Brits To Take Orders From Talking Cameras

In what can only be called the closest tangible evidence of 1984, Brazil, and Big Brother coming to real life, talking closed-circuit television cameras will now be barking orders via loudspeakers to the population of Middlesrough. Seven of the 158 cameras have already been fitted with the loudspeakers, and any social offenders in view of the camera are given a stern verbal warning to correct their actions or the police will be summoned.



I shivered when reading this article. You would think, after all the movies, books, and public decrying of Big Brother, that someone, by now would have thought this was a tad fishy. But no! No one is complaining, apparently.

Mr Bonner said: 'We always make the requests polite, and if the offender obeys, the operator adds 'thank you'. We think that's a nice finishing touch.

'It would appear that the offenders are the only ones who find the audio cameras intrusive. The vast majority of people welcome these cameras.

'Put it this way, we never have requests to remove them.'

Again, security at the expense of liberty. Now, from what I understand, a large part of British social culture revolves around politeness and not being publicly perceived to do the wrong thing. Having a camera loudly reprimand you in the middle of a crowded street would have roughly the same humiliation factor as being turned out on the street naked in rush-hour traffic after a very cold shower.

I'm curious what our friends in the U.K. have to say about this, as well as the rest of the world. If your government decides that this system is jolly-jack splendid, and needs to be implemented nation-wide, will you stand for it? Do you have a method of recourse?

I think someone on a message board put it pretty well as to what would happen if they tried it in America.

from David in Atlanta, GA, USA

I don't think this would work in Atlanta. Nobody cares. They would steal the cameras.

But then again, it's not as if the US has been particularly protective of its liberties lately either, so maybe it'd be welcomed with open arms. Anyone have some thoughts on this?

Related News Links:
www.citymayors.com
www.moose-sys.co.uk
www.godlikeproductions.com
www.cctvimage.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Big Brother is now Shouting at YOU.
Big Brother is Here!!


[edit on 18-9-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Wow... I've lost a lot of respect for a lot of people.

On a board dedicated to Conspiracy Buffs, Conspiracy Theories, Fighting Big Brother, and Promoting Liberty over Security, no one gives two hoots about the fact that people are now having to take orders from public security cameras barking orders at them? The idea that your public movements are not only being monitored on a video camera, but that someone on the other end of the camera will be barking orders at you, and that those orders are to be obeyed, doesn't even strike enough of a chord in anyone else's heart to even so much as view the thread, much less post a response?

Your apathy sickens me. Maybe humans deserve to be ruled by Big Brother. Hell, maybe I'll go join Big Brother, since they're apparently the only ones who give a damn.

As I am slowly learning, plenty of people don't want freedom. Freedom is scary and potentially dangerous.

These things happen because people want them.

They don't want the resposibilies that come with freedom, they want to be children for the rest of their lives, safe in the arms of the state - a substitute father for those on the right, a substitute mommy for those on the left.

I'm afraid you're right. It looks like you and I are the only two to really care about this issue.

I wonder if the NWO is hiring? It's not like anyone here is going to try and stop them, and I hear the benefits package is sweet.

Indeed.

You even get free govertment drug screening, and maybe eventually a free government camera in your bedroom.

What could be better?

Hold on, hold on, some of us just aren't awake in time to come in here ranting/hating....

NO, people don't want freedom.
No, people don't want to be responsible, but yet....
they do.


Its the two natural natures of humans, warrrrrrrrring with each other.

I don't like having my ability to be a free thinker removed from me....and in such a situation, I'd flip the byrd at the camera. If it's something I want to do, no camera would stop me, simply enough.

Some of us do care... the UK already leads the world in the number of cameras... why not put loudspeakers on them? England prevails...

Scary stuff. This kind of thing and the london bombings conspiracy reminds me of the movie, V for Vendetta...Indeed, England prevails.

Thank God some people here care. I was seriously about to lose a lot of respect for the ATS community and take a sabbatical until some real conspiracy buffs came back to the forum.

Originally posted by xmotex
You even get free govertment drug screening, and maybe eventually a free government camera in your bedroom.

Now the bedroom camera I could deal with. It might even add to the kink factor, but the drug screening seems counterproductive. If I were trying to achieve world domination, I'd make pot smoking mandatory for my populace, then I'd never get an uprising.

Originally posted by jlc163
...and in such a situation, I'd flip the byrd at the camera. If it's something I want to do, no camera would stop me, simply enough.

I think Byrd might take issue with being picked up and thrown at a camera, but then again, if it were in the name of freedom...

Originally posted by rich23
Some of us do care... the UK already leads the world in the number of cameras... why not put loudspeakers on them? England prevails...

Well, errr... put like that. I guess it's alright then?

I have no problem with the cameras, or the loud speakers devices fitted to them.

Basically, if you step out of line, then you will be warned. What better deterrent than being humiliated in public? If it works, then i am all for it.

It just gets better and better.

Not.

But it does give a whole new meaning to the question, "What's this world coming to?" 1984 indeed.

If I ever see any of these Camera's pop up in my city, they are gonna be getting hit with some very large, blunt objects if they should order me around(after I tell the a-hole where he can go and what to do when he gets there).

[edit on 18-9-2006 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by Bikereddie
I have no problem with the cameras, or the loud speakers devices fitted to them.

