- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated December 26, 2012 at 12:16 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
I thought I’d put this on the main board.
Background. My city, a large one, has recently (last year) passed a by-law requiring residents to clear the snow from the front of their houses. They also set up for volunteers called Snow Angels, to clear the snow for the elderly, which an age 82 I suppose includes me. While chatting on line with city Hall, which is having a hard time finding angels, it was mentioned that the city sidewalk inspectors would not ticket me because I’d registered.
Now as I mentioned my city is large and it rather shatterd me that they’d employ inspectors to patrol the whole city.
Thinking about this later, and having read a few articles on drones I began towonder how long it would be before drones were patrolling city streets for by-law infractions. Small drones could easily fly along sidewalks. (By the way, I read a story with similar things to drones being used with idsasterous reaults some forty years ago.)
Then I saw this, this morning. How long do you think it will be before robots (not quite as envisioned in the movies) will be patrolling your fictional world?
If you consider vidcams at traffic intersections it’s already happening. I imagine you will see tons of automated surveillance in the near future. Too much as far as I’m concerned.
I think Eureka had an episode about this somewhere…
Though honestly, let’s look at all that happened in “1984” and see how close we’re coming to that, because the sense you’re getting tells me a lot more people will see the quiet yet steady steps we’re taking in that direction.
I believe my state already has the “clean your own sidewalk” rule, but we don’t have inspectors or drones checking on us. Most times, it becomes a neighbor helping neighbor type thing around us. Gives the community a chance to come together.
Of course, as close as I am to one of the Navy’s test facilities, I may see drones checking my streets sooner rather than later. :cheer:
I really don’t think this can end well. What happens when these things malfuction? And they will malfunction. And I don’t care how “secure” they are, someone will figure out how to hack them. And, as I just pointed out in a conversation with someone this morning, it doesn’t matter that relatively few people would even want to hack them – because the very people who do want to are the ones you least want doing it…
There are so many plot bunnies running around here right now, I can’t even figure which direction to go to chase one. 😆
Of course here in the UK you can end up in court if you do try to clear the snow…
Justin wrote:If you consider vidcams at traffic intersections it’s already happening. I imagine you will see tons of automated surveillance in the near future. Too much as far as I’m concerned.Of course, in Montana, it will be Robo-cows. And then, going to Wandering Author’s worry, what happens when somebody hacks them. :unsure:
astropolis wrote:Of course here in the UK you can end up in court if you do try to clear the snow…Here’s that problem and I don’t think it’s just the UK.
Sometimes It’s hard getting rid of the ice. I have a large tree outside, the snow clings to it. Then there comes a slight thaw and the snow drops and freezes leaving blobs of ice on the sidewalk/pavement. Salt helps some. Grit is hard to come by here.
Why do you get in trouble for clearing the snow?
Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
~*~
Member since 1998.
~*~Ashe wrote:Why do you get in trouble for clearing the snow?The trouble, it seems, comes when there are small patches of thin snow remaining after the clearing that cling to the surface that has been cleared. These turn to ice and somebody slips on one, falls and injures themself and sues. It’s a civil matter.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.