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London Tube Dangerous for Technophiles?
TsukiKage writes "Traveling on the London Tube is dangerous these days, it seems - and not because of terrorists. Quick as ever to try and protect against the attack that has just happened, zealous police will detain you at the drop of a hat." From the article: "The next train is scheduled to arrive in a few minutes. As other people drift on to the platform, I sit down against the wall with my rucksack still on my back. I check for messages on my phone, then take out a printout of an article about Wikipedia from inside my jacket and begin to read. The train enters the station. Uniformed police officers appear on the platform and surround me ... They handcuff me, hands behind my back, and take my rucksack out of my sight. They explain that this is for my safety, and that they are acting under the authority of the Terrorism Act."
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This is what you get without a constitution, any freedoms or rights that you enjoy are at the largesse of the state, and although here in the US our rights are being violated on a regular basis there is the hope that the constitution will at least act as a break on the Federal government's campaign against it's citizens civil libertys.
"It's so convenient to have a system where everyone is a criminal" - A. Hitler
He should consider himself lucky they didn't throw him on the floor and pop five caps in his head.
Because Brittain is the only former member of the civilized world where you can be summarily executed by police simply because you look like you might be Arab or North African and they think you might (or might not) be a terrorist. This guy was presumably not Brazilian and so didn't look either Arab or North African...
Here is the problem--- traffic accidents are a greater threat to public safety than terrorists. THerefore maybe we should make war on traffic accidents with the same or greater force. Anyone suspected of unsafe driving or involvement in such an accident should be summarily executed or locked up indefinitely without trial.... [/sarcasm]
LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
"a lot of police forces around the planet are turning into bands of thugs" because only hopeless loosers enter the police, and they can do this because the government thinks it's necessary to give them a job sponsored by taxpayers. it's no wonder the army is full of shit - only the government employs idiots.
Global warming is a cube.
I certainly hope so.
Hi,
I am a grad student and was traveling to Reno for a conference. At the airport, I thought of working a bit on my thesis and booted my laptop which had linux on it. I was suspiciously being observed by some Men In Black, but I ingnored them. When I typed "ls" and the many many files just scrolled by, they came and arrested me and said I was hacking and doing some malicious activity.
I am now at Guantanamo Bay.
Stupid laws!
Well, if you live in the US - they just have to put you on the first plane to Cuba.
Aren't they nice to give you an no cost indefinite long vacation in a varm climate ?
Just saying it like it are.
>>> "However I think the rest of what happens is absurd."
... a "radio scanner" (used to monitor police radio?!) "maps of prague and London Heathrow", small electronic items that a policeman wouldn't recognise as not malicious (eg remote detonation devices), hacking paraphenalia. His profile isn't going to look great based on this search. I'd want to look into that further ...
... he doesn't wear glasses, except today). He's carrying electronics including a small IC in his pocket (old staff pass), which could be a transceiver. In his flat he has myriad unidentifiable electronic devices ... what they do recognise are a [police] scanner and maps of a major airport.
Of course we're left guessing what the police found on his laptop that suggested they should take him down the station! Given the paper trail that a police officer has to produce if he so much as speaks to someone, I'd have thought that he'd have some justification.
[Oh and this differs from instantaneous situations as the arresting officer has to book the guy in to the station and explain the reasons for suspicion and declare the charge being brought]
Perhaps his desktop wallpaper had a picture of Osama and files called "suicide - fasttrack to heaven.doc" on it - which in my opinion would warrant further investigation given the degree of suspicion raised from other observations.
We don't have enough facts here to judge.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/A1181972 is a useful summary of how and when police can detain and search. He says that he was detained "for suspicious behaviour and public nuisance" - a judge must then have issued a warrant. What grounds of suspicion (given this is after the body search) did they have?
The reason another person carrying a bulky rucksack and wearing a large coat in late summer wouldn't be detained is going to be largely to do with body language I'd have thought. They observed the guy first. He himself admits he's going to look suspicious due to changed appearance (glasses he doesn't normally wear) and apparent attempt to conceal his identity - looking down (yes he's trying not to fall, but who'd know) wearing dark colours and a baseball cap.
Then we get to the stuff taken from his flat. He doesn't look too clean
Then he goes on "Isn't a state that keeps files on innocent persons a police state?". Maybe. So what, what harm is it doing. If the police were to expunge the information kept about your arrest, what do they do when you then claim you were beaten up? And why do you need the CCTV footage (which they doubtless can't give you as they show other peoples activities too). He does have a right to know what info they retain. If it's factual, what's the problem.
So in summary: The guy was acting suspiciously (no eye contact, looking around, head down as he passed police). His workplace was associated with a potential firearms threat and with people taking photos of tube stations. He's wearing a heavy coat and rucksack. He appears to be hiding his appearance (confirmed later by contacting his work and asking for a description
I think the police were right to check him out.
They appear to have been courteous and professional and even let him call his girlfriend.
>>> Does that mean she's a terrorist ?
...
... suspicious materials. I'd want them to look into it a little. Perhaps call her workplace.
No.
But there are always going to be some false positives
If she was behaving suspiciously in a tube station wearing a large coat, carrying a rucksack (or other large package), perhaps wearing a yashmak, and displaying - after continued observation - signs of potentially threatening behaviour. I'd hope a policeman might speak to her, perhaps look in her bag and pockets.
If then they found electronic devices and
If her workplace then said she doesn't normally ride the tube, nor wear a yashmak and police HQ confirmed that members of her workplace had been spotted taking photos of tube stations and further that her workplace had been involved in firearms and bomb reports. I'd hope that they might consider further action.
If a judge then concurred that evidence from her laptop warranted a further check of her home then I'd hope that would be carried out. When they then found that she had a radio scanner (can be used to monitor police radio channels) and various unindentifiable electronic devices as well as a map of a large metropolitan airport at her flat. I'd hope that they ask questions.
It sucks to be falsely accused. Yes I've been detained by police (but not to this extent) and used to always get baggage searched at airports (I'm young and have a beard to match my rucksack!).
The police don't want to do this. But they'd rather do this than stand by as people get blown up. There were a lot of "indicators" here.
I don't doubt the "victim"'s report. I just feel his incredulous response is not warranted. But I expect I'd be pissed too.
'a "radio scanner" (used to monitor police radio?!)'
An entirely legal and popular pasttime in the US. Quite illegal in the UK though.
DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'