If You Must Make A Hidden Camera, Don't Make It Look Like Garbage

from the just-a-suggestion dept

Here's one for the "didn't quite think that through, did you" files. Gizmodo points us to the news that British authorities trying to prevent illegal trash dumping put a hidden camera at a popular dumping site. The only problem was that they disguised the hidden camera (which cost somewhere around $20,000 -- I have no clue why it cost so much) as a trash bag, and neglected to tell the folks in charge of cleaning up the site. So, yes, they threw out the hidden camera. Whoops.
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Filed Under: garbage, hidden camera, uk


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  1. identicon
    wasnt me, 3 Jul 2008 @ 1:00am

    haha best example ive ever seen of ur tax money being well spent.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Paul, 3 Jul 2008 @ 1:22am

    Camera Cost

    The cost of the camera is so high because it is a high quality camera that has to be durable, have enough space to store 24+ hours of high quality footage and the ability to transmit it wirelessly, such as to a nearby van where the authorities are watching from.

    It needs some pretty good batteries to run that long, and smaller lighter batteries cost a lot more.

    Plus you have to add the government tax on it. You pretty much just double the price of it, and half of it is just tax dollars being spent elsewhere, that is how the government transfers funds between departments after an approved budget, so it looks good on paper but the money is still really just going to the war.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    spiderwebby, 3 Jul 2008 @ 2:29am

    Re: Camera Cost

    tax dollors eh?
    last time i checked we used pounds :P

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Andy, 3 Jul 2008 @ 2:49am

    Facts?

    Why did it cost so much? - Because the hack that wrote the story made up an "estimate" as the ACTUAL cost wasn't disclosed.

    "The council did not disclose how much the camera cost, but similar systems involving a minature video camera cost between £7,000 and £10,000."

    So the "estimate" was $14k-$20k, the real cost isn't known.
    Still it wouldn't be so funny and prove a political point if the camera only cost £150!

    Next.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    tnetech, 3 Jul 2008 @ 2:49am

    This is priceless, sort of

    I love stories like this, reminds us that we are all human after all

    News & Views, Installation Guides and How To's
    http://tnetech.net

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Lucretious, 3 Jul 2008 @ 5:02am

    Goddamned brits love spying on their people.

    George Orwell would've been a sad panda indeed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Cassius Seeley, 3 Jul 2008 @ 5:15am

    Just my two pennies

    So why not just mount a big ugly camera there with a bright flashing red light on it. Then put a sign up that says dumping trash is illegal and we are watching.

    I think this would pretty much stop people from dumping anything there. If not, then they have problems other than dumping trash inappropriately :) LOL

    I am pretty sure the BIG OLD Ugly cameras are cheaper too :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Skippy T. Mut, 3 Jul 2008 @ 5:41am

    Really?

    Ever wonder where the government gets all that extra money that nobody knows about and never appears in budgets? Ever wonder how they fund illegal and covert operations? It's easy...tell everyone you spent $20,000 on a camera, and then say "oops, we lost the camera...gosh darn it!" Now you have $20,000 of squeaky clean money to do whatever you want with. Duhhhhhhh.......

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    James, 3 Jul 2008 @ 6:16am

    They should'a...

    ...put a gubment sign on it reading, "Do Not Remove - Hidden Camera"... LOL

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jul 2008 @ 6:25am

    why would you make the camera hidden? Woudn't an overtly placed camera that was actually monitored be more effective?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    no, 3 Jul 2008 @ 8:05am

    no the presence of cameras doesnt stop crime.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jul 2008 @ 11:17am

    ha ha ha ha ha ha
    Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
    HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

    "DoH!"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Jason, 3 Jul 2008 @ 11:32am

    LUUUUUUCCCYYYY!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Mischa, 3 Jul 2008 @ 11:41am

    Re:

    Because they don't want to stop people dumping trash, they want to be able to catch and *fine* them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Jason, 3 Jul 2008 @ 11:44am

    Luuuuuthy!!!! You ha got thomb ethplanin to do!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Tomalak Geret'kal, 7 Jul 2008 @ 12:44am

    Well, more to the point, if they put up a big obvious camera at one dumping site, people will dump rubbish around the corner. If you hide a camera and catch them, you may have a chance to stop them ever doing it again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Overcast, 7 Jul 2008 @ 6:08am

    When ya' got cameras EVERYWHERE, one's bound to get destroyed, sooner or later!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Caren, 10 Aug 2008 @ 8:22pm

    hidden camera

    Waeek China Co. Professionally Manufacture Surveillance Security Camera, Spy Device System, home security,Security Surveillance Protection and Special Spy Solution in China. and Keep the Excellent Quality and Competitive Price Anyone Can be acceptable.
    here is our website:http://www.waeek.com

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    wireless camera, 25 Feb 2015 @ 2:31am

    Wireless cameras

    Micro audio video recorder

    DVR ALL IN ONE

    This device “all in one” for the audio/video recording thanks to its minimum size can be hidden almost anywhere, even in electronic devices. The DVR is able to make audio and video files of high quality, thanks to the hight resolution component video and to the powerful microphone preamp. Not only, with “All in one”, you can take great pictures in high resolution, with just one click.

    The same device "All in one" can be used as a real environmental audio recorder because it offers the possibility to record only audio in wave files allowing a considerable saving of energy consumption of the battery and memory space.

    http://www.endoacustica.com/eng_DVR_all_in_one.html

    link to this | view in thread ]


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