Looking Glass London

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:29 pm

My Criminology Professor today was saying that wherever you go in London, you're in the view of a couple if not several cameras at all times. Some of them even have the capability to talk to you and tell you to stop donig whatever it is you're doing.

My classmates were shocked, and my Prof said that since England has never had a Bill of Rights, people don't really know what they're missing, they're fine with it, and they don't view it as intrustive.

Is that true? What's your opinion of the extent to which law enforcement should intrude upon the lives of everyday law abiding citizens?

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 8:36 pm

I've no problem with being on CCTV when I'm about in town. I'm used to the idea and I always just kinda assume it's there.

It's one of those rare occasions where "if you're not doing anything wrong, why be worried?" actually applies.

Means we can track crims and terrorists, etc.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:55 am

Guess we shouldn't have banged in so many public places. Wonder how much the tapes would be worth on eBay...

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 3:50 am

Brendocon wrote: It's one of those rare occasions where "if you're not doing anything wrong, why be worried?" actually applies.

Here in America, I don't think the problem would be "I'm worried about someone watching me do bad things," so much as it would be, "I don't trust the government with that level of survelliance."

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:56 am

Where I live (Malmö, Sweden) they have placed cameras on a couple of places.
I don't mind.
I'm not breaking the law or anything, so go ahead. Feel free to watch me.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:19 am

i like being watched

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:55 am

I live in a cute small town, we do have a few cameras in "scary places" though, like the tunnel under the railway etc. It does make me feel a bit safer when I walk there at night, and I have never really thought about these cameras being misused and their tapes sold.

Once I saw a documentary about the London cameras, and they looked quite effective to me.

It is of course very tricky to decide between security and personal freedom, but I assume that the London police have good rules and regulations about using the cameras. Is that really the case?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:42 pm

The average Londoner (ie me) gets photographed 500 times a day, apparently.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:02 pm

Brendocon wrote: It's one of those rare occasions where "if you're not doing anything wrong, why be worried?" actually applies.

Thats fine today. I too don't worry about being filmed now. But I do worry about the tool we're handing to a potentially more corrupt or distastful political administration of the future. Like ID cards, it supplies all the neccesary tools for a fantastic police state.

We just need to be stoopid enough to fall for the bull**** that will let such a political framework exist.....*cough*waronterror*cough*.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:42 pm

Heard on the radio this morning that there's a roundabout in Hammersmith that's got 29 CCTV cameras trained on it, due to police, private, commercial and other businesses.

Apparently, there's 5 types of camera in use, and it's the most heavily surveiled junction in the world.

Then again, this is information gleaned from local radio (but not local to Hammersmith), so dubiousness prevails...

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:01 pm

Scraplet wrote:But I do worry about the tool we're handing to a potentially more corrupt or distastful political administration of the future.

I reassure myself with the fact that our current police force and government can't even get the simplest things right, so the notion of them being able to credibly organise Teh Big Surveillance is a bit of a stretch.