It's another reflection of reality.  Or, in other words, who needs a Patriot Act when the population is under constant surveillence with one camera for every 14 people?  Who knew they also had listening devices attached? 

Sensible deterrent or societal abuse?  Tee hee.  I'm old enough to remember when talk of national computer databases of every US citizen was all futuristic fantasy but people fretted over it all the same.  And computers were room-sized thingies that only highly trained specialists could access or operate. 

Anyway, do we care?  Is this something that bothers those of you who live with it? 

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

It bothers me a lot.  A hell of a lot.

If I'm going to apply for a passport now I have to have my iris scanned due to that being a provision of the National ID Card law passed recently. The only bright light is that both of the other parties have promised to scrap that bill (but cynic that I am, I think that's easier to say when you're not in power, and anyway, they would probably keep the provision when it comes to dirty immigrants and just let the natives off the hook).

This is right up there in the list of my top bugbears at the moment.  I'm getting pretty reactionary recently when it comes to legislating in the name of 'safety'.  Since when are people here so risk averse?  Just because privacy, freedom and feeling in control of your own life aren't quantifiable doesn't mean that they're not hugely valuable.

'Britons never ever will be slaves' they sing.

My arse.

Think I may have read about that, Booth.  "Area man traverses area.  Goes viral on YouTube."

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

...but there's no England now.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

With certain Heinleinesque developments that might be alright.

I have been waiting for jetpacks since I was 8.  Why have they put all the R and D into iris-scanning and not jetpacks?  Because 'they' suck, clearly.
 

That iris scanning and cameras everywhere are an ipso facto invasion of privacy. I can appreciate your feelings Hero. I don't know the answer, these are strange days indeed. I guess one has to look at the positive side -those cameras may catch a rapist.

Just on a different subject, All these women with cell phones must get some defense from carrying them in a dangerous situation.  I wonder if any study shows cell phones saving women ( and Men ) from crime ? Same for all the cameras?

It's a balancing act between civil liberties and crime prevention.

I think they've gone too far, cameras on every corner, microphones, and now cameras with speakers so the operaters can direct citizens!

If the defence is that it _may_ prevent a crime, then I guess we could argue for all citizens to wander around with a pitt-bull on one hand, and a loaded gun on the other (with cellphone in pocket of course...for emergencies).

Sometimes the cure is far worse than the disease.

I hear what Hero and Cy are saying. I just don't know the answer.

Wouldn't it be nice if we were back in those good ole Cold War years- hiding under desks in school drills in preparation for an all out nuclear world ending confrontation that could happen any day ? I am old enough to remember those comforting drills and fall out shelter signs. Dreams of Russian Bear bombers -bombbay doors open over my home town...

flash   ka booom...wake up.

Students Accidentally Catch Cyclist Assault On Tape

A group of students on a field trip in Toronto investigating the pros and cons of public surveillance cameras ended up catching a slice of big city street hostility on their own cameras Tuesday.

The Grade 12 students caught a road rage incident between a driver and a cyclist on tape, and could play a key rule in the meting out of justice after turning their evidence over to police.

The kids' mini-cam was pointed at the scene near Queen and Bay when the driver on four wheels got into a dispute with a cyclist on two. As the students watched in disbelief, they saw the motorist get out of his still idling car, approach the cyclist and punch him boldly in the face. He pushed the stunned bike owner onto the sidewalk where the assault appeared to continue for several more moments.

Apparently the driver was enraged that the cyclist, who lost a tooth in the attack, had stopped at a yellow light and blocked him from going through.

"I'm going to pray for that guy, you know, because why he did it, I don't know. Maybe he's sick. Maybe he needs help," bike rider Andre Sokol said after he was assaulted.

Allison Mann, the media teacher at Ursula Franklin Academy, was with her charges when the incident took place. "We're on a field trip with about 40 students and looking at public and private space in Toronto. It's ironic this happened this morning because each group had a video camera."

"Surveillance is a hot-button issue in the media, so one of the things we're looking at is the usefulness of cameras. So it's interesting that they caught this on tape," she adds.

Mann, who gets rave reviews from her pupils on "Rate My Teacher.com", claims she's proud her students kept rolling and capturing clear images of the incident. A copy of that tape is now in the possession of Toronto Police. It will eventually be used as evidence in court.

"Initially when the cop came over, he didn't look like he would have believed him," said Gabriele, one of the students on the trip. "With video footage, you can't deny it any more. It's right in front of your face."

Link with video

The Bad Detective.

But you know, it looked like the bicyclist might have been getting ready to use his two-wheeler as a weapon against the constable.  He was raising that bike over his head.  I'm going with a self-defense motivation.  And how do we know when Andre REALLY lost that tooth?  

Susan 

PS  I'm honing in on a certain somebody's location.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin