Coming to a corner near you
October 1, 2006 11:40 PM Subscribe
Big Brother is Shouting at you Now that America has chucked habeus corpus it's time to pour on an extra dose of surveillance. Our special partner across the pond will show us how.
This post was deleted for the following reason: include in post from yesterday?
"6079 Smith W.! Yes, you! Bend lower, please! You can do better than that. You're not trying. Lower, please! That's better, comrade."
posted by blastrid at 11:54 PM on October 1, 2006
posted by blastrid at 11:54 PM on October 1, 2006
"This isn't about keeping tabs on people, it's about making the streets safer for the law-abiding majority"
Man, the law-abiding majority always get things their way. Where's the justice for us anti-social minorities?
They should just spend the extra few dollars to have the system two-way, so the public can watch the watchers and shout at them when they pick their noses or when they follow someone who has a nice ass in their CCTV cams.
posted by wumpus at 12:04 AM on October 2, 2006
Man, the law-abiding majority always get things their way. Where's the justice for us anti-social minorities?
They should just spend the extra few dollars to have the system two-way, so the public can watch the watchers and shout at them when they pick their noses or when they follow someone who has a nice ass in their CCTV cams.
posted by wumpus at 12:04 AM on October 2, 2006
wumpus: Actually, I believe that in the UK you can actually be charged with "antisocial behavior". See ASBO.
posted by nightchrome at 12:19 AM on October 2, 2006
posted by nightchrome at 12:19 AM on October 2, 2006
'It would appear that the offenders are the only ones who find the audio cameras intrusive. The vast majority of people welcome these cameras.
'Put it this way, we never have requests to remove them.'
I think I'm gonna puke.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:20 AM on October 2, 2006
'Put it this way, we never have requests to remove them.'
I think I'm gonna puke.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:20 AM on October 2, 2006
wumpus: Actually, I believe that in the UK you can actually be charged with "antisocial behavior". See ASBO.
It's true. ASBO's are the way that we deal with the sort of people that in the USA would just get shot for being so irritating.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:56 AM on October 2, 2006
It's true. ASBO's are the way that we deal with the sort of people that in the USA would just get shot for being so irritating.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:56 AM on October 2, 2006
ASBO's are the way that we deal with the sort of people that in the USA would just get shot for being so irritating.
I was strolling around the city centre in Birmingham with a bunch of local flickr folk when I noticed a laminated piece of paper on a lamppost telling me that I was in a special zone where being in a group of more than 3 people meant the police could incarcerate me without trial. Innocent nerdy pastime and suddenly I was aware that my entire life could be turned-upside down on the whim of a cop.
posted by srboisvert at 1:48 AM on October 2, 2006
I was strolling around the city centre in Birmingham with a bunch of local flickr folk when I noticed a laminated piece of paper on a lamppost telling me that I was in a special zone where being in a group of more than 3 people meant the police could incarcerate me without trial. Innocent nerdy pastime and suddenly I was aware that my entire life could be turned-upside down on the whim of a cop.
posted by srboisvert at 1:48 AM on October 2, 2006
They should just spend the extra few dollars to have the system two-way, so the public can watch the watchers and shout at them when they pick their noses or when they follow someone who has a nice ass in their CCTV cams.
We're already ahead of you, wumpus.
posted by randomination at 2:31 AM on October 2, 2006
We're already ahead of you, wumpus.
posted by randomination at 2:31 AM on October 2, 2006
Put it this way, we never have requests to remove them.
I rather think this is more indicative of a populace that has determined they have no influence over these policies, than it is indicative of overwhelming acceptance. IMHO, of course.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:42 AM on October 2, 2006
I rather think this is more indicative of a populace that has determined they have no influence over these policies, than it is indicative of overwhelming acceptance. IMHO, of course.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:42 AM on October 2, 2006
I would totally drop some litter or something just to hear them bark at me. I would do the cliche'd: "OH GOD! THE VOICES!" routine.
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 5:10 AM on October 2, 2006
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 5:10 AM on October 2, 2006
This seems like a robust approach.
posted by riotgrrl69 at 5:15 AM on October 2, 2006
posted by riotgrrl69 at 5:15 AM on October 2, 2006
I rather think this is more indicative of a populace that has determined they have no influence over these policies, than it is indicative of overwhelming acceptance. IMHO, of course.
Surveys would seem to suggest that public approval for Cameras is at 80%. I'd the figure to be lower for this new system but I wouldn't be surprised if most people were still in favour.
posted by Olli at 5:19 AM on October 2, 2006
Surveys would seem to suggest that public approval for Cameras is at 80%. I'd the figure to be lower for this new system but I wouldn't be surprised if most people were still in favour.
posted by Olli at 5:19 AM on October 2, 2006
Olli writes "Surveys would seem to suggest that public approval for Cameras is at 80%."
You can't enslave a free people. But you can ask them to enslave themselves.
posted by orthogonality at 5:24 AM on October 2, 2006
You can't enslave a free people. But you can ask them to enslave themselves.
posted by orthogonality at 5:24 AM on October 2, 2006
Y'all are getting so ventilated about this. What is the (ethical) difference between this and having an actual real policeman there?
posted by winjer at 5:30 AM on October 2, 2006
posted by winjer at 5:30 AM on October 2, 2006
winjer, it might be that those operating the CCTV camera are not policemen, or in anyway afilliated to the police. They are council employees, some of whom have already been imprisoned due to their misuse of the system.
And these are only the ones they've caught.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 6:05 AM on October 2, 2006
And these are only the ones they've caught.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 6:05 AM on October 2, 2006
The police have had these for years, definately in Cardiff and a few other Welsh towns.
As dirty as it makes me feel, I genuinely do think they reduce violence against the person where the cameras are. I've seen a couple of videos whereby a group of lads are homing in on some poor sucker, the loudpseaker has alerted them to the presence of the police camera and saved the poor guy from a shoeing.
Besides, it's the database and facial recognition software, the capitulation of the telcos and the function creep which is the real big brother.
Baaaaaa
posted by fullerine at 6:23 AM on October 2, 2006
As dirty as it makes me feel, I genuinely do think they reduce violence against the person where the cameras are. I've seen a couple of videos whereby a group of lads are homing in on some poor sucker, the loudpseaker has alerted them to the presence of the police camera and saved the poor guy from a shoeing.
Besides, it's the database and facial recognition software, the capitulation of the telcos and the function creep which is the real big brother.
Baaaaaa
posted by fullerine at 6:23 AM on October 2, 2006
urbanwhaleshark, that's a valid point but all this big brother stuff isn't fear of women being spied on in their alltogether is it?
Like fullerine says, it's the joining of cameras, recording, facial recognition and function creep that is the real issue. Getting all het up about a few cameras, which successfully reduce crime and make people feel safer, only makes people more likely to ignore the real potential threat to civil liberties.
posted by winjer at 6:40 AM on October 2, 2006
Like fullerine says, it's the joining of cameras, recording, facial recognition and function creep that is the real issue. Getting all het up about a few cameras, which successfully reduce crime and make people feel safer, only makes people more likely to ignore the real potential threat to civil liberties.
posted by winjer at 6:40 AM on October 2, 2006
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posted by dazed_one at 11:47 PM on October 1, 2006