Howzabout…

By now most folks have seen the hanging, glow-in-the-dark trunk releases that are meant to allow people forced into a trunk to escape. Certainly a step in the right direction versus the old “kick-out-the-tail-light-and-wave” option, but hardly 21st century. It is scary enough to think this device was warranted in the first place, but just imagine the scenario if it was actually used. There is probably no way to know for sure if the kidnapper is nearby to risk sneaking out, and if the car is moving the option is hardly any better. Since a job worth doing is a job worth doing well, it is time for the next iteration of this safety device to be developed.

The Problem
Opening a trunk lid is only the beginning of an escape from a kidnapping. Should the attempt to flee be foiled, the attacker will likely be all the more dangerous. If a panic-induced attempt is made while the car is moving, the end result could be tragic for many reasons.

The Opportunity
Enhance the practical functionality of an in-trunk “panic button” by utilizing increased digital connectivity to tap into a large network of possible rescuers.

The Insight
A locked trunk keeps a would-be aggressor out as much as it keeps a kidnap victim in. By switching perspective in this way, the safer option of staying put, alerting the outside world, and awaiting help is created.

The Execution
Link into the automobile’s central electronics systems controls from inside the trunk and allow for a digital SOS to be broadcast. The trunk could be locked to any outside entry attempt until an override was authorized. Flashers and an insistent horn could drive away the kidnapper(s).

The Selling Point
As usual, peace of mind benefit and a bit of “you-never-know” insurance.

The Incidental Benefits
Once the shift is made to incorporate more recording capabilities into on-board technologies, much data could be captured for the use of authorities to solve and prosecute crimes or to aid rescue workers in their efforts. The height and weight of occupants, voice imprints and video images from inside the car cabin, and external camera feeds are all examples of information that could assist in locating criminals or victims in many diverse emergency situations.

Dear Chairman Majoras:

Once issued, U.S. passports are sent by regular mail and cannot be tracked. This is astonishing to me. For a long period of time I was under the impression that my newly issued passport and an original copy of my birth certificate were in a single envelope lost in the mail delivery system. Talk about an identity theft Starter Kit!

In my case it turned out the letter was lost in the internal shuffle of the Passport Services Office and eventually found its way to me (well over a year later), but it could have ended up in the wrong hands easily. Multiple calls and emails to my various government representatives yielded nothing but shrugged shoulders. Supposedly the Postmaster General was notified directly of my situation, but the answer remained the same: a passport can’t be tracked once it leaves the processing center.

One does have the option to request expedited shipping with tracking, but unfortunately I didn’t opt for that. When I suggested to one of the various bureaucrats I encountered that certified mail be required of all applications, it was explained to me that it wouldn’t be fair for the government to compel people to spend the extra money. In this instance it seems as though the United States Postal Service could make arrangements to absorb that cost in the interest of national security.

This terrific oversight must be rectified.