Big Brother is Watching

National and local government seem to be winning the argument that they are watching us for our own good. You can hardly step outside your front door in Britain without being photographed. Congestion charging in London means every car's movements are logged.

Michael Reeves in Swansea was fined £200 because "a green recycling bag was found outside his ground floor flat ... containing both paper and bottles and cans." This is what our magistrates and courts are doing?!?!?

Mr Reeves received his first warning notice from the council when he put his bin out a day early as he was going on holiday. What the f#%*? Why are councils spending our money to spy on what day we put our bin out?

A one-off silly local council prosecution? Well, not really. Exeter City Council spent £6,000 procecuting Donna Challicea for putting ordinary rubbish in with the recycling. The court action failed as they were not able to prove beyond doubt that she put it in there.

So how are councils responding? They're installing electronic bugs to monitor bins on the sly. As one MP said, "This is nothing more than a spy in the bin and I don't think even the old Soviet Union made such an intrusion into people's personal lives."

All very trivial, you may argue. Well, how long before the bug is inside your house?

My prediction - soon after the bug is installed in your car.