There is a company out there that is going head-to-head with several airports when it comes to parking, and that includes Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. PreFlight Airport Parking presents itself as a discount option to the parking offered by the airports and offers some little extras like free newspapers and a Free Parker Program. Locally, PreFlight has a lot off Stoney Run Road near BWI?s car rental returns. That makes it convenient, but not as convenient as the daily lots offered (at a higher fee) by the airports. It sounds like a good idea, but I have to wonder how successful it will be at an airport like BWI that has put so much effort into its parking facilities. Maybe if PreFlight?s shuttles run more regularly.
Jay certainly picked up on the underlying personal security concerns arising from a plan in Oregon to use GPS devices to tell how many miles one drives, then tax drivers based on that. He wrote: “If any state moves forward on using any type of tracking device on any privately owned vehicle (non-government), I would wonder if that violates … our rights. For the government to track our miles then tax us on it, should be considered some sort ok invasion of our privacy.
“The lawmakers in Oregon have to consider the violation of my rights to go where I want and can NEVER use my black box to locate me or my vehicle WITHOUT my permission. They also have to take into consideration that they have to have a darn good GPS tracking system so the citizens are not in any way, shape or form taxed on miles that are not under state control. If I am doing all Baltimore City driving and do not put a wheel on I-95, I-395 or I-895, I better not get taxed by the state using a black-box tracking system. I have used GPS and know for a fact that not all of them are 100 percent accurate. Someone should remind all states of that fact as well.”
Got that right, Jay, and that?s exactly why groups like the Electronic Privacy Information Center that are concerned about electronic privacy are watching this situation so closely.
Transportation questions? Thoughts, comments, random musings? Do you have an idea how to make Baltimore?s commute a little easier for everyone? Write to Steve at [email protected].
