'Big brother' cameras will soon be 'coordinated' on all UK roads

perseus

perseus

Active member
It sees that within a few months we could be tracked wherever we drive in the UK. Now this seems a good idea on first sight since I don't wish to subsidise those who haven't paid their taxes or don't possess a vehicle worthiness certificate which renders them unisured. However, it seems the police used the anti terrorism laws to stop a pensioner whilst travelling from an anti-war meeting, and was forced to answer questions under the act. Where does this end, does your country use this system, and can they be trusted to use it responsibly?

A national network of cameras and computers automatically logging car number plates will be in place within months, the BBC has learned.
Thousands of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras are already operating on Britain's roads. Police forces across England, Wales and Scotland will soon be able to share the information on one central computer. Officers say it is a useful tool in fighting crime, but critics say the network is secretive and unregulated.

Kent's Chief Constable, Michael Fuller, commented: "We've seen an increase of some 40% of arrests since we've been using this technology. "I'm very confident that we're using it properly and responsibly, and that innocent people have nothing to fear from the way we use it."
Click to expand...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/whos_watching_you/8064333.stm
 
Last edited:
perseus said:
However, it seems the police used the anti terrorism laws to stop a pensioner whilst travelling from an anti-war meeting, and was forced to answer questions under the act. Where does this end, does your country use this system, and can they be trusted to use it responsibly?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/whos_watching_you/8064333.stm
Click to expand...

Ever seen pigs fly?

I also remember a self employed plumber in UK driving his van was fined for smoking.

Pubs are losing vast amounts of money because of the "No Smoking," many have been forced to close down. However, one pub has got around the no smoking ban by using a loop hole in the act. They sectioned off a room, drinkers who want to smoke complete a form that they are taking part in research. Now the tree and bunny huggers are looking for a way to close that loop hole.

Its getting all too silly in UK

They have a similar ban here. I had a "government official" come into my shop a few years ago telling me I was not allowed to smoke in the shop or in my office out back. I listened to him for a while then held my hand up to shut him up and then replied. "I tell you what mate, when you pay my rent on the shop, pay all the staff wages and run the business, THEN and ONLY then can you tell me I cannot smoke."

He left and I havent heard anymore.
 
Last edited:
perseus said:
Where does this end, -snip- and can they be trusted to use it responsibly?
Click to expand...

As you asked:

- It will end in dictatorship
- No.

Also, they never will let go of this law, in case they relax a terrorist is easily found and convicted to make it stick. Power to the politicians that run the government!

I remember that on 9/11, just two or three hours or so into it (only one building had collapsed), with friends in Germany glued to the telly and in shock, the unison voiced thinking was (apart from commenting what we saw and could not believe to be seeing): "Kiss goodbye to your citizens rights and freedom after today".

So far, we have not been proved wrong in our assessment.

Rattler
 
Last edited:
I saw a great picture of some graffiti over in England... Had a little kid painting on the side of a post office that said "One nation under CCTV"... It was gone by that night.
 
One_Nation_Under_CCTV_Newman_Street_22nd_April_2008-thumb-300x400.jpg
 
major liability said:
The UK: a surveillance society that puts China and Russia to shame.
Click to expand...
Yeah, It's caught a number of murderers and other miscreants, it's gotta be a bad thing.

What most people don't realise is that the images from 99% of these cameras is not ever seen, It's only when there is a reason to look at a certain place and time that the images are looked at.

You see a controller in front of a bank of 30 -50 screens, how much of what is going on in front of him do you actually thing he absorbs? It's only when he sees something of interest that he can re direct or zoom the camera concerned. He is also there to report such things a accidents or loss of picture.

I think paranoia is a far greater worry than CCTV,... unless of course you are doing something you shouldn't be.
 
senojekips said:
Yeah, It's caught a number of murderers and other miscreants, it's gotta be a bad thing.

What most people don't realise is that the images from 99% of these cameras is not ever seen, It's only when there is a reason to look at a certain place and time that the images are looked at.

You see a controller in front of a bank of 30 -50 screens, how much of what is going on in front of him do you actually thing he absorbs? It's only when he sees something of interest that he can re direct or zoom the camera concerned. He is also there to report such things a accidents or loss of picture.

I think paranoia is a far greater worry than CCTV,... unless of course you are doing something you shouldn't be.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree, there were various parks and parts of town locally where muggings etc. were well above the average rate so local authorities installed cameras and in the course of a week they had arrested half a dozen of the culprits and the crime and vandalism has disappeared.

