Still no Navigator transmitter

I just got a comment today on my earlier post on this topic, which reminded me that I haven't updated my blog.

So, contrary to Abbott's promises, I still - almost two months past the event - have not received a replacement transmitter. The help line, while being very nice about it, are mum about the problem. It seems like I am not the only one, either; many users of the Navigator are lacking either a transmitter or received, and have no idea of why.

My control has deteriorated rapidly since then, and my overall physical well-being as well. I have gained over 6 lbs just from the excess calories dealing with repeat low blood sugar events, not to mention the seeping depression I am not fighting due to this. Abbott, as a company, should be deeply ashamed of this, but of course, nobody there gives a damn about patients.

However, since this is a medical device, I think there might be cause for class-action. I am exploring this avenue.

Two out of three aint bad

Just received the notice from California Supreme Court, Walnut Creek.

I have, after all, been found not guilty of excessive speeding.

This marks the second successful complete reversal of a speeding ticket I have been able to attain, out of three attempts in less than 18 months, by utilizing all the options that the law affords me to defend myself. In both cases I went for maximum extensions, then filed my defense through a trial by written declaration. In the third case, by the way, I received a reduced offense (and saved about $600 in the process).

Not too shabby. I look forward to getting my $380 back from the Contra Costa country treasurer. That will pay for the radar detector I just bought (finally!).

I do have to say though; fighting these things is more than worth the hassle. And it can be fun too.

Well done, Dems. Now follow through in November.

First of all, from this one insignificant voter: well done, folks. This was more than historic. It was also admirable. Politicians with the courage to do something? what a novel concept. Our president is truly a special human being, in his ability to drive a vision, and I doubt it could have been done without him. But it was still you folks - democratic senators and congressmen - who did it. Every army needs a great leader, but even a great leader can't win even the most minor battle without a great army.

Now your leader is showing you the way again: be bold. Use this. The fear mongering is now useless, because just like a panic, when the doors of the theater are finally closed, folks still inside tend to calm down and become a lot more rational in trying to figure out what to do next. The strong response from the "anti" camp? a classic panic response, on a national level. Now the law is passed, this will calm down. And I daresay, you will actually make gains in November. But only if you follow through, stare the "party of no" right in the eye, and stare them down. They have nothing to run on, remember. Repeal? I want to see them sell that message to the 32 million new voters you folks just gained, and to their families and friends.

Stand calm. Be proud. And radiate that confidence. You did good. And in the end, good triumphs over evil. Even they understand that.

Healthcare

I just want to say something, hours before Congress votes: if the dems don't find a way to pass healthcare legislation, I in turn refuse to vote for the senate and congress in the next election. Simple as that. And I do mean pass it, not just today's vote, but the subsequent one after the Senate messes around with it some more.

No way on earth is the republican party gaining my vote - not after having firmly established themselves in the past 12 months as the most obstinate group of whiners who want to further absolutely no causes just so they could happily point fingers come November. I am amazed that anyone should vote for them considering the way they have trod upon anything and everything in terms of their service to the people of this country. But populism is cheap and effective, whereas actually doing something requires vision, courage and determination.

Which brings me to democrats, who were handed the power and failed to use it, because they couldn't get their heads around thinking further than the next election. Sad, really. But they have a chance to prove themselves with this, and I hope they do. Otherwise, I will stay away from the polls. Who cares who wins then? the party who refuses to change anything on matter of principle, or the party who doesn't on matter of being chicken shits? either way, it means no change.

As for Obama... I will make one exception and vote from him (and no one else). For what it's worth, he is trying.

How to park at Oakland airport without paying - and some interesting security and privacy revelations

So I came back today from my weekly trip to LA. Got in my car, parked as always in OAK daily parking, and headed out. Inserted my ticket into the pay-by-credit-card machine, and... after a minute, it spat the card back at me saying a processing error occurred and that I should go to a cashier.

OK, been there before once or twice. Backed up and drove to a cashier.

This is where things became interesting.

The cashier takes the card, puts it in the machine, and waits. Then he closes the window and gets on the phone. I'm getting a little irritated at this point. I become a whole lot more so when he gets out of his booth to write down my license plate number, then gets back into the booth and gets on the phone again.

Five minutes later he opens the window and apologizes, saying there's a problem and he's waiting for them to tell him what to do. "What problem?" I demand. He says "the machine says it's a swap ticket".

A what now?

So somebody comes from the main office and they have a hushed discussion and then the machine finally displays a number - $374. Not bad for one and a half days of parking. I get really upset at this point.

More back and forth and it transpires that for some reason, their system has decided that my ticket wasn't mine, but somebody else's. I was angry by now, but then it hit me - I can treat this as a game. My goal - to inflict as much financial damage to OAK as I can in arguing my position, and as a secondary goal, I will get out tonight without paying.

Smiling to myself, my entire demeanor changes.

When the guy comes back (now 30 minutes into this ordeal) and says "look, just show us your itinerary and we'll honor the printed time stamp on the ticket", I look him back and say "oh no you don't. I have the itinerary right here on my screen" (covering it with my hand, having pulled it up on my laptop earlier expecting to have to show it) "but you won't get to see it until you promise me that if you are proven wrong in your false accusation of my honesty, I get to leave without paying".

I also wink at the cashier, to whom I have already shown the itinerary previously, and who is at this point completely on my side. I told him what I was doing and why; after all, I don't really care about paying because I expense it to the client, but rather it's a matter of principle. He liked it. So much in fact he said "I admire you for doing it, our system sucks".

It's rush hour at OAK, and there are long lines of car assembling at the other two cashier booths, not to mention all the messy maneuvering that is taking place with cars coming in and then backing out of our lane. I look the office person in the eye and tell him "I am now messing up traffic and freezing one third of your capacity to handle traffic by blocking this lane at your busiest evening hour. I urge you to consider this matter favorably quickly". He runs back to the office. I grin and wink at the cashier, enjoying myself thoroughly.

Eventually the guy comes out, comes over and almost begs "please show us the itinerary. We'll let you out for free". I instantly smile and show it to him. He says can you email it to me? I say "why don't I come to the office and print it out for you?". We do just that.

And that's when I finally understood the entire business of what was going on, and learned some very interesting things about security and privacy at OAK.

They tell me that the system says I got in on 2/22. They even show me a picture of my license player and an entry from that date.

Aha!

It's all very simple really. I park at OAK every week. Have you ever noticed that whenever you come in and go out, there is a big a spotlight that shines on your car for a second? and that there are cameras in every lane?

Well, guess what. It seems like our friends at the airport are using a system similar to the one Fastrak uses, where everyone coming in has their license plate pictured and noted in a database, and then matched up with the exit record when you put your ticket into the machine. That's how the "swap ticket" problem can exist; the parking system doesn't just rely on the information encoded on the magnetic stripe on the parking ticket, but rather matches it up with the database entry reflecting the related license plate.

Of course, if you have multiple recent entries... and the wrong one gets pulled up... you get a "swap ticket" warning.

Now this is a rather complex and expensive system to operate. So for them to invest all the money and effort into doing this means one of two things:

1) airport parking scams are costing them a lot (I highly doubt that this is true); or
2) they got homeland security funding to install the system so that our government can also have a record of all those license plates and entry/exit records.

Guess which of the two is more likely?

Oh, and I did get out for free.