[Vash]

ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are being used to create a "24x7 national vehicle movement database" that will log the movement of every vehicle on the United Kingdom's roads. Your every move will be retained in the system for two years.
According to an article in The Register, the system will go live in April of next year and will process 50 million number plates per day by year's end. ANPR camera systems are to be placed every 400 yards along motorways.


(ANPR mobile unit)

Besides "denying criminals the use of the roads", the system will also link to other databases to identify vehicles that are unregistered and untaxed. The system will be used in the war on terror; UK police have lobbied for detention periods of up to 90 days without charges for terror suspects. Once police have a tip or a suspect in custody, they can sift records of vehicle movement along with everything else.

Well that worries me abit. I'm conserned how all this data is going to be used. Of course many others will argue against the existance of the system itself.

Luckily for some of us, the expance of putting something like that in the states will keep it from happening for quiet some time.

 

[mac020]

Not to mention the speeding tickets they're going to be able to write!

Coming to a state near you!

 

[Vash]

Yeah.. the speeding tickets are the real problem. I'm going to assume, and most of you will probly agree that less than 10% of speeding offenders are cought (I honestly thinkg its more like less than 0.1%)

By that logic, if such a system could guarantee 100% speed enforcment the revenues will be plenty enough to pay for it, as well a whole new highway system, military, and space program.
However it would absolutely cripple the economy.

 

[cookeetree]

...it would absolutely cripple the economy.

Or, it could just encourage people to not speed.

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

That's the difference between "subjects" and "citizens" when the topic of overreaching and power-hungry government is discussed. These cameras are an insult to all decent and law-abiding people.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[cookeetree]

The decent and law-abiding citizens should have no reason to worry about them, now should they?

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi cookeetree-

"...The decent and law-abiding citizens should have no reason to worry about them, now should they?..."

Then you won't mind if the government can peer into your financial portfolio or read your e-mail and snailmail anytime they wish? You'll also support having cameras mounted in various locations within your home? After all, in the words of intrusive American legislators, "It's for the children!"

The frog never notices that he is being boiled if the water is heated slowly. It's a mighty slippery slope out there cookeetree...and not just according to conservative people like me.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[cookeetree]

You're no longer talking about the installation of cameras on roads, which is the topic my comment was aimed at.

We've had speed cameras in Australia for years now. Many people complain that they do nothing except raise revenue. Strangely, these are the same people who speed and get caught. I've never heard an old lady, who putters around in her Volvo, complain about them.

 

[Desert-Lad]

Hate to pile on, cookee, but the government or anyone having that much information about its people is dangerous. The potential for abuse is enormous. Let's say a woman co-worker of mine needs a ride home because her car is being repaired. And somehow this image (data) of her in my car makes it back to my wife/girlfriend, however innocent.

The potential for abuse, such as blackmail by unscrupulous government workers or private industry contracted to run this system, is very real. Private businesses having surveillance cameras for security is one thing, but for government to set up a national system, is another.

Every bone in my body says full time surveillance of my movements once I leave my house is not in my best interest or anyone else. Besides, I just don’t like being spied upon however altruistic.

 

[mstrand_68]

Check out google earth if you want to see something scary. You can zoom in on anything in the world including military sites. I looked at my barracks on camp pendelton. Now these images on the site are still photos and about 2 years old. If this is avalible to the public think about the live streaming video "they" have. I'm sure it's much more advanced than what google shows us. Even with what they show us anyone can see where the military stores anything that can be seen from the air. On a map military sites are blocked out, for a reason I thought. Now you can just jump on google earth and see whats there, not just roads and stuff that's on a map. Crazy...

-M-

 

[cookeetree]

Pile on all you want.

If your wife / girlfriend trusts you, you shouldn't have any worries. If she doesn't trust you, she shouldn't be in your life. :2cents:

I appreciate the potential for abuse and I understand the fear factor involved with the Big Brother era, but I don't this as being a harmful system.

We have another camera system in Australia, on many of the major highways. It's used for tracking long-haul truck and bus movement and making sure drivers take adequate rest breaks to minimise the risk the fatigue-related accidents.

 

[mac020]

Pretty soon they'll require govenors on yer RR. Then they can just send ya a falure to signal ticket, or loud pipes or something!

 

[JBaz]

^ bases in iraq should now be blocked or based on old information (which is useless).

I've never heard an old lady, who putters around in her Volvo, complain about them.

Well then, your talking to the wrong old lady. My art teacher at my old highschool is 60 years old and drives around in a modded mustang GT v8 that makes 500 horses. She's been stopped by our rent-a-cop secrity guard for peeling out of her parking space and the parking lot. She blamed it on the clutch being too stiff. Hehe.

Then I'm in America and a different culture.

 

[Stain]

Pigs pigs pigs... All they want is my money for doing 5 miles over.

 

[cookeetree]

...Well then, your talking to the wrong old lady...

My point was that genuine law-abiding motorists, who NEVER speed, don't complain about speed cameras. It's only those who are at risk of being caught that do.

 

[JBaz]

Every state varies in traffice laws, but when you get a ticket, it increases insurance costs and adds points to ur license. If they plan on doing that here in the US, they would have to reduce the amount of punishment for the tickets as then no one could afford it when insurance prices would rise. its what? 1 point is 25% increase for insurance. Not to mention court costs, the ticket, and if you use lawyers to reduce or eliminate it, thats still another expense.

Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas are now going on a zero tolerance policy for violators and its messing with good average joes who only go 5 over. Traffic always flow 5mph faster then the speed limit and if you need to pass someone, a cop could get u for 5 over (u'd be doing 10 over or so to pass).

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi cookeetree-

If someone from the government arrives and says, "I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help," that is your signal to clench your wallet/pocketbook and hold it tightly. Don't think for a moment that they have your best interest in mind...their goal is increased power.

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[Dad]

I'm going to have to get out the duct tape for the license plate and polish up on my long retired mooning skills. :moon:

One of the things I plan on doing with my retirement, when I have the time to play, is to take on some of the absurd stuff that's managed to creep into our system.

One I've always thought would be fun is requesting the hearing on parking tickets and then when found guilty, requesting the jail time in lieu of payment. Mooning street cameras would be a very worthwhile persuit. Would it be wrong to flick boogers on the camera lenses then take a dump in your pants while sitting in the nice hot courtroom at your hearing?... or in the police car on the way to jail? This could be a VERY time consuming quest.:thumbs2:

This is twice, Bluejay. It seems we have joined forces again on some common ground.:thumb: Best not to join on the literal common ground though as that could get embarrassing.... among other things.:hurl:

 

[Unas_the_Slayer]

http://www.phantomplate.com/

 

[Vash]

Cookie, this system doesnt simply monitor your speed. It tracks your location, your driving habit for two years. Now the argument of "if you didnt do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear" has one weak point. There are people running this system. They could be anyone, and they have their biases.
Furthermore there is a list of activities that is "wrong" but not illigal. Adultry for example. How long before the Gov't starts policing that?