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Re: OT-Big Brother is Coming to the UK

To: road <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: OT-Big Brother is Coming to the UK
From: Thomas Walter <twalter@austin.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 13:40:55 -0500
Nope you own it...

Only catch I can see is warranty issues if the box is unplugged. Imagine
that... fishing around for something under the seat, and you managed to
disconnect that delphi weatherpack connector, while trying to get you 
cell phone head set untangled. Hmm...

In Germany there were OEM vehicles fitted with airbags and various
sensors with the data recorder. German builders (i.e. Mercedes, BMW,
etc) would send a team out to any crash of a "year old wagon" to 
investigate the scene, any fatality, injuries, etc. The team would then 
hold their own reconstruction, the data and results were not allowed to
be subpoenaed by lawyers!!! Yep, legislation made their "independent" 
results exempt from any legal request.

In one case, the driver walked away from his accident. What was odd, the 
passenger behind him didn't have his belt on. The driver should have 
been killed from the force of the passenger hitting him while restrained 
by his seat belt. Turned out he was not wearing a seat belt, and the 
drivers airbag saved both of them. Pretty cool! Why the big deal about 
not wearing a seat belt... well, if you don't buckle up... insurance 
does NOT have to pay your medical bills. Quite often they will pay, then 
turn around a sue the driver under common sense laws (ditto for drunk 
driving, etc.). Learned early on you never fell asleep... but hit black 
ice, etc.

Keep in mind I worked in Germany, at Robert Bosch GmbH, from '86 till 
'90. So I find it interesting that everyone is just becoming aware of 
the dataloggers in vehicles (they've been around longer than you might 
be aware). I made up a "business accessory that would log distance and 
time"... idea was you would pull it out of the car once a week, dump the 
data to your computer for an excel spreadsheet. Used it on my own car, 
only to learn my spouse (now ex) was having an affair. :(

Tom

SPL311RDST@aol.com wrote:

I've been told that ford & gm actually **own** the box in your car too - 
& you can do nothing about it. I'm sure i'ts not easily "user-removed" 
!!!  (after forking out $30K, you'd think you actually would own the 
whole car- eh? - shades of Microsoft here ?!?!?)

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