There’s a trend when it comes to video surveillance: there’s more of it. Every day, and every where, you find more video technology watching you. I’m sure you’ve noticed it yourself. It seems that every traffic light in every city is monitored by video camera. This started to happen a few years ago and has quickly spread from what were a few key cameras at a few key intersections to multiple cameras at just about every intersection.
Now, I’m not sure if these are just traffic cameras or not. I can’t really say who is monitoring the feeds to these cameras and where they might be located, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you could track it back to the Department of Homeland Security, or somewhere like that: http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/25/2537.asp. So many cameras in such a short time on such a wide roll-out kind of makes me wonder.
I have to admit that I don’t feel more safe and secure as a result of the abundance of these new cameras. Actually, I’m feeling a bit more invaded. Does every face need to be scanned to keep the country safe from terrorists? I think we should try securing the borders with a higher level of scrutinized monitoring.
For some reason, though, we’re e being monitored by all of these video surveillance cameras while we’re out in public every day. These cameras can likely scan faces, car make, model, and year, license plates, how you walk, your mannerisms, and more. Who knows? It’s worth investigating because it seems more and more Orwellian ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwellian ).
Admittedly, video surveillance is needed to a degree. ATM cameras, shop cameras, parking lot cameras all make sense to me and actually do make me feel more secure. The amount of camera installations that have popped-up along the roads of this nation really do puzzle me, however. Out of my quizzical viewpoint emerges another, because I wonder what precedent is being set?
There have been times when I feel so monitored I almost feel like I’m doing something wrong, as if it’s the expectation that I will. I’ve even felt shy looking-up at a video surveillance camera before, due to its strong psychological effect. They’ve become omnipresent and they are setting a new standard for what is acceptable.
Now, as I play the devil’s advocate I realize that the new level of video surveillance the public is unwittingly conforming to may be completely innocent and benign. But we’re in a time when bureaucracy, red tape, domestic spying, government distrust, tremendous overspending, and economic failure are putting day to day life on more of an edge. The cameras may help keep things running smoothly, but they may also serve to exacerbate things.
If there were public oversight of the video surveillance systems, more disclosure on their use, funding, and legal use guidelines http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2007/03/questions_about_traffic_camera.html) perhaps there would be a level of community activism that would support the use of video surveillance for the greater public good. The shrouding, secrecy, and apparent passing of the proverbial buck from one official agency to the next when inquiries are made fuel the fire of video surveillance dissent.
I used to think these traffic cameras were there in case there were to be an accident at that particular intersection, or to help with traffic reporting, or to keep tabs on driving conditions during bad weather. All of these uses are so completely legit I wouldn’t think that anyone would bat and eye at them. But, they’ve become so numerous it’s beginning to beg a question or two because awareness of this new attempt at a surveillance society is growing.
I haven’t had a traffic ticket or any type of moving violation since December 2000. Just recently I received notification in the mail that I had been photographed exceeding the speed limit and that I now owe a fine. So, after all of this time, I happen to get a “ticket” from a photo-enforced surveillance post telling me I have to give the state money.
There was no indication of any ability to go to court, no mention of my great driving record, or any human-based interaction confirming the infraction. All I had there was a piece of paper generated by a video/photo surveillance device that monitored me without my knowledge and is now working to uphold the law remotely. Honestly, I don’t think I like that and I don’t know where all of this is going, and I don’t like that either. I hope and pray for a happy medium between unobtrusive video surveillance for the sake of security and video surveillance for the sake of control and taxation.
