Big Brother, Buffalo Style

Are you being watched right now?  Well, if you’re using your computer in a public place, chances are you’re probably being taped.  We are filmed often over the course of our daily life, whether it’s at grocery stores, banks, or gas stations.  And if you’re walking down Chippewa Street these days, your moves are also under surveillance.  So I found it interesting that the issue of being taped while using public transportation is currently a controversial one in the city of Toronto. 

The Toronto Sun painted both sides of the story, saying that riders are happy to have the cameras installed as it makes them feel safer.  Yet the article also mentions that people such as Alice Barton of the Toronto Public Space Committee, see the cameras as an invasion of privacy.  Unfortunately, I feel that although cameras may be an invasion of privacy, being a victim of a crime is also an invasion of one’s privacy.  So, I’m willing to sacrifice the former to avoid the latter. 

Just last week I was riding our local public transportation system and I was grateful for the surveillance on board.  If you’ve never noticed, the NFTA Metro has several cameras installed in each rail car.  I ride the Metro often, and usually my rides are uneventful.  Except last week I was stuck in the same car as a couple having a domestic dispute.  We were underground, in a packed train car, and these two were creating a very uncomfortable situation.  I was sitting there, quite nervous, wondering how long this was going to go on.  The situation was escalating.  Would a fellow rider have to step in?

To my relief, within one stop, two police officers boarded the train and alleviated the incident.  Not only did it make me realize that somebody is really watching those surveillance cameras, it made me feel better about being filmed.  As uneasy as it may make me knowing I am being watched, when it comes to protecting the safety of myself and fellow citizens, it is an issue I am willing to compromise on. 

And P.S. In case you’re still not feeling great about public surveillance, just watch this.  It always makes me feel better!