What the hell

[Dieter]

Hi all,

Seems like the latest weapon to 'down' errant motorists are these:

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article3768694.ece

Haven't these people got better things to do...like prevent 'proper' crimes and don't they remember that we pay their wages.

I assume that if you are travelling @ 30 mph over speed limit you'll get a 'hellraiser' up your boot.

Big brother Police state

Cheers

 

[DaveK]

If you think this is just about speeding then you're mistaken.
Congratulations Britain, you have sleepwalked in to a state of surveillance
that belittles anything the Iron curtain countries ever did.

 

[Ratz]

I find it staggering the amount of energy and funding that goes in to policing our roads. As has been stated in other threads about taxation, I don't mind being taxed if the money is used for the greater good - or to help my gran pay her energy bill etc. but this is taking the p***. They talk about the time saved, boredom thresholds etc, but there still needs to be a human reviewing the footage to make judgement calls, plus a technological infrastructure that this government has proved itself woefully incapable of supervising.

Does anyone know the politics well enough to know whether this type of thing is cross party or just a Labour cause?

 

[mattc]

Does anyone know the politics well enough to know whether this type of thing is cross party or just a Labour cause?

once introduced do you see the following government changing any legislation if it raises money? Call me cynical but i suspect it would stay in place.

 

[crockers]

If you think this is just about speeding then you're mistaken.
Congratulations Britain, you have sleepwalked in to a state of surveillance
that belittles anything the Iron curtain countries ever did.

It seems you're right there .... all we need now is an iron curtain to keep emigrants in and heyho..

 

[andy_k]

If you think this is just about speeding then you're mistaken.
Congratulations Britain, you have sleepwalked in to a state of surveillance
that belittles anything the Iron curtain countries ever did.

and yet people will still tell you that you have nothing to be afraid of if you are doing nothing wrong.

Andy

 

[ROBB]

no doubt they will work with the car tracking devices (yet to be) fitted by manufacturers . . .

 

[Ratz]

If only the same amount of resources were put into improving our quality of life as are put in to controlling it.

 

[fuzzer]

 

[crockers]

Trouble is -- organised criminal gangs are almost impossible to police against -- as is drug trafficing....what we see as arrests I am sure is just the tip of the iceberg..whereas the ordinary Joe Public is easy to keep in check and then gives the impression that the police is winning the war on crime...

The bottom line is we need to equip the police with more resources to fight crime...that includes far more police personnel - better terms of employment -- better wages... and target the criminals.

When young impressionable lads see drug dealers driving around in large flash cars - and are known to be flaunting the law the message is...... join in and get the big rewards in the easy life of crime.

As for the car driver being an easy target for revenue raising......yes sadly I would agree with that....so lets that revenue for a good reason ...

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

I see that a lot of people are not happy about the situation. Too much control from the goverment, extortionist fuel prices, taxation that penalises whoever has the cohones to work and do well but nobody does anything. We moan but do nothing when it comes to our own quality of life but have the guts to protest and strike if animals are used for medical research. Not saying that is not important but in Britain we are afraid to take action about whats important to our own life. In i.e France people take the goverment full on if there is something they do not agree with. At the end of the day the goverment is like a board of directors in a company and we are the shareholders. If we dont like what we getting we have to sack them.

 

[Ratz]

I agree entirely with the sentiment, but then none of us wants a criminal record for being arrested/charged under the anti-terrorism act. Unfortunately we are controlled from every angle to ensure we all conform and fear the prospect of losing a job or not being able to get another one etc.

I know this sounds rather dramatic, but it is a possibility.

 

[fredfloggle]

and yet people will still tell you that you have
nothing to be afraid of if you are doing nothing wrong.

Andy

There is nothing to be afraid of if you are doing nothing wrong.

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

I agree entirely with the sentiment, but then none of us wants a criminal record for being arrested/charged under the anti-terrorism act. Unfortunately we are controlled from every angle to ensure we all conform and fear the prospect of losing a job or not being able to get another one etc.

I know this sounds rather dramatic, but it is a possibility.

Then 3 times hurray for comrades Brownnin, Blanin and Darling Tze Dung! Long live the glorious Labour and forget the democracy, tear the Magna Carta, mass publish the little red book. We have come to this unfortunately.

 

[mattc]

There is nothing to be afraid of if you are doing nothing wrong.

You can now get a CRIMINAL record for rubbish. see here

And we have nothing to worry about!! this country is suffering a death by a thousand cuts; each one on its own provokes nothing but apathy. taken altogether they are devastating to the public.

 

[andy_k]

But there is lots to be afraid of Fred.

See the post immediately above yours. People are frightened to stand up and speak out against the government and it's policies in case they are labelled terrorists.

We've sleep-walked into a position where our civil liberties are almost non existent.

Our lives are recorded and logged by organisations so inept they are losing data almost as fast as they are acquiring it and using it so badly innocent people can end up with criminal records just because their name is a bit like someone else's.

I think there's plenty to be afraid of even if you are a model citizen

Andy

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

But there is lots to be afraid of Fred.

See the post immediately above yours. People are frightened to stand up and speak out against the government and it's policies in case they are labelled terrorists.

We've sleep-walked into a position where our civil liberties are almost non existent.

Our lives are recorded and logged by organisations so inept they are losing data almost as fast as they are acquiring it and using it so badly innocent people can end up with criminal records just because their name is a bit like someone else's.

I think there's plenty to be afraid of even if you are a model citizen

Andy

Exactly what I was thinking. If people are afraid to voice a different opinion loudly because the goverment will label them terrorists I do not see anything different from a Pyong Yang citizen being told that he lives in the Peoples Democratic Republic of North Korea but will be enemy of the people if they criticise the goverment. I never thought it until it was posted here that people are afraid in Britain, it was an eye opener.

 

[andy_k]

this story springs to mind

 

[st4]

We have a hostory or ariel survellience with the police helicopters, this however is used to follow suspects when the police officer has deemed it unsafe to follow the suspect.

This has no human element, and isn't detectable to the human eye and IMO is a spying device. What right has the government got to fly a surviellence aircarft over our roads. They are citizens like you and me, we elected them to act in a) our interests and b) to conserve our rights. They are eroding these.

Can I fly a device like this with sound capturing abilities over the house of commons? Maybe "they" would like to fly one over my house to see if I am having a Barbeque on a sunday, or when I hang out my washing.

Thats the other problem, if you live near a major road, your actions in your garden can be seen. This is a major breach of human rights.

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

Well politicians always crave power and will do their best to get it. Slowly but surely 1984 will happen...