Yes, we have reaped the promise...(in-car electronics may be Big Brother)(Brief Article)(Editorial)

Yes, we have reaped the promise of telematics. ``Radio, On.'' Yes, the world is totally, utterly different because our cars are equipped with electronic wonders. Lost? OnStar will find you. A little automotive gastroenteritis? Plug your car into a magic diagnostic device and-voila-the most elusive malaise will yield to the magic of electronic detection. Yes, we are on the brink of solving that most complex and vexing of all modern problems of automobility-highway congestion-through a combination of automatic car control and mandatory road discipline. It will be an amazing achievement; and although it will be at least two generations in the future it will preserve the freedom of the car and mobility of the individual.

Oh, yeah? Last October James Turner rented a car in Connecticut and drove it to Virginia. When he got there he found out the rental car company had withdrawn $450 from his account in a 24-hour period. How come? The rental company, using GPS, claimed it caught Turner speeding. Think about it. Rental car agency as cop. The magic of telematics. Now, never mind how this is coming down. You can imagine all the complexities of the case. Just for example: The State Consumer Protection Department lining up against the rental car agency not for assuming the role of the ...