Yet another GPS tracking system lets parents check on kids

Parents who want to use GPS to track their teenage kids' driving habits now have another option from Atlanta-based Discrete Wireless, which primarily makes similar tracking systems for trucking fleets. Like most other tracking systems, Discrete's Marcus lets parents retrieve data via a web site, email, or cellphone, and can provide alerts based on pre-defined parameters like speed-limit infractions or visits to off-limits locales. We can sympathize with parents who are jittery about what their kids are doing in the car, but we also suspect that this will end up being a golden opportunity for teenage hackers who will figure out how to send false data to the system, or at the very least, get it to "malfunction" whenever they're breaking the rules.

[Fabulo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

You can trust your kids to foster responsible behaviours. This also lets them make their own mistakes. Or you can teach them they can't be trusted by shoving one of those device up their butt. It also give them an appreciation for the privacy they don't have.

[Dee Kupe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

This is perfect - a perfect false sense of security for the parents.
PARENT: Where are you going?
CHILD: To the Mall to go to a movie.
PARENT: OK, have fun.
CHILD (to friend): Hey Bob, meet me at the mall, let's take your car to the party at Chip's house!

Dumb idea - until you make it into a RFID chip you inject into your child! ;)

[Google Nazi @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

If you can't trust your child then you haven't done a good job parenting. GPS should be placed into people or objects just to be recoverable. For instance if you get kidnapped, or your car gets stolen. I agree with Fabulo on this one. Hell, Even Dee Kupe for the great plan ;)

[Cedric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

I feel pretty damn sorry for any kid whose parents are spying on him 24/7. I mean if you cant trust your kid to drive, why give him a freakin car?

and this whole system probably costs 2 grand anyways...

[Sean Foushee @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

None of you apparently have children.

[eMarrs @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

I am of the few kids who bought their own car. Sure, its in my moms name for cheaper insurance, but there is no taking it away from me. No asking me to do you a favor and mow the lawn for free, none of that. For all you parents, I say, buy your kid a car and they will be under your thumb.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Trust is earned not gifted to children. Earned with patterns of good behavior. This item is a tool. The parent decides how to use the tool, based on sound reasoning, and expeience with this single child. The tool works.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Trust is earned not gifted to children. Earned with patterns of good behavior. This item is a tool. The parent decides how to use the tool, based on sound reasoning, and expeience with this single child. The tool works.

[sideoutteam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

apparently you (sean foushee) do and have no control. Read Orwells 1984 then talk to your kids..

[aprodite @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

If I lend my car to anyone (even my own kids) I'd like to know that it's only gone where they said they would take it. If they take it somewhere else, it means they can't be trusted and they won't get to borrow my car again. If they have a valid reasonable excuse for diverting from the "Official Route" then I'd have to consider the circumstances.

I want one of these today!

[James Nichols @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Insurance companies base their premiums on statistics. That is why premiums for 16-20 year old drivers are over 300% higher than those of 35-45. The 16-20 age group has 3 times the accidents, injuries and deaths as the 35-35 age group. The last time I checked, there was no question on the insurance form for "Do you trust your teen? If you do we'll lower your rates." Read "Motor Vehicle Accident and Death Statistics 1975-2004" then talk to your parents.

[PDubNYC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

#6, since when is mowing the lawn for free a favor? Your parents raised you, clothed you, and fed you, and now you don't feel like doing such chores is a small price to pay? you sound like one lazy, ungrateful, self-centered little sh*t. you should be embarrassed.

Don't worry, your parents won't track you, they probably don't care where you are.

[aprodite @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

#10 PDubNYC

Excellent response, reminds me of a comedy skit I saw once (or was it a country & western song) where some kid gives his mom an invoice for taking out the trash, mowing the lawn etc. The mom kept quiet, but a few hour later she presented him with an invoice for nappy changes, food, clothes, rent, school fees, etc. I don't think that kid'll be complaining about chores again.

Back on topic, it's MY car, if you aren't happy with me tracking it, then feel free to go an buy your own. If you borrow MY car, then you play/Drive by MY rules. Oh, and if you want to use MY name to get cheaper insurance, it'll cost ya! ;)

[bruce @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

wow... If my parent had bought something like that, I would have felt honor-bound to mess that thing up the first chance I got.
I have to say, if you're still trying to regulate a person's life when they're old enough to drive _alone_ (about 17 in my state), you _really_ screwed up the early years.

[#13 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

So your saing that if you have kids it will be near impossible to raise them properly? No that is untrue. If you raise them right, raise him/her in the right manner there wont be any problem. Its hard to do so but you can't just expect that to happen overnight. Learn to be a better parent and have plans and learn about children before you even decide on having a child. If you still can't trust your kids then you simply suck at being a parent. (And don't you blame it on video games, movies, and school)

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

Lets focus more on tech rather than parenting. Parenting is one individuals choise. Most people won't agree. Let me set an example. "Woah, what a cool system!"

[strider_mt2k @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

I'm glad they didn't have this when I was growing up.
I talked my buddy into taking his dad's AMC Concorde off-road, and we had a GREAT time.
(Nothing harsh, but got fairly deep into the woods.)

I don't think his dad found out, either.

[granny down east @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

I'm glad it wasn't around when I was a kid either (the 50s).

We took my buddy David McClure's dad's boat to the Bahamas and were gone for a couple days.

When we got back there was hell to pay, I assure you.

[perry @ Dec 19th 2005 1:36AM]

I see this as good way to help mentally disabled and the handicapped, not track teenagers. And besides, I know my car mechanic by name and could have him take it out. Its pretty simple to detect a signal going out, and then you can get a good enough idea to find it.

besides, a teenager has to learn indepence, not codepence, this only suggests parents should be their 24/7 to deal with all the kiddies problems.

my mom lets me make mistakes, within reason. I could understand her not wanting me to own fire arms but to track my car? thats stupid, especially because as an AP student I can leave school whenever I feel its time to leave, and my mom would get a bazillion emails and just start ignoring them.

another thing, as odd as this may sound to some of you, there are places in texas where you literally have to go over 80 to not have the police tailgate you.