Politician Grandstanding About Police Checkpoint App Results In Doubling Of Sales

from the schumer,-meet-streisand dept

We mentioned, recently, Senator Chuck Schumer's misinformed grandstanding against a mobile app that alerts people to where police checkpoints are located, as he put pressure on both Google and Apple to block the app, despite the app not breaking the law anywhere. A few other Senators joined Schumer in this grandstanding effort... and all it seems to have done is double the sale of the app. Apparently, having Senators think you're an abomination is good for sales.
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Filed Under: censorship, chuck schumer, dui checkpoints


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  • icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 7:41am

    Excellent.

    It's always good to see the law of unintended consequences working as, um, intended...

    Nothing like some shouty publicity from short-sighted politicians to help Streisand your app into the black.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Don, 20 May 2011 @ 7:50am

    I have never seen a country that gets its members of government so up in arms about everything. I can see the U.S. turning into a dictatorship before long.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Jay (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 10:45am

      Re:

      Before long?

      Have you seen the Patriot Act?

      PROTECT IP?

      The death of the 4th Amendment? Coming soon to a state near you?

      It's safe to say that we just haven't realized how dictatorial a two party system could be.

      It makes me almost want to quote Niccolo Machiavelleli...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Michial Thompson, 20 May 2011 @ 11:17am

      Re:

      The United States *IS* already a dictatorship. The problem isn't what we are, the problem is that no one come into this country and seized control. This country voted to hand over control, so we still call it a democracy.

      No country can be ruled iron fisted by one person, even the worst of the dictators could not control the country alone. In our case it's congress that dictates our lives. In other countries its called something else. is all.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Pips, 20 May 2011 @ 11:49am

      Re:

      I have never seen a country that gets its members of government so up in arms about everything. I can see the U.S. turning into a dictatorship before long.



      Because if they didn't it would look like they're doing nothing. Most laws aren't passed with good intentions, they're passed because the politicians have to look like they're doing something. They want to keep their jobs like anyone else, they want to get paid and retire with nice benefits. Like any other job, you appear to look like you're doing nothing, you get let go.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2011 @ 7:51am

    Um, the cops always broadcast that shit all over the news, which has always baffled me. I'm all for checkpoints, but why would they tell everybody where they were so drunk drivers can avoid them?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Richard (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 7:58am

      Re:

      why would they tell everybody where they were so drunk drivers can avoid them?
      If you're drunk enough then having the information isn't going to help -

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2011 @ 7:59am

      Re:

      Because in some states (Ohio for sure) they are required by law to do so.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      PRMan, 20 May 2011 @ 8:00am

      Re:

      Ratings

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Pickle Monger (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 8:04am

      Re:

      In Quebec, the location of red-light and speed cameras are on various gov't web sites. And the areas with speed trap cameras have the appropriate signage on the roads. And the police still get millions of dollars in fines. JUst the other day a friend of mine was saying that he knew there was a camera but he was stressed out and didn't slow down... $400 +/-...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      umccullough (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 10:07am

      Re:

      Because the primary point of checkpoints are to prevent people from drinking and driving in the first place - if they know they're likely to encounter one, they are probably less likely to drink and drive.

      Sometimes people just need a reminder that what they're about to do is not only dangerous, but also illegal, and they're gonna go to jail if they get caught.

      The people who are gonna do it anyway probably won't care.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Doug D (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 10:31am

      Re:

      In my opinion, there are two reasons:

      1) It's the law and they're required to. The reason for the law is ...
      2) The whole point is to keep people from driving drunk. The cops are trying to keep you off the road by advertising heavy enforcement. They want to catch the drunks but they would rather there be fewer drunks in the first place.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    kcritter46, 20 May 2011 @ 8:00am

    We are owners of the constitution and the law. We pay them to enforce it, sadly they break the constitution in the name of protecting us daily. It is time that someone with some smarts has finally found a way to watch them for a change. More apps. and devices should be created giving back to the citizens the opportunity to police them for a change. Thank you to the creator of this application and shame on a law maker who would try to outlaw or ban the app.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      DannyB (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 8:32am

      Re:

      They can just patent the constitution and then, despite your ownership, can sue you whenever you protest or otherwise attempt to exercise your rights.

      Patent infringement!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Pickle Monger (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 8:08am

    "A few other Senators joined Schumer in this grandstanding effort... and all it seems to have done is double the sale of the app. Apparently, having Senators think you're an abomination is good for sales."

    There's an old joke:
    A robber stops a man and says:
    - Give me your money!
    - How dare you?! I'm a United States Senator!
    - In that case, give me my money!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2011 @ 8:54am

      Re:

      I think that joke went more like

      "Give me your money"
      "You can't take my money, I'm an IRS agent"
      "In that case, give me my money"

      Then again, I'm sure different variants exist.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Matthew A. Sawtell, 20 May 2011 @ 8:12am

    Hm... Short Memory Time Here?

    Remember Al Gore and Company getting there collective butts handled to them (by who Dee Snider actually said was the sickest headbanger of all) John Denver about Government Mandated Lables on Record Album Covers?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2011 @ 8:16am

      Re: Hm... Short Memory Time Here?

      If it's good enough for Frank Zappa, it's good enough for me.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 May 2011 @ 8:51am

    "Apparently, having Senators think you're an abomination is good for sales."

    So you're saying that this is nothing more than an intentional marketing campaign? Maybe the app developers secretly paid these senators to help them advertise their aps?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    techturf (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 11:24am

    The real question is....

    where can you get this for android?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Shawn Schmidt (profile), 20 May 2011 @ 1:56pm

    Press

    It's true what they say. There is no such thing as bad press.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dale Dijkstra, 20 May 2011 @ 11:11pm

    Shocking

    Senator Chuckie Schumer engaging in misinformed grandstanding? I'm shocked! I'm surprised! I'm apoplectic!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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