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The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:05 am
by Omag 2.0
I've been enjoying the bbc a lot lately and this week I saw a show about traffic-cops and their jobs. The following scene had me godsmacked...

The officers present a new system, a sort of cameravan that stands along the road or in a patrolcar. It takes pictures of the passing vehicles and checks their status by tracing the license-plate. Fantastic stuff, in an instant the officers receive informations about the owner, possible warrants, insurrance and tax-status... I was impressed...

So, we follow the officers on patrol. All of the sudden the system spots a car without insurrance and owned by a person that had his license withdrawn. A loud Fred Flintstone Jabadabadooo is heared ( you gotta love that!), a sign that the officers should check the vehicle.

So, they pull over the car and bring the driver to the patrolcar. I'm thinking to myself, poor guy, now you're in for it!

But, it seems you don't need to have ID on you in the UK, so the next half hour, the officers try to establish the persons ID, by questioning them and checking the info he gives with a special team at the buro! The fact that the offender was lying about his identity didn't speed thing up neither... They had to look for holes in his story...

I was like "WHAT"?! You can pull up all needed info on a car by photographing a licenseplate! But to get the info on a person you need half a day? What's wrong with that picture?

In Belgium we all have an identity-card, with photo, which allows lawinforcers to swiftly confirm your identity. And by law you need to carry it with you whenever your out of the house... Now why don't they have that in the UK yet? It's beyond me!

Omag

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:16 am
by ozzy72
You don't even have to have your car documents and driving licence on you Kris. You have a week to produce them at the police station of your choice! Of course those of us who have friends/relatives in the Force can abuse this facility ;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:17 am
by Hai Perso Coyone?
Yah...we too have ID cards...Not necessary to carry them whenever we walk out though...needed just for travel... 8)

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:18 am
by Hagar
Yah...we too have ID cards...Not necessary to carry them whenever we walk out though...needed just for travel... 8)

I have one of them. It's called a passport. :P ;)

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:29 am
by Romulus111VADT
Crap, here in the good ole US of A. You normally need 3 forms of ID to do anything. Every adult carries a drivers license and a social security card. Then many have work place picture ID's or security badges. Some places even require you produce your birth certificate as a form of ID for some security jobs.  ::)

;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:33 am
by Omag 2.0
Some places even require you produce your birth certificate as a form of ID for some security jobs.


LOL, now that I like...

Sorry sir, we can't employ you... You can't proove you actually live and we don't pay the dead!  ;D  ;D  ;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:33 am
by commoner
... Now why don't they have that in the UK yet? It's beyond me!

Omag


...Ha....You might well ask..........it is actually on the cards.........you personally Omag might think it strange but most people (or at least many ) are dead against this..they believe it infringes their civil rights and are terrrified that "Big Brother" will be watching their every move................

.......never mind that it helps in ways similar to your example and many other ways. too......."we must keep our civil rights intact at all costs."

...we could have a big debate here on SimV I suppose but sparks might fly and it could get political so maybe better not..............commoner ;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:34 am
by Omag 2.0
The thing is, I don't understand why they would invest in such high-tec systems if they don't even have the basic material to connect a person to the vehicle... Perhaps it's just me...

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:39 am
by Brett_Henderson
they believe it infringes their civil rights and are terrrified that "Big Brother" will be watching their every move................

.......never mind that it helps in ways similar to your example and many other ways. too......."we must keep our civil rights intact at all costs."


Where do

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:41 am
by Romulus111VADT
[quote]

LOL, now that I like...

Sorry sir, we can't employ you... You can't proove you actually live and we don't pay the dead!

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:42 am
by Hagar
...Ha....You might well ask..........it is actually on the cards.........you personally Omag might think it strange but most people (or at least many ) are dead against this..they believe it infringes their civil rights and are terrrified that "Big Brother" will be watching their every move................

.......never mind that it helps in ways similar to your example and many other ways. too......."we must keep our civil rights intact at all costs."  

All I'm prepared to say on this subject is in the form of a question. Name one government IT project that actually works properly & is not subject to abuse. ::) http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024851,39131431,00.htm?PROCESS=show&ID=20050665&AT=39131431

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:46 am
by Omag 2.0

LOL....I think it's more to prove you birth name and age than anything.

Hell, when I applied for the Sheriff's Dept. back in the late 70's. You had to take a psychological test and some of the questions were hilarious. Like, do you have both your big toes? I responded, "Ummm, let me check, Yes." Then do you have both your testicles?....lmao....the tester looked at me and said, "Don't even go there." The test interviewer was female...... :o

;D


Are you sure you weren't applying for a part in a cheap pornmovie? By accident?  ;D  ;D  ;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:54 am
by Romulus111VADT
[quote]

Are you sure you weren't applying for a part in a cheap pornmovie? By accident?

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:12 am
by Tweek
Seems a little dangerous having to carry ID with you!

Say if you got mugged - they steal everything, including your ID... They now know who to go looking for if they're reported to the police and found out!

I don't want to be followed by hitmen :'( ;D

Re: The Brits never cease to amaze me...

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:53 am
by Theis
In Denmark you don't need ID just for walking, only when driving in car, or at certain jobs (Police, security ect.)