Nowadays, almost everyone has a
GPS. As you drive down the highways and
back roads, just about every car you see has one attached to the
windshield. Some newer models of cars come
with the GPS as either a standard feature or an option. A GPS doesn’t only tell you how to get where
you’re going; it also tells you when you should be arriving. If one of the roads you need is closed, or
if traffic is unusually heavy, the GPS will tell you which detour to take. For these reasons, I’m addicted to my GPS,
just like millions of other people.
Yes, the GPS is a huge part of
our lives, but do we ever think about how we can be risking our safety by using
it? Think of all the information about
you that a criminal can get just by looking through your GPS’s “Favorite
Places”. Below is a scenario that is
played over and over all over the country:
You just got a promotion at your
job. Along with this came a very large
raise, so, to celebrate, you and your husband go out for a night on the
town. Your first stop is that new
nightclub that opened a few weeks ago because a band that you both love is
playing there. You know the address, but aren’t sure how to
get there, so you program it into your GPS.
You get to the club and hand your car over to the valet so you don’t
have to walk unfamiliar streets to find it later. If you have an in-dash GPS, it’s all but
forgotten, but if you have a portable GPS, you stash it in the glove box so
it’s out of sight.
Maybe your husband comments about
the band and how long it’s been since you’ve both been to one of their
concerts. You tell him that you can’t
wait and will savor every minute until the club closes and you are forced to
leave. During this conversation, the
valet has heard every word. He also
noticed where you put your portable GPS, or that you didn’t turn off your
in-dash GPS. Who is this person that you
just handed your car to? Does he have a
criminal background? Well, whoever this
person is, he now knows your plans for the entire evening.
The valet is doing a quick scan
of your keys as you are walking into the club.
He notices that you are like thousands of others who keep their house
keys on the same key ring as your car key.
He then takes your car and parks it.
He reaches for your GPS and scans your list of “Favorite Places”. He hits the jackpot when he sees an entry
listed as “Home”.
