repo guys were dispatched out to locate specific cars, one at a time.
The police have already been using this technology -- see it in action here.
is there something a person can spray on the license plate to interfere with cameras?
It’s a little bit of both. They get a “hunt list” and they’ll frequently go after a specific target going to the home or office of somebody on the list, but the smart ones always keep their equipment and the latest list with them just in case. Usually when they’re doing targets of opportunity it’s when a car sticks out, somebody parks in a handicapped spot without the plates, cuts them off in traffic, rattling filling with booming base, check the list.
“I once heard of a company that wired a fuse to an extension number within a telephone PBX. If the business stopped paying for the system they could call in and be transferred to the extension, the ring voltage would “blow” the fuse, and the system would go down.
“When they called for service they were reminded they were behind in their payment and the service tech would need payment before they fixed the problem.
Of course the customer did not know it was only a fuse.
I don’t recommend this method but it did seem to work”
Darn, that is brilliant.
>> is there something a person can spray on the license plate to interfere with cameras?
Sure, gloss black Rustoleum will work.
Mind you, the po-leece may not like it... :-)
“is there something a person can spray on the license plate to interfere with cameras?”
No. Mythbusters proved it too. They had to use a dragster going 200+ mph to beat the speed camera.
The tested the plastic covering and the spray on stuff.
Of course there’s no way they’d show one that works, the legal liability would put the network out of business. Something with crystalline chunks that would cause a lot of lens flare would probably work on any system that used a flash. Of course most state outlaw any kind of covering so it would have to be a clear paint on, and you’d have to hope no cop that passed you at night was smart enough to realize why your license shined like that. But in theory you could probably find something that work at your local art supply store.
LOL... ah the memories...
“Look at ‘em, ordinary f***ing people, I hate ‘em”
I was passed a few months ago by a porsche that had some kind of refractive cover over the plate that really did blur the numbers well beyond recognition unless you were directly behind the car. For some reason, that device wasn’t included in the Mythbusters test.
Gee, it’s not like that freak show on TV? I like to watch the bald bully get his ass kicked and run away like a little girl.
C/mon - think about it. OnStar already has the capability to report location of the vehicle to REPOMan AND disable it. “Comes standard on 15 Chevrolet Models”
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