I really do not see an issue with this sort of thing, lets face it you walk into most stores, offices or banks and you are being monitored from the time you enter the car park and that doesn't seem to bother many people.
 
What most people don't realise is that the images from 99% of these cameras is not ever seen
Click to expand...

Note we are not talking about surveillance cameras here, these are Automatic number plate recognition systems. I have worked with the police before, who showed me how these systems work. If it recognises a stolen car, or a car that isn't insured or taxed it alerts the police to its location.

So if you had avoided an accident with an uninsured driver or your car was stolen and recovered due to this system would you feel differently? I still feel aggrieved at the number of people who illegally drive on the road.
 
perseus said:
Note we are not talking about surveillance cameras here, these are Automatic number plate recognition systems.
Click to expand...
Yeah, another plus.

It won't be long before they fully implement a system where vehicles that arrive at a second camera in a time that indicates that they must have been speeding, will be firmly in place. That will get some more idiots off the roads.

It's already being used on major highways here.
 
senojekips said:
Yeah, another plus.

It won't be long before they fully implement a system where vehicles that arrive at a second camera in a time that indicates that they must have been speeding, will be firmly in place. That will get some more idiots off the roads.

It's already being used on major highways here.
Click to expand...

We already use this, mainly on motorway roadworks, this is clearly signed as 'average speed check' in case you ever drive in this country.

London is trialing a system called adaptive speed control, where the maximum speed of the vehicle is restricted depending upon the location as sensed by a GPS signal. There may be an option to de-activate the forced restriction to a warning signal. Insurance costs may be reduced as well. Probably better than road humps, and speeding fines but 'professional speeders' who seem to always evade these won't be pleased, although they would simply ignore the warning or deactivate it.
 
Last edited:
senojekips said:
Yeah, It's caught a number of murderers and other miscreants, it's gotta be a bad thing.

What most people don't realise is that the images from 99% of these cameras is not ever seen, It's only when there is a reason to look at a certain place and time that the images are looked at.

You see a controller in front of a bank of 30 -50 screens, how much of what is going on in front of him do you actually thing he absorbs? It's only when he sees something of interest that he can re direct or zoom the camera concerned. He is also there to report such things a accidents or loss of picture.

I think paranoia is a far greater worry than CCTV,... unless of course you are doing something you shouldn't be.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree with this reasoning, and not only that, I think it is important to maintain such an approach toward these things. In addition to first point about catching criminals etc, there's also the fact that innocence can be proven also. So there's always fors and againsts but like was said if someone's not doing anything wrong there's nothing to worry about.
 
Last edited:
perseus said:
We already use this, mainly on motorway roadworks, this is clearly signed as 'average speed check' in case you ever drive in this country.

London is trialing a system called adaptive speed control, where the maximum speed of the vehicle is restricted depending upon the location as sensed by a GPS signal. There may be an option to de-activate the forced restriction to a warning signal. Insurance costs may be reduced as well. Probably better than road humps, and speeding fines but 'professional speeders' who seem to always evade these won't be pleased, although they would simply ignore the warning or deactivate it.
Click to expand...
It sounds like a really positive use of modern technology to me. I can't wait for it to be put in place in Australia.

The number of times I have been cruising up the road on, or very close to the speed limit, only to be passed by some idiot who is out of sight in a few minutes beggars belief. Bends or hill crests seem to have no effect on these people.
 
Every time we're given the opportunity to police ourselves, we blow it. Then the authorities step in and everyone complains about the loss of freedom.
No responsibility = no freedom.
 
Here is the 1st part of the documentary 'Who's Watching You'

This includes misuse of surveillance cameras and terrorist laws for questioning anti- war supporters, dog fouling, a family who had their child watched due to a potentially fraudulent application outside a school catchment area, and a restaurant and playgroup camera which was accidentally displayed on the INTERNET without security. Most frightening (you will love this one 13th) is a remote camera/microphone operating in a crowded shopping centre identifying a litterer and asking them to PICK IT UP! Spooky! Coming to YOUR town soon!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbb60sbyJN8
 
Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck No responsibility = no freedom
Click to expand...

Rob Henderson said:
Best thing I've read on this forum in a long time, mate. Good post.
Click to expand...

I totally agree, the word 'freedom' is often used far too loosely, the freedom to do what you want is just anarchy without responsibility. Perhaps the Execs of Banks and any business for that matter, should be forced to have this sign facing them on their desks or computer desktop.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top