KenBuster: Auto Congestion Charge payment nonsense

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the gadget to end all gadgets; the digital crème de la crème. Meet the KenBuster -- a wireless payment system that automatically pays the congestion charge whenever you enter London's CC zone in your car. Take that, Ken!

Hang on a minute. How exactly is this thing 'busting' London's controversial mayor Ken Livingstone by automatically lining his pockets? We hope nobody invents a 'CraveBuster' that automatically gives us £8 every time someone strayed on to our site. That would really show us.

The idea is good in principle, but where it falls down is the price. You pay a ridiculous £199 for infinite usage, or a £49.99 one-off charge then £8 per month on a 12-month contract. That's about the same you'd pay if you were fined three times for forgetting to pay the charge. You might as well not bother.

Anyway, here's how it works:

1) The KenBuster's built-in GPS receiver detects the moment you enter the congestion charge zone.

2) The KenBuster takes £8 from whatever payment method you've pre-registered.

3) The KenBuster sends you a text message telling you how you're sticking it to The Man.

4) The makers of the KenBuster laugh all the way to the bank.

5) We laugh at you.

The KenBuster's only saving grace is that it might be good for extremely forgetful people. But even if you do forget to pay the charge, you still get a chance to pay the following day. Do yourself a favour and drive on past kenbuster.co.uk. -Rory Reid.