Ultimate Big Brother

Closed circuit video cameras are placed all over the city of London. These cameras pan across anything from streets, subways and shops to parks or right outside of an apartment on a busy London street. The cameras are monitored by staff members and “it allows the person behind the lens, to now verbally correct someone if they step out of line.”

The story on Foxnews.com showed many examples of people being corrected on the streets of London. In one instance, a woman flicked a cigarette butt on the ground, and then a staff member controlling the camera happened to see it. He went over the loud-speaker and described what the women was wearing and what she had done. The voice then nicely asked for her to pick up the cigarette butt and dispose of it accordingly. This particular incident is one of hundreds that happens everyday in London that the eye in the sky will catch.

London has over four million of these “security cameras” which are all on twenty-four hours of the day, seven days a week. Britain has become “security camera mad” says Nicolas Thompson, head editor for Wired Magazine. It is not too much of a shock to me that London has taken security to such a high level, with the implications of these new camera systems. London, along with the United States, has been under a state of emergency, ever since the 911 Attacks. However, London has experienced more attacks of terrorism within the past year.

I can stand with having security cameras keeping an eye on things throughout the city, but I would now what a camera telling me what to do. These cameras even tell people to step off the grass and step onto the side-walk. This is the ultimate version of Big Brother. Security cameras are great for catching people doing something illegal such as robbing a bank, mugging someone on the street or even to the extend of traffic violations. But telling people to throw away cigarette butts; I think it is a little drastic. I know you are all thinking; it’s a great idea because it keeps people safe and helps keep the environment reasonably clean. But imagine this verbal system coming to the United States. I think people would have a totally different view of this system. Imagine walking to class you take out a piece of gum and casually toss the wrapper to the side, because you know you do it. Then out of the blue comes a voice singling you out, asking you to go back to retrieve your litter, and throw it into the garbage can. Not only is it annoying and embarrassing, it’s a waste of money. The average security camera costs anywhere from 500 to 1000 dollars, now add that onto full time employees that have to monitor these said cameras. That is a lot of money. So basically London has hired a new high-tech system of police. What the point of having police if everything can be handled through a camera and micro-phone? And the reason is, is that it can’t. Video cameras may be able to tell people to throw trash away, and catch the occasional robber, but it can never take over the job of a trained law enforcement officer.

This story does not quite tie into how the media portrayed this particular story. However, the media would have a field day with the “talking cameras” if they ever came to the United States. The only thing good to come from this would be a new Fox comedy series showing how stupid people really are when they think no one is watching. But hey, that’s my opinion.