ARE YOU BEING WATCHED?

There you are, sitting at the stop light, when you look up and spot the surveillance camera next to the signal light.  You have to wonder if they are watching you.   

I was working in the casino business when an employee stole $1,000 in cash from a stash of unprotected money.  We were able to track his every move from camera to camera throughout the casino, until he eventually stopped and removed the money from inside his shirt and put it into the lining of the jacket in his locker.  Yes, today they can track your moves from camera to camera. 

Not only are store owners watching customers, they are also watching employees and delivery people.  The price of cameras has gone into the basement; even homeowners are putting cameras around the exteriors of their houses to watch who comes and goes in the neighborhood, but they’re also using them to check on their kids and babysitters.  No, they don’t always stick out like a sore thumb; some can be hidden in planters, briefcases, smoke detectors and pens. 

The real question is, “Who is it that is watching you?”  Do they have a legal right, or are they trying to catch a glimpse of your teenage daughter changing clothes for bed?  Yes, the bank has a right to look at transactions and potential robbers, but does a clothing store have a right to keep a camera focused on a fitting room? 

Everywhere we go, the cameras are there watching everything we do.  It’s time we started paying attention to where they are located and to start asking why they are there. 

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.