Basically, if you step out of line, then you will be warned. What better deterrent than being humiliated in public? If it works, then i am all for it.

You can't be serious?

The attitude of "If you're not doing anything wrong, then X shouldn't bother you," is not only terribly flawed, but is becoming an increasingly popular viewpoint.

1.) Is your government so incredibly rich and wealthy, that they need to find an excuse to spend your tax dollars on the equipment and personel to babysit fully-grown adults when they should be policing themselves?

2.) Is the problem of an isolated litterbug, or cyclist riding in a pedestrian area such a major security risk that it requires such drastic measures to control?

3.) Have people become so incapable of behaving themselves, on such a grand scale, that the government absolutely must intervene with constant round-the-clock surveillance and response?

I think not! We're not talking about a bank, or a prison compound, or a secure area. We're not talking about an area with hardened convicts, brutal gangs ruling the streets, and people being murdered out in the open daylight... we're talking about normal people on everyday street corners where minor infractions that wouldn't even merit a 25-pound fine to pay for the offense are incurring TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS A YEAR. We're talking about a waste of government resources on such an incredible scale for something so ridiculously minor that one must ask what the alternate uses for it are. We are talking about a complete and total lack of privacy into the lives of your fellow citizenry.

I don't care if I'm not doing anything wrong, I don't want cameras watching me 24/7 and barking orders as if it were my superior.

I suggest installing a 0.50 machine gun alongside camera and speakers.

So you receive a fair 20 second warning before getting shot at.

Pathetic...



[edit on 18/9/06 by Souljah]

Originally posted by Souljah
I suggest installing a 0.50 machine gun alongside camera and speakers.

So you receive a fair 20 second warning before getting shot at.

Yes, but only if the warning sounds like this.

Originally posted by thelibra

Originally posted by Souljah
I suggest installing a 0.50 machine gun alongside camera and speakers.

So you receive a fair 20 second warning before getting shot at.

Yes, but only if the warning sounds like this.

Agreed!



I was thinking the same - as I pointed out in another thread with this topic:

Big Brother is now Shouting at YOU

Install a 0.50 Machin gun alongside the camera and the speaker and in a voice of ED-209;

"Please pick up the litter. You have 20 seconds to comply then we open Fire!"

But seriously, that kind of Voice would sure scare people and obey whatever order they give.

The problem is, that someday that will happen...

I hope that Computers do not take the control of the system of Security Posts, armed with camera, speakers and machine guns.

Sounds like a bad cross-over between RoboCop and Terminator.

Well, right now it's people, actual "watchmen" who are watching everyone on camera, waiting for an offense to be committed. Once computers are intelligent enough to make that kind of distinction based on video footage and relay the appropriate verbal response, you can bet the "human factor" will be replaced.

This is going to upset a lot of alcoholics.

"You there! Stop urinating in the corner!!!"

In all seriousness though, as a resident of NYC, which is also flooded with cameras, I do not see this working at all, especially not in high traffic areas. Firstly, here we wouldn't even be able to hear the damned things, and secondly it's incredibly impractical.

"Stop where you are litterbug, we're sending an officer out, please wait 10 minutes for his arrival." Yeah whatever.

If they hook it up to a facial recognition system I'll worry, until then, nah.

Sorry to be the dissenting voice, but where's the problem? You don't do anything wrong, then it doesn't impact you in any way. If you do something wrong, it let's you know. Considering how desensitised people have become to cameras (despite the outcry then about how their civil liberties were being infringed by the cameras), the loudspeaker simply uses a time proven method of getting someone who has done something wrong to fix it - public shaming. If the system gets people to stop spitting, littering, urinating in side alleys, and conducting other anti-social activities, then it sounds good to me. And the constant use of the phrase "barking orders" in these posts is well over the top. Everything I've seen indicates that they are quite polite in asking people to rectify the problem.

Once again, if everyone conducted themselves in a social, law abiding way, then the speakers remain silent. Unfortunately we live in a society that contains intellectual pygmies that think the world is their dust-bin. Good luck to the UK in seeing how this work. Hopefully Australia will sign up for a similar trial soon.

This is a dismaying sign to say the least, people are obviously so afraid of their communities and the threat 'of terror' they are willing to sacrifice some of their freedoms to feel 'safer' I'm lucky just to live in a city, hell country that doesn't have a mindset of paranoia. I wonder if the cameras will have microphones built in...they might get some interesting responses from the public! hehe

"The scheme has been introduced by Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon, a former police superintendent who was dubbed Robocop for pioneering the zero-tolerance approach to crime."

This is what happens when you get a former police superintendent to run your city.

"But civil rights campaigners have argued that the talking cameras are no 'magic bullet', in the fight against crime.

"Liberty spokesman Doug Jewell said: 'None of us likes litterbugs or yobs playing up on a Saturday night, but talking CCTV cameras are no substitute for police officers on the beat.'"

Man even the civil liberties groups aren't questioning this...baaaad sign.

And it goes from bad to worse:

"And if the city centre scheme proves a success, it will be extended into residential areas."

Big Brother watching you mow your lawn? perhaps even dispatching police to break up a party if too many people attend, hell monitoring who visits your property or even what goes on in your home? There's no telling how far this madness will go but for the goverment to have the ability to observe and dictate what goes on in your own property is dangerous.