Fiorito: Did you smile? You were voting on candid camera

Fiorito: Did you smile? You were voting on candid camera

If you live on an upper floor in a highrise overlooking the Don Valley, and if you look west at night, you can see the valley woods and they are lovely, dark and deep.

Nice, in a “miles to go before I sleep” sort of way.

If you live in the highrise at 701 Don Valley Rd., and if you had tuned your television to the lobby channel on election day, you could have watched your neighbours lining up to vote at the polling station near the entrance.

Nice, in a “we’re all in this together” sort of way.

But if you had magnified the lobby camera view on your TV screen — given the angle of the spy camera and the placement of the voting tables — then you could have seen, with some degree of certainty, how your neighbours cast their ballots.

And that is not so nice, in a “secret ballot as a cherished principle of democracy” sort of way.

Yes, this is one last small story in the aftermath of the election. Sorry, that’s not quite true; there will be four whole years of stories in the aftermath.

Back to the lobby cam.

I dropped in on my friends Peter and Francoise the other night. They live at the aforementioned building.

Peter’s field is industrial robots. Francoise is an environmental scientist who specializes in brown water. They are a smart couple.

Francoise said, “We voted in the advance poll.” Because of that, they knew whose name was where on the ballot.

We were chatting in their living room. They have a big TV. Francoise had it tuned to the lobby channel. I saw a couple of views of the entrance, and then the spy pen camera cycled over the laundry room, and then it cycled back to the lobby again.

That’s where the polling station was.

Francoise happened to be pet sitting the night of the election. She had turned on the lobby channel to see what sort of crowd she’d have to wade through when she went out.

Peter said, “You could see the backs of the people as they voted, and the mini spy camera was at an angle so that you could see the ballot; if you zoomed in, you couldn’t read the names, but you could tell.”

I glanced at the TV. I saw an old fellow with a walker leave an elevator and enter the lobby. Francoise hit zoom. Up close. Personal.

Yikes.

Peter said, “In this riding, the councillor’s name was at the bottom of the ballot; you could tell. We were sort of stunned.”

What did he do?

“I thought of saying something. I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be. Instead, I sent a letter to the organization that handles municipal elections in the province.”

In the letter, Peter indicated that he wasn’t interested in seeing anyone hauled up on any carpet; he just wanted to be sure that, when polling stations are set up in apartment building lobbies, the position of the lobby wireless spy camera be taken into account.

I’m not sure what anyone would do with the information, by the way. But that’s not the point. The point is that you might think you know how I voted, but you don’t have the right to see me doing it.

I glanced at the TV again.

The old fellow was still sitting on his chair when a young man came by and engaged him in conversation. Francoise said that was the sort of building they lived in; nice, neighbourly.

Peter showed me a note he got in return from the elections guy. I think they’re going to take a look.

An “over the shoulder” sort of look.

Motorists soon to be back on candid camera

   Motorists soon to be back on candid camera

Though the Gulf Breeze city council approved the leasing of a mini spy camera to monitor the running of the red light at the junction of U.S. Highway 98 and Daniel Drive, it might be months before the system is installed and active.

Police Chief Peter Paulding advised that “it’s going to take a month or two for the system to be up.”
Once, active, the tickets generated by the spy cameras will carry a $158 fine each.
Under the new contract with Sensys, the city will conduct the “back-office work” associated with ticketing, collecting, handling appeals and other aspects of the process. It is hoped the new contract will have the spy pen cameras active by the end of the year.
Paulding said the cameras – active for more than five years – have effectively reduced accidents at the busy intersection.
More than 6,000 tickets were issued and, even after the appeals process, more than $400,000 collected. According to Paulding, not every individual ticketed has paid the $100 fine.
“There is an appeals process, and the vast majority of the motorists ticketed appealed,” he said. “The process is very strident to ensure that only obvious violators are cited. Since the wireless spy cameras were up and running, more than 10,000 incidents were documented when cameras have gone off. Of those incidents, only a little more than 6,000 of the violations were cited.”
State law now requires that the city lease the equipment, not pay a percentage of collections. Under the former contract with Traffipax that’s now in dispute, Traffipax earned a percentage of collected fines and more than $400,000 remains in escrow from the first contract. The funds will not be dispersed to the two parties pending litigation.
Under the new contract, the city will pay Sensys $5,000 per month and fund the necessary software and continuous video of the intersection for a total cost of $6,000 per month. Each violation recorded is reviewed by the Gulf Breeze Police officer prior to the issuance of a fine.

Have nowhere to hide oneself

                 Have nowhere to hide oneself

A wireless camera is a type of video camera that does not require the use of cables or external wires for connection to related equipment. Wireless cameras offer convenience when the placement of such cables would be difficult or even impossible. Some wireless cameras use batteries, making them totally independent of power outlets as well. Furthermore, they are portable and can be moved from location to location quite easily.

A wireless camera may be a good choice for video surveillance. This type of mini spy camera can be used for both home and business, providing good surveillance coverage while offering easy installation. Keep in mind, however, that some wireless cameras still require connection to a power outlet. If connecting to a power outlet isn’t convenient or will give away the location of a camera you want hidden, consider purchasing a battery-powered wireless camera instead.

It is wise to consider the laws of your state or country before using a wireless spy camera for surveillance. In some cases, there may be legal issues involved. However, you may find that using a wireless camera for surveillance is acceptable as long as it is used in a place in which others could have no expectation of privacy. Such places may include a public sidewalk or the inside of a retail store.

Some individuals choose to use wireless spy pen cameras to keep tabs on their babysitters or daycare providers. In such cases, wireless cameras are hidden or camouflaged, making them practically impossible to detect. Often, a wireless camera can be hidden in household items like plants or stuffed animals. Again, it is important to check your local laws before using a wireless camera for this purpose

Wireless spy cameras are also popular for webcamming. Used for this purpose, a wireless camera owner can allow another Internet user to both see and hear him or her using Internet technology. Many individuals use wireless cameras to catch up with long-distance relatives and friends, chat over the Internet with just about anyone, and even participate in the online dating scene.