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Living Digitally: The Free Market Paradox
I realized recently that there's an inherent paradox in the free market system: left to its own devices, the free market will create as little freedom as it possibly can.
The most obvious examples are the big famous monopolies like Standard Oil and AT&T , but this happens in much more subtle ways all the time. Here are just a few examples:
Cell phone companies. Why is it that all carriers require two year contracts? Why doesn't one company gain a competitive advantage over another by offering a one-year contract, or a six-month contract, or no contract at all? The answer is collusion . Maybe not the kind where men in expensive suits sit around smoking cigars and plotting, but there is clearly some kind of an "understanding" in the industry (which seems to have come about in response to number portability). As choices become more limited (exclusive handset deals, consolidation), I wouldn't be surprised to see three-year contracts become the standard like in Canada. Carriers get away with this because the costs of anyone new getting into the industry are prohibitively high. No single mobile phone service provider can act as a monopoly, but acting in collusion, they can very easily limit consumers' options, and apparently get away with it. Television providers. Not only do you have very little control over who provides your television/internet/phone service, but at least where I live, they are all starting to require contracts just like mobile phone carriers. As in the case of phone contracts, customers are expected to sign agreements with penalties before it's even possible to know how good the hardware and services are, and how they compare with the (limited) competition. Often the only recourse consumers have is switching to another product or service which these contracts are explicitly designed to prohibit. Alarm companies. Same story. Every one of them in my area requires a rather than a higher up-front cost. If you call them on the length...Pembroke Pines sets $100 fine for false alarms
With more than 13,000 false alarms a year, Pembroke Pines police say they waste their time -- and taxpayer money -- by responding.
Starting Thursday, the city will begin imposing hefty $100 fines each time police respond to an alarm that isn't a valid emergency.
``False alarms are a costly waste of taxpayers' money and a major public-safety concern as they divert police officers from real emergencies and delay the response time for more critical calls,'' Pembroke Pines police Sgt. John Gazzano wrote in a statement Monday.
It is a policy that is already on the books in most South Florida municipalities. Hollywood has had a false-alarm ordinance in place since 1972.
Until now, Pembroke Pines police have never charged homeowners or businesses whose security systems were falsely triggered.
The new ordinance requires Pembroke Pines residents and business owners to register, for free, their alarm systems with the city and renew that registration annually.
Honeywell Lynx Wireless Alarm System: J&L Security, Sydney Australia
This is a demonstration of the Wireless Honeywell "Lynx" Security Alarm System, exclusive to Watch24 Security Services Australia ...
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Emery looks at parking ordinance The system has a battery back-up. An alarm will also sound if a door is opened without a card being swiped," said Christensen. |