🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sun, 03 Oct 1999 02:43:32 -0400, Edsel Chase
<starswirler@geocities.com> wrote:

>Shiva Nataraja wrote:
>> 
>> On Sat, 02 Oct 1999 03:02:52 -0400, Edsel Chase
>> <starswirler@geocities.com> wrote:
>> 
>> >Many years ago i came up with an idea for transponder-
>> >controlled traffic lights
>> 
>> TRANSPONDER controlled? You mean I need a transponder in my car to
>> make the light turn green for me?
>
>I originated the idea with emergency vehicles in mind; however, 
>there *is* potential application for personal vehicles

Can you elaborate on what you had in mind?

>-- and  these may involve the "radar mile" principle -- 

What's the "radar mile" principle?

>> >-- at last watch, Atlanta
>> >and some California cities are trying them out --
>> 
>> Which CA cities? I want to know which places to avoid...
>
>Would you please explain why you seem to be turned off by 
>the idea? -- 

To me, a "transponder" conjures up the small box you place on yourn
dashboard to enable you to use the special "fast track" lanes on the
tollway where you don't have to stop and pay the toll with pocket
change - as you drive at full freeway speed through the tollgate, the
transponder in your car responds to a brief radio message from the
toll gate with a response burst indicating its ID number. The ID
number is looked up in a database and the driver's account is debited
for the amount of the toll. Vehicles without these transponders are
unable to use the "fast track" lanes.

This suggested to me that all vehicles would need to be equipped with
a transponder device in order for the intersection signals to detect
their presence; without a transponder, the intersection would not know
you were there and presumably might not turn green fot you. This would
be a ridiculous system to say the least.

Even if it were cost-effective and logistically feasible to equip
EVERY vehicle with a radio transponder, the Orewllian overtones would
still have many people, including myself, opposed to the idea.