The joke with the hidden camera

Did you used to watch Bananasplit? Nowadays, you don't need to turn on the television for that. You just walk out the door and within no-time you are in the middle of a joke with a hidden camera. However, the difference with Bananasplit is that there is nothing to laugh at and no one comes running up to you to tell you that you are in the middle of a joke, after which you wave at the camera laughing together and the filming stops. These days, you can laugh and wave as much as you want, but the hidden camera just keeps on filming. If you are lucky it is just one camera. If you are unlucky, it is as many as 10 or 20. Maybe a hundred in a day. A thousand in a week. All paid for with your own tax money, without you having asked for it and without serving any purpose. Don't you think that's a good joke? The gentleman from the camera factory does think it's a good joke. That gentleman is lying somewhere under a palm tree completely laughing.

But now seriously: this is obviously not acceptable. It is high time that this expensive pranking is put to an end. For example, in Amsterdam, where the Amsterdam West district council has to start deciding whether or not to continue a local project with three expensive, useless cameras. An excellent article on this by VU PhD student Matthijs Pontier you will find HERE. Privacy First wishes you much reading pleasure (and district council Amsterdam West much wisdom)!