Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/03/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]i found an interesting WSJ article from July 8 2005 "Watch on the Thames" which i am pretty sure you can google. among its interesting facts: The British capital has more surveillance cameras monitoring its citizens than any other major city in the world. The highly visible gadgets are posted on the corners of many buildings, on new buses and in every subway station. Since 2003, the license plate of every car driving into central London during weekdays is filmed as part of a program to reduce traffic congestion. London charges a fee to cars and also uses the films to catch and fine cheats. In all, there are at least 500,000 cameras in the city, and one study showed that in a single day a person could expect to be filmed 300 times. even more interesting is that this is not because of new technology, and far preceded the symbolic 1984: Pervasive use of security cameras has been part of London life for more than four decades. The Underground installed its first cameras, using black-and-white film, in 1961 at the Holborn station in central London. By the 1990s, every station had a surveillance system. They are now all linked to three control rooms on London's outskirts. 1961! a mere decade after orwell's passing. -rei On Mar05 18:23, Lottermoser George wrote: > Welcome to the future, where we've met the enemy and they be us. > Those of us born in the 40's - who'd a thought we'd end up with this? > Well at least it took a bit longer than 1984. > > Fond regards, > George > george@imagist.com > www.imagist.com > http://www.imagist.com/blog > Picture A Week - www.imagist.com/paw_07 > > > > On Mar 5, 2008, at 6:15 PM, Douglas Sharp wrote: > > >It's already almost impossible to take a picture in any UK town or > >city without it having a CCTV camera somewhere on it. > >Did anyone else notice how very well used the airport police > >machine guns look? I spent 7 months working within the perimeters > >of Gatwick airport a couple of years ago and never got used to it, > >even after 30 years in Germany where all police are armed. > > > >Hey - does this make me a potential criminal - look at the top of > >the post on the left-hand edge. > >http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/100452-1/20070729-_MG_6225-Edit.jpg > > > >There's another here, on a bracket at the top left of the Pier > >Apartments building > >http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DMS/Whitby/_MG_4380_edited-2.jpg.html > > > >Next step is to ban Google Earth! The resolution is often good > >enough to recognise CCTV camera sites. > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com Ridgewood, New Jersey