...Yeah...a bit harsh but probably fair. Re the security aspects though, I would say, it's just the same in London these days. In fact Londoners are the most surveilled people on the planet I believe. Stand around outside MI6 or any public building and the same thing is likely to happen. And maybe a goon with a Machine gun too... e.g. any airport. Btw, leave the Japanese out of this!! They're lovely! 3 weeks I spent in Japan a few years ago were the politest, most cultured and civilised 3 weeks of my life!! Changed my view of the Japanese forever!!
You be horrified if you saw what the surveillance is like in London. I've had a glimpse of the equipment available to the parliamentary estate - that's just their own security - and it truly boggles the mind.
Yeah, I think it's pretty easy to go about your daily life in London, have a great time and not be aware of any the surveillance CC cameras, facial recognition cameras, etc etc. But they ARE there. Prob looking a bit "Handy" definitely doesn't hurt in terms of how you're treated either! We're blessed with not having the same level of paranoia in the UK as our American cousins but some of the security culture STARTED here. Gatso f*cking cameras for example!!
Well, I was living in London a lot of the time between 2004 and 2009 and never had any bother. Sure I had my pocket picked and bike stolen - only times I ever talked to a copper, except for when I discovered a mobile phone in bits on the road. I gathered up the bits and put them together and used it to phone who I assumed to be its owner. It turned out to be a copper who came round to recover it and subsequently produced a bottle of wine. There are CCTV cameras all over London and I'm not in favour (far from it), but they're not remotely interested in using them to find the authors of petty crime. I doubt they have the resources to look at much of the film they have. They are only really interested in dusky people with beards these days.
i was born in lewisham (dont hate) and have lived in south east London and West London (Acton, Ealing and as far out as Hounslow)..i moved to the midlands for years, returned to London for a few years and came back ooop north, so im pretty well acquainted with London and how its changed..most of my family still live in SE London so return often... in my experience the cameras are absolutely everywhere once you start to notice, and generally speaking of course, ive found the Met to be over zealous and under educated....pop over to central london and they try and stop people 'gathering' anywhere, or if theres a guy with a bullhorn they try and arrest him for 'an unlawful protest' even if the chaps just talking..ive seen it many many times...my admiration goes out to the 'legitimate protestor' (who they hate but have had to endure to the public support) of the gentleman permanently camped out opposite the houses of parliament..i cant remember his name, but he's always there, always smiling and always giving them hell...in fact i think he's even got quite a following on youtube where he talks to the public, the odd politician he collars and the many many plod who try and intimidate/arrest him but have neither the wit or knowledge of the law, country and its workings to get the better of him. viva la revolution!
So you think policemen look young. I realised I was getting old when I noticed some High Court Judges had started looking young to me.
