8 April, 2009

Uncomfortable thought

We were in London this past weekend, under the gaze of the notoriously ridiculous number of CCTV cameras* .  And felt safe.

We had the confidence to walk down dark alleys I would normally avoid, occasionally dressed in ways that rather marked us as non-locals, with a perhaps-very-misplaced feeling that no-one would try anything whilst the cameras were watching.

This seems analogous to the common argument against bicycle helmets: that they instill a false sense of security and a dangerous recklessness; without the illusion of invulnerability, non-wearers (should) feel a need to take extra care.

Yet... I wouldn't want to be without my cycle helmet.

*: Yes, I looked for, and at, the cameras. So report me.