What are your rights (3)

Continuing on from my initial thoughts in the previous two posting titles "what are your rights (1 and 2)" Which was about, what are the rights of photographers taking photographs of the inland waterways and what are your rights as a boat owner.

The TV watching public has this love, hate relationship with cameras. On television we are entertained by the use of accidental video clips at £250 a pop. Usually involving someone suffering from an embarrassing loss of dignity. 

Then there are television series such as "Big Brother" that feeds the voyeur appetite for those people who want to spy on someone else. IWA members certainly come to mind! The whole program is presented as some sort of a weird competition.  That is populated by exhibitionists who in turn are feeding their dogging appetite by being watched.

Idea 1

Now closed circuit television is coming to a canal near you courtesy of CaRT. Not even in the form of marinised roadside cameras to catch those speeding along in their boats who cause so much damage to soft banks. No its coming in the form of a complete lack of understanding and awareness of the real issues. 

According to the Canal and River Trust national moorings manager, CaRT are about to invest in installing closed circuit television into their marinas. Now call me old and cynical but investing their "friends donations" into installing CCTV may not be what the public had in mind for their charitable donations. 

Idea 2

One of the more interesting points discovered from research is the so called "placebo effect" of the use of surveillance camera signage. It seems that CCTV signage alone is much more effective that the visible CCTV cameras themselves. Where there are signs displayed but no actual cameras. This is apparently more effective because criminals can't establish the locations of the "hidden" cameras. 

So like fake burglar alarms are deterrents placed on buildings. Fake CCTV signage might be much more appropriate deterrent. Here are a couple of ideas I have. Which is based on a recent change in the law. Where people are allowed to protect themselves and their families (using reasonable force) from intruders. Plus it would leave some of the friends of the canals donations money to go into topping up the depleted maintenance fund. 

Later....