However, some technology has great potential for good.
Consider the video image capture devices (or "cameras" as I believe they used to be known) prevalent in cars nowadays. Over the last 10 years "facial imaging" software has grown from a specialist professional thing to become commonplace in even the most basic camera phone. Number plate recognition, which once seemed almost magic, is now old hat and used in many car parks. Cutting edge research is now taking things one step further into software capable of recognising human facial expressions and gestures.
So here's my idea.
All cars should have a camera on board which operates all the time the engine is running. When you are in a queue of traffic and you decide (out of human decency) to let another car in from a side street, the camera is able to detect the expression and gestures of the other driver.
If they make eye contact, smile, wave and do a Paul McCartney double thumbs up, then all is well.
If they calmly drive out in front of you staring firmly ahead with a sense of entitlement (or even if they merely lift one finger off their steering wheel), then your camera will detect this and read their number plate. This data will be forwarded over 3G/4G to the area traffic police who will track down this driver, summarily confiscate their vehicle and leave them to walk home.
In a spirit of schadenfreude a video of the police action will be forwarded to your email account to be enjoyed at leisure.
No, don't thank me....
8 comments:
This simply wouldn't work in our area...no one lets anyone out (or in), and people from side turnings, etc simply force their way into the main road....leaving everyone looking po-faced in the driving seats of their Range Rovers. Suggest it might be well suited to Tunbridge Wells.
I assume you must have been involved in an incident to inspire this post?!?! It winds me up when I don't get a thank you or someone pushes in - I then just hope that person gets a puncture and it starts to rain!
Nota: I'm assuming that it is a gold jeep pushing in from the side
Al: Manners don't cost anything do they. Although my penalty suggestion may be a tad Draconian...
When someone blanks me in this way after I've been so considerate, I do a big smile and make extravagant 'thank you so much' gestures to them. I've no idea whether they appreciate the sarcasm, but it makes me feel nicely smug.
An excellent suggestion.
I hope The Powers that Be follow it up.
In my driving days around Tunbridge Wells I often used to count the number of smiles and waves I could get in one day. I ignored the other gestures.
Hang on, around here everyone thanks each other. Sometimes, a driver will even wave to thank someone for waving thanks to him. Or her. And pedestrians thank drivers for stopping at crossings.
Yagnub is clearly the grateful capital of East Angular.
Please allow me at least to apologise for not thanking you Rog.
My only excuse is that it seemed more polite to accord with your expressed wish than to maintain the proper civilities contrary to them.
In any case I have never entertained the least shred of epicaricacy.
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