I’m not really paranoid, honest June 1, 2009
Posted by CamdenKiwi in : Camden,Politics , trackbackWalking through Kings Cross tube station yesterday, I heard the announcer say that anyone using the ‘help point’ would have their photo taken and passed to the British Transport Police.
So, if I’m a tourist, a bit lost, and press the button marked ‘Information’ to ask where to go, my photo is sent to the police??? I wonder what happens next? A posse of armed goons appear and shoot me for having the audacity to hope that the Victoria Line is actually working this weekend? More likely, my mugshot just ends up on some database somewhere, as the government attempts to track every citizen’s every move, swamping itself so utterly in spurious data that the real criminals slip underneath the chaos.
Certainly, this threatening announcement is hardly going to encourage anyone to use the facility. If there’s an emergency, it may even deter someone from raising the alarm.
There is no indication on the help point itself that this will happen, which is surely not legal.
I wonder what they do with it, and how long they keep it. It will be interesting to see if, and how, Transport for London, answer that question.
Comments»
[...] I had a reply from Transport for London about their threats to send photos of anyone using their help points to the police. It turns out that they were just trying to stop people pushing the buttons and shouting. Fair [...]