License plate scanner will bust people with overdue library books

Car towing companies are as bad as garbage truck companies. (Want irrefutable proof? Here's a damage-causing tow truck driver caught on camera, and here's a damage-causing garbage truck driver with photographic evidence of his wanton disregard for other people's property.)

Now, tow truck companies have a new way to make money. They drive around with a setup called Bootfinder. The system consists of a digital camera, character recognition software, and a laptop with a database that has information tagged to license plates. The tow truck drivers cruise around streets, scanning plates, looking for people who haven't paid various city fees and taxes. When the the laptop beeps, they hitch the car to the truck and tow it away.

According to Forbes, Arlington county in Virginia "has found a new task for its surveillance camera: Starting in March it plans to use the BootFinder to nab people who are on the county's rolls for just about anything, from late park and recreation fees to overdue library books.

And according to thenewspaper.com ("A Journal of the Politics of Driving) "If the car's owner is listed as delinquent, the car can be towed -- and if the owner doesn't pay within 10 days the car is auctioned." Link