From: Nate Sammons <nate@infidels.org>
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 1997 01:30:49 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Big Brother is watching
In-Reply-To: <v03102800b0331277b5be@[207.79.65.77]>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.970903130350.15333A-100000@sulaco.proxicom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



On Wed, 3 Sep 1997, Chip Mefford wrote:
> Fairfax County, In the Peoples Republic of Virginia
> 
> Citizens in the PRV who have been travelling in Fairfax County will soon
> be recieving summons to come pay their dues to the monster in the form of
> traffic citations for running red lights issued by Big Brother.
> 
> Yes, rest assured that Big Brother is watching. Three CopBots have been
> deployed around the county to take pictures of vehicles exiting
> intersections after the light has turned red. These CopBots are a great
> boon to our prosperity and security as they free up the huminoid Cops from
> traffic duties so that they can better spend their time toilet plunger
> kicking.
> 
> In the month since this "trial program" began, over 3 thousand citations
> have been prepared and will be in the mail as of TODAY!!!. All Hail Big
> Brother, security is at hand!! Hurrah!!
> 
> With this wonderful sucess, We can all look forward to this items being
> placed in our domiciles in order to further protect us from crime.
> 
> This is truely a great day.
> 
> Weep for joy!
> 
> I love Big Brother.
> 

I just moved to Fairfax County from Ft. Collins, CO (not a military base,
just a town that was one in the 1800's).  Ft. Collins has the red-light
surveillance cameras, but also has one other added bonus:  speed cameras.

There are several unmarked SUVs (when I left there was at least a GMC Jimmy,
a Ford Explorer, and a generic Chevy truck) that get parked on the sidewalk,
the bike lane and in people's lawns.  They leave a cop in the front to
eat donuts and watch TV, and in the back there is a video camera and a radar
gun.  On the front driver's side mirror there's another camera.  When you
drive by too fast, you get your picture taken (front and back) and a ticket
gets mailed to you a week later.

Not only do they take your picture, but they block the sidewal, bike lane,
and your lawn if they choose to park there.  There's been several suits
against the city, since hte vehicles are technically owned by the company
that makes the cameras (and so should not be parking on the sidewalk, your
lawn, etc...) but as far as I know, nothing has come of the suits.

Of course, it's for your own protection... as everyone knows, you can't take
care of yourself unless there's a government employee there to help you.

-nate

--
  Nate Sammons                          nate@infidels.org
                                        http://sulaco.proxicom.com:7000/~nate