10-30-2005, 05:48 AM
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Lojacking Your Kids
Being cops, my husband and I see a lot of statistics - and the faces that go with those statistics. When I told my husband that when it was time for our son to go to school, we were going to get a gps tracking device for him, my husband never flinched. There are actually some great products out there that can give you instant satellite images of wherever your kid is. How do you feel about this? Do you think it is an invasion of your child's privacy or an understandable safety/security measure?
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10-30-2005, 06:10 AM
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It depends on whether you're doing it for safety reasons, such as concern over possible kidnappings, or if you're doing it to spy on what your kids are doing.
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10-30-2005, 06:26 AM
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I think it is a great idea for a little kid. But where would you attach the device? Children remove clothing at school for gym, or if it is soiled and they have a clean set stored.
For a grade schooler, you would need to make him aware of it and make sure that he took some responsibility for it. No way with a teen. But you could track their car without them knowing if you were concerned.
I don't think any of this is completely goof proof for kids.
Off the subject a bit, I do know one used car dealer who lojacked a car he let his girlfriend use and confirmed she was cheating on him. He realized that the car at the address where she had gone belonged to the guy she was cheating with - he did a little digging and found that the guy was behind on his loan (which he could have predicted, since this was an ex boyfriend, and a real lowlife who sponged off everyone). He bought the loan, had the satisfaction of calling the guy to tell him the repo man was there, gave the guy a chance to pay. When the guy wouldn't pay and cussed him out, he repo'd the car. Then he confronted the girlfriend and broke up with her.
Ah yes. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
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10-30-2005, 07:03 AM
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Originally Posted by mcmama
Ah yes. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The repo man is a cute story. Instant karma, so to speak.
As for Kevin's question, a teen can be kidnapped just as easily as a smaller child. There are actually cellphones that have gps trackers installed. Everybody has a cellphone nowadays, so would it be all that wrong to have one for each member of your family? I wouldn't have any problem with my husband tracking me. (Of course, we're such intel weenies that we'd probably get far too great a kick out of having the services of a tracking satellite!) I know there are people who might think this is a civil liberties issue (even though it is just within the family) so I'm a bit interested in the different takes people might have on this.
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10-30-2005, 10:09 PM
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How do you avoid kids giving you the slip, or losing the tracking device? I don't think it is a civil liberties issue - if it is, then those people who harness toddlers are in big trouble. You are keeping track of your kid.
I just don't see how it works logistically for kids. They lose stuff.
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10-31-2005, 12:46 AM
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Originally Posted by cocotbo
The repo man is a cute story. Instant karma, so to speak.
As for Kevin's question, a teen can be kidnapped just as easily as a smaller child. There are actually cellphones that have gps trackers installed. Everybody has a cellphone nowadays, so would it be all that wrong to have one for each member of your family? I wouldn't have any problem with my husband tracking me. (Of course, we're such intel weenies that we'd probably get far too great a kick out of having the services of a tracking satellite!) I know there are people who might think this is a civil liberties issue (even though it is just within the family) so I'm a bit interested in the different takes people might have on this.
Most cellphones made in the last 10 years or so (i.e just about every cell phone in use) has gps built in so that 911 can track you (and if you wear a tin foil hat, so that uncle sam can, too).
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10-31-2005, 04:48 AM
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great for tough kids
As a teacher, I've had many students with the device. They are wayward children, who have been in trouble with the law, though. I don't know if I've ever had a kid with a lojack that a parent used to monitor him. I might be up for it, if I was worried about the kid.
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10-31-2005, 06:25 AM
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Well, I've only seen them so far on little clip-on plush toys and in cellphones. I expect they may get a bit more sophisticated as the years go by. A tracking device in a shoe would be nice...
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10-31-2005, 10:52 AM
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Anyone remember the scare back in the 50's and 60's with the military putting chips in people to track them? Hmmm... maybe not a bad idea. The whole bar code thing.
In kidnappings it would be nice- easy to find the kid, unless the kidnapper hacks it out of the kid and then where's that leave you? It's like the microchips in animals now...
I am for and against... but then I am kind of out there in thinking...
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10-31-2005, 04:37 PM
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Originally Posted by OrganizedChaosMom
In kidnappings it would be nice- easy to find the kid, unless the kidnapper hacks it out of the kid and then where's that leave you? It's like the microchips in animals now...
I am for and against... but then I am kind of out there in thinking...
 ! Funny, I was thinking of the chip I have to get for my dog and thought - wouldn't it be great if we could chip our kids? It was just a thought. Might be going a little to far...
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