Seen + Heard: It's Snow Easy to Use GPS

March 1, 2009 By: Tracy Cozzens GPS World

It’s Snow Easy to Use GPS

The Cincinnati, Ohio, City Council is investigating a way for residents to track snowplows using GPS, so they know when snowplows will clear their streets, reported WCPO-TV. The city already tracks 48 of its 80 snowplows, which were installed with tracking devices in 2005.

Under the plan, residents could go online and see, in real time, where the trucks are and when they plan to plow their street. The system would also allow people to know where snow, slush, and ice are causing problems. In addition, soon-to-be-installed police cameras would show users road conditions around the city.

Georgia Bill Would Ban Hidden Trackers

A proposed bill is in the Georgia Legislature to outlaw GPS tracking devices, reported WSB-TV. Rep. Kevin Levitas wrote the legislation to protect Georgians. The bill provides exceptions for parents tracking children, cops tracking criminals, and employers watching their vehicles, but not private investigators.

“I think you or I need to be able to go to the shopping center, get a carton of eggs, and not have to check under our car to see if someone placed a tracking device,” said Levitas. “I think the legislation’s good so any John Doe person can’t walk into a store, buy a GPS, and throw it on someone’s car, just because they want to know where someone is.”Private investigators, who make routine use of GPS trackers in their work, have been left out, and are fighting to get their own exemption written in.

Scouting for Fire Hydrants

A group of Eagle Scouts used GPS to pinpoint the location of every fire hydrant in Bridgewater, New Jersey — more than 1,300 of them, reports the town’s Courier News. Now, when firefighters are on their way to an incident, they know which way will have the best access to water.

“When you’re responding to a call, you generally have two directions to chose. Often there is a hydrant 100 feet to the right of a house versus 1,000 feet to the left. I’d rather drop 100 feet of hose instead of 1,000 feet,” said former fire chief Kevin Driscoll.

Global Pops System

Contributing Editor Richard Langley takes note of how GPS awareness has popped up in pop music:

“Although there are many references to GPS on TV and in the movies these days, we know that GPS has really made it into mainstream (youth?) culture when it shows up in pop tune lyrics! Lately on the drive to and from work, I’ve been occasionally listening to BBC Radio 1 via Sirius satellite radio. Pop music isn’t my favourite genre, but you have to keep up with the students or end up being referred to as an ‘old fogey.’ One of their currently played hits is Spaceman by the American rock group “The Killers” — a silly song about being abducted by aliens, but in it we find the lyrics:

My global position systems are vocally addressed;

They say the Nile used to run from east to west,

They say the Nile used to run... from east to west.

“Then there’s a song entitled GPS by the group The Black Heart Procession, an indie rock band from San Diego. I’m sure there might be a few more references to GPS in the music world (besides the U.K. group GPS, but the letters come from the band members’ initials.)”

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