London creeps me out, too. So does Beijing, which gave me the distinct feeling I was being watched at all times — and sometimes I know I was. I used to think as you did, that our best defense was to ask who was actually watching all this stuff. Now we know: computers. They have the most powerful computer processing system in existence.
CCTV is becoming pretty common in some US cities as well. Interesting that for some years TV programs have touted the advantages of “security cameras” for police programs, and nobody, especially “social conservatives” and “anti-crime” folks have thought it was great, just like DNA tests showing up in an hour for TV “labs”. when it can still take weeks, and fingerprint files always find a “hit” on a single print, in seconds!
Surveilance has been abused for a long time, it’s just the technology that’s making it a lot easier. Then of course, there’s the issue of so many people on “social networking” making all their intimate details public, voluntarily!
Whine not when you pour your own wine into the cup!
The big controversy here is red light cameras. People who have the time go to court and have their tickets overturned. Those who don’t have the time pay for the ticket and increased insurance payments.
Rockngolpher: two points: 1. It’s been proven repeatedly that the yellow lights on many, many, of those red light camera intersections are several seconds SHORTER than those on the same stretches of road on either side of the “trap” lights. 2. On average, cities CONTRACTING FOR only LEASE those cameras, and the CONTRACtOR on average gets 80% of the revenue raised by the cameras!!!
Just another case of “big corporate cousin” setting you up with your “uncle”.
Um, they’re a lot safer than OUR police; stricter gun control laws make sure of that. The average number of firearm deaths in the UK is typically less than one per cent of ours.And bombs don’t give a crap if you have a gun or not.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
London creeps me out, too. So does Beijing, which gave me the distinct feeling I was being watched at all times — and sometimes I know I was. I used to think as you did, that our best defense was to ask who was actually watching all this stuff. Now we know: computers. They have the most powerful computer processing system in existence.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
CCTV is becoming pretty common in some US cities as well. Interesting that for some years TV programs have touted the advantages of “security cameras” for police programs, and nobody, especially “social conservatives” and “anti-crime” folks have thought it was great, just like DNA tests showing up in an hour for TV “labs”. when it can still take weeks, and fingerprint files always find a “hit” on a single print, in seconds!
Surveilance has been abused for a long time, it’s just the technology that’s making it a lot easier. Then of course, there’s the issue of so many people on “social networking” making all their intimate details public, voluntarily!
Whine not when you pour your own wine into the cup!
rockngolfer over 10 years ago
The big controversy here is red light cameras. People who have the time go to court and have their tickets overturned. Those who don’t have the time pay for the ticket and increased insurance payments.
Spyderred over 10 years ago
Wonderful cartoon!
wiatr over 10 years ago
Funniest one today so far. But they are creeping me out too.This isn’t the behaviour of the country I was born in.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
Rockngolpher: two points: 1. It’s been proven repeatedly that the yellow lights on many, many, of those red light camera intersections are several seconds SHORTER than those on the same stretches of road on either side of the “trap” lights. 2. On average, cities CONTRACTING FOR only LEASE those cameras, and the CONTRACtOR on average gets 80% of the revenue raised by the cameras!!!
Just another case of “big corporate cousin” setting you up with your “uncle”.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
Yes. And I’m not happy about THAT, either.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
We do. And have. And I said so.And those of us who live in the real world care about the whole world.
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
Um, they’re a lot safer than OUR police; stricter gun control laws make sure of that. The average number of firearm deaths in the UK is typically less than one per cent of ours.And bombs don’t give a crap if you have a gun or not.
Robert Stroud over 10 years ago
“They have the most powerful computer processing system in existence.”
Does it go by Hal or Skynet..?
Sometimes DC certainly does remind one of Mordor…