Via Tony, I must confess that my regular behaviour could probably be raising a few flags. Not as many as his, obviously, but still, people have been in court for less…

A few reasons why this poster really annoys me:

• A lot of people like to take pictures of things that are different: this is why Venice’s gondolas are popular. And why merkins take pictures of black taxis. And why a lot of people take pictures of sangers, checkpoints and other in-your-face security. Because it’s not what they have at home and it looks like it doesn’t belong. So now acting like a naturally curious person is grounds for being reported.
• How does one hire a van in a suspicious manner? Must you be wearing a false mustache? Speaking of ze Jermans?
• “Do you know someone who thinks that their travel plans are not your business? Then make it our business! Inform on them to BigBrother@mi5.gov.uk!”
• Define “terrorist related websites”. Because I read quite a few that would be less than happy with current governmental direction. Which is probably going to be declared a terrorist activity in the not-too-distant future.
• Have you seen someone with a large quantity of mobile phones? Yes, lots of people. People have different phones for work and personal life, for north of the border and south of the border, for the wife and the girlfriend, for phone use and for free texts (got as an offer with Genie in ’99). Not one of these things makes the carrier a terrorist, does it?

But never let anything like a reasonable explaination get in the way of Big Brother, eh?