We have seen how the police have captured terrorists by checking cameras which are pervasive here in the British Capital. They say its impossible to walk down the street without being picked up on at least two or three cameras at all times.
Now parking is in the act. Seems that if a car is spotted by a camera and the license plate is visible, and it is in violation of some rule, they will simply mail a citation to the owner.
I’m a bit concerned about all the camera’s anyway. Having camera’s to check the traffic so the police will know where to put control officers is one thing, but having a camera to watch you as you walk your dog at 3 AM is frankly quite another. I understand the state of the world, but I can sit in my room’s window on Portland Place and see half a dozen CCTV cameras that were put up by the police, plus dozens put up by private firms.
It seems to me that a lot of the benefit to getting a parking citation is to be caught "on the spot" so to speak. You know you have overparked, or parked in a red zone, and when you don’t get a citation under your windshield wiper, you assumed you have dodged the bullet. However when you get the ticket in the mail a week later, you have already forgotten the incident. You don’t even know where or when. The anger and frustration is compounded and parking enforcement becomes even more hated. It means that the concern is less about enforcement, and more about collecting the fine, or tax on the vehicle.
I just think this is a bad idea. But here in the UK, where privacy is eroded daily, nothing should surprise one.
JVH
