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Comment by licebmi__at__ | Hacker News Reader

One thing that I always wondered is if people just ignore the cameras.

Once I got called for questioning on a local retail store, since I was with enough free time and a good mood, so I just went with it. So the reason I was called was that the security guard noticed that I was looking at all security cameras which made me seem suspicious, my only answer was "well they're distracting".

Anyway there was no other irregularity and even the manager thought that the guard was being over zealous, but I was left wondering if other people are not uncomfortable around so many cameras. That this journalist seems surprised makes me think that maybe other people aren't even aware of them.

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In the UK there are advertisements on the public transport network that recommend reporting suspicious activity.

One of them has a 'plotline' of someone who's taking a photo of a camera. "Are they checking out security" or something like that.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKU8EK5W0AA4dwH.jpg

I honestly can't tell if this is real or not. If it is: what the fuck.

Looks too dystopian to not be true in this day and age.

I'm not a native English speaker though and I'm left wondering what that "Sorted" statement at the end of it all really means. "Sort" what out? Why would you need to "sort" a person who's taking photos of video-surveillance cameras? In what way are they going to "sort" those persons out?

'sorted' doesn't usually imply anything bad. It's rather like '[we've] got this covered'.

In this context, it means "satisfactorily dealt with" and is a common (UK at least) English saying.

Here it is obviously used to fit into the rhythmic context to make the instructions easier to remember.

It means "Your task is now complete, docile citizen. You may continue with your day."

It will depend. One of the most valuable diagnostic tools, as border staff will tell you, is to just go be interested in people. So maybe a BTP Officer (British Transport Police) will go ask them why they're taking photos of CCTV Cameras in a railway station or other critical infrastructure.

As constables they're entitled to ask who you are, and what you're up to. They can write it up and it goes into the enormous pile of puzzle pieces for intelligence analysis.

"Taking photos of cameras at major train station" + "Purchased a truck full of fertilizer" + "Attended talk by nutjob entitled 'War to save the white race'" is three completely legal things that add up to let's authorize detailed surveillance because this is a possible terrorist.

Whereas "Taking photos of cameras at major train station" + "Attended Extinction Rebellion March holding banners that said Eat The Rich" + "Wrote angry letter to local politician saying that they'd be judged in their next life for refusing permission for a new vegan bakery" is three other legal things that add up to this is probably just a hippy and we should keep paying attention but there's no immediate threat.

"Sorted" is a word used here to mean that a task has been completed. e.g. "Did you get that thing sorted yet?" "yeah, I sorted it out last week." It can apply to basically anything. You might also simply say "Sorted." as you finish doing whatever it is you're doing, to announce that you are finished. Similar to just saying "Done." or "Finished." in this respect, possibly with the added implication that there was a problem that has now been solved.

It's a slang term.

Others have mentioned some meanings, but you could also say something like 'yeah, she's sorted' (meaning, she's a good friend).

Or generically something like "That's sorted, that is", meaning good.

Well sorted, innit m8.

It's real. People are deathly afraid of photographers. I try to remind people that they didn't crash cameras into the World Trade Center, but this argument never goes over very well.

My experience from a few years ago: https://petapixel.com/2016/08/11/dont-think-port-authority-w...

Sadly, no consequences ever came from my article. I didn't get arrested. The Port Authority didn't return our phone calls. They still put "no camera" signs all over their property.

Here's a picture of one of their "no cameras" signs being looked at by one of their cameras: https://goo.gl/maps/oMhyjBcW7LrG4jyu8 I love it.

(To be completely fair, I have to assume that the signs are directed at employees that are going inside. I do think they want to scare the general public just a little bit, because they could easily have put the sign indoors if they were only targeting employees.)

Oh, it's real alright. That's probably the worst one. There are some that are less ridiculous, but they're all quite 'nanny state'.

http://www.glasgowprestwick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/S...

Trains are the best. Imagine an announcement.

If you see something that doesn't look right, SEE IT, SAY IT, SORTED.

And people say Londoners are antisocial. You're bloody forced to have your headphones on to avoid going insane.

I'm sorry to hear that, sounds pretty insane.

I though it was “SEE IT, SAY IT [and we will] SORT IT”.

It still gives me the chill.

Hmmm, great way to get more people into the subway

Oh yeah.

I used to cycle or drive quite a lot because the public transport system is full of shit like advertising, silly announcements, etc.

Just announce relevant information like departures and stop acting like you're my Mum.

Surveillance for me, not for thee...

Tangentially related, but the other day I was at Southwark tube when I slipped and fell over in some fluid that was one the floor. I wasn't harmed, and for a laugh I requested my video footage via GDPR so I could see myself go down like a sack of spuds.

It was quite a simple process - you fill in a form, and send it along with a full length photo of yourself and a rough time, and in a few weeks they send you a passworded DVD.

They also emailed me and told me that:

"In the letter I have confirmed that the cause of the spillage was as a result of a female who had exited a train prior to yours, becoming ill and vomiting on the floor, where you fell.

This was reported via a Passenger Help Point. In fact the customer and her male colleague remained in position directing people away from the vomit initially. They left the area shortly before the arrival of your train. "

:-(

Some years ago I saw a documentary from a CCTV control room in Rotterdam, Netherlands monitoring busy shopping streets.

The operators deemed everyone walking aimlessly as suspicious, and would follow them from camera to camera. At one point a guy was reading from a piece of paper, and the camera zoomed in until the text was clearly readable. Creepy af.

The mentality there was, if you feel uncomfortable you probably have something to hide.

That goes well with my social anxiety. :p

I very often go out at night to walk or take some picture of monuments in Berlin. I get stopped every single time by security guards, police, &c. "It's a private property you can't be there" Ah right, the sidewalk is a private property now. The worst thing is that you can't says anything, you can't call the cops on the cops...

Try taking a picture of police officers/cars or of a security camera. It's 100% legal but they'll act like it's not.

do you have some examples? I'm also around in Berlin at night taking pictures and never had a situation like that. I would love to go to these places and annoy some stupid people

Altes Stadthaus, especially if you try to take pics of the inside. Jewish museum in Lindenstr also. The cops at alexanderplatz at night. Any construction site with private security.

I have bulky medium format analog camera, a tripod and mostly do long exposure, maybe they don't like that, idk.

From the people who are not familiar with studies conducted in the software usability labs, quite a common question is - Aren't test participant aware of the very visible camera pointed at them and the monitor and therefore they would not be at their natural self?

The answer is the test participants forget that there are cameras once they start on a task.

I guess same thing is true in our daily life, once we are focused on task at hand (grocery shopping, catching bus, or driving safe...) we would stop being aware of things which doesn't come in the way of that task.

With AI/ML and facial recognition I wonder how long it will take before supermarkets etc. start to track the productivity of their employees and account them for it (reprimand, salary, job loss, ..).

They will be 100% aware of the cameras then, all-of-the-time.

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