fascism!
i've gotten in trouble for speeding in a government owned vehicle. the GPS caught me and told my boss.

also: i, for one, welcome our GPS overlords.

So, let me get this straight. We are pissing and moaning about people getting caught using their employer's (here it's Uncle Sam) property to help them shirk work. Do I have that right? Now, I never, ever want to hear these people piss and moan about the government misspending our tax dollars, because that's exactly what's going on here.

@2trips:

You were speeding. In a government owned vehicle. Isn't speeding, you know, illegal where you live?

@BSAKat: well techically, yeah.
but...

From the article...

"The Teamsters are negotiating more contracts that protect workers from being spied on or punished as a result of the devices, union spokeswoman Leslie Miller said. She said the union's tentative contract with United Parcel Service prevents the company from firing any employee for a first offense uncovered by GPS unless there is proof of intent to defraud."

--

Thank god the teamsters are on it! Evil corporations and godless government entities are now making it so lazy slobs can't go to the bar, go home and sleep or even use company property to make an extra buck!

Cmon, no one likes to be spied on. What happened to the honor system??

My government vehicle has those, my bosses are pretty forgiving of my going a little over the limit. The whole thing doesn't really bother me. Though, I would be concerned if there was some sort of camera watching my every move.

I used to work with someone before we had the GPS who would drive from one end of the city to the other to rack up mileage, then goof off the rest of the shift.

14,000 gallons saved in a three month period by just government employees in Islip? I call bullshit.

And I call slippery slope. Tomorrow, we'll all have these in our private vehicles, as a condition of having a driver's license and insurance.

@Trick: You said it better than I did. Excellent use of sarcasm. I endorse this product and/or service.

@etang: who needs insurance?

@etang: They are already doing this. Albeit as of now, its voluntary. But the infrastructure is there now to implement it without your consent.

In order to get lower insurance rates, a buddy of mine let his insurance company install a GPS tracker on his car for a few weeks. His rates are a bit lower, but i still wouldnt trust it.

Oh man, government workers are some of the largest abusers of resources. I remember working for an outfit that delivered equipment to a large institution: Need a ride home buddy? Lets take the van while I am still on the clock! 30 miles? No problem!

14,000 gallons? Believe it. This is not to mention the employee clock time.

Basically, from my experience, you either have to restrict a resource, monitor the heck out of it, or it will be abused like crazy. Don't believe me? Try working in a government institution that does not monitor internet usage... the motto is: "Well, the work can always get done later, and I am still getting paid."

What has made America a good place to live is the fact that our work isn't nitpicked and we can have our own time to relax (as a substitute for the 6 weeks of vacation they get in most of Europe). Now they are taking that away, and this is going to turn us into burned-out robots with a suicide rate much higher than Japan's. The culprit of the high suicide rate over there? Overworking.

Accountability in government? I've never heard of such a thing. As far as private vehicles go, I'm law abiding 98.7% of the time. I'd just as well keep that 1.3% to myself, thank you.

Here's the deal why they do this. If you're speeding when driving a car during work and get into an accident, your company will get sued along with you, they are culpable for it. They are responsible for pretty much anything you do while on the clock, even if driving your own car. It's a huge legal responsibility they carry so yeah, they have a right to keep tabs. Since government agencies don't actually have to be profitable like a real business, many government workers game the system since the tax dollars will pay them anyway.

I know people at the postal service who get their runs done, go home for 2-3 hours, then go into work to finish their shift and report in. Sorry but we all have to work for a living...