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Hi all
I was driving along a fairly remote stretch of an A road in the dark last night and I saw a car nose-down down the incline at the edge of the road. Realistically, the traffic was too fast to stop immediately and a walk back down the dual carriageway seemed unwise, so I phoned the police non-emergency number from my car (hands free!) to report it in case they weren't aware of it, and was put through to the local Constabulary.
I explained what I'd seen, and after much clattering of a keyboard the operator said that they were aware of it, so all good. However, he then asked me for my name and home address (he already had my phone number). I must admit I didn't think to ask if this was a requirement (I suspect it isn't) but, likewise, I didn't demur from giving these details. Afterwards , my son (who was in the car) said that I definitely should not have done this. My view has always been, if you haven't done anything wring, and don't intend to, such a thing is immaterial. However, he felt so strongly about this that I wondered if this view is a bit naiive these days. Also, I must admit I have a had a growing but non-specific sense of unease (as a lot of people have, I think) about the of encroachment on privacy and information coming too easily to the State etc.
In short, what are people's views/experiences of this? Should I have done what I did? Realistically, my having done it now, what are the implications of this? Part of me says they will have had all this information/links by some means already if they want it; however, part of me says I've now handed over something (even such simple details) that they didn't have before; but is that, in itself, a problem?
It just goes on - was it really a crashed car or a conspiracy? Was it really the police I spoke to? Was it my son? Are there reds under the bed? Did I really give them the honest information (I did!)? Who am I?
Seriously, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts, both specifically and on the 'wider picture' of where we are on all this sort of thing in society now. It's not something I've spent a lot of time thinking about to date - and perhaps that in itself is wrong, as it is a big issue. [MENTION=13402615]PeeJay[/MENTION] - John, I'd be particularly interested in your view if you're not compromised in giving it.
I'm just going into the garden to ponder things more - to paraphrase Holmes: this looks like a two cigar problem... On the other hand, I may just end-up watching the latest installment of 'Better call Saul'; how shallow am I?!
Thanks all.
I was driving along a fairly remote stretch of an A road in the dark last night and I saw a car nose-down down the incline at the edge of the road. Realistically, the traffic was too fast to stop immediately and a walk back down the dual carriageway seemed unwise, so I phoned the police non-emergency number from my car (hands free!) to report it in case they weren't aware of it, and was put through to the local Constabulary.
I explained what I'd seen, and after much clattering of a keyboard the operator said that they were aware of it, so all good. However, he then asked me for my name and home address (he already had my phone number). I must admit I didn't think to ask if this was a requirement (I suspect it isn't) but, likewise, I didn't demur from giving these details. Afterwards , my son (who was in the car) said that I definitely should not have done this. My view has always been, if you haven't done anything wring, and don't intend to, such a thing is immaterial. However, he felt so strongly about this that I wondered if this view is a bit naiive these days. Also, I must admit I have a had a growing but non-specific sense of unease (as a lot of people have, I think) about the of encroachment on privacy and information coming too easily to the State etc.
In short, what are people's views/experiences of this? Should I have done what I did? Realistically, my having done it now, what are the implications of this? Part of me says they will have had all this information/links by some means already if they want it; however, part of me says I've now handed over something (even such simple details) that they didn't have before; but is that, in itself, a problem?
It just goes on - was it really a crashed car or a conspiracy? Was it really the police I spoke to? Was it my son? Are there reds under the bed? Did I really give them the honest information (I did!)? Who am I?
Seriously, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts, both specifically and on the 'wider picture' of where we are on all this sort of thing in society now. It's not something I've spent a lot of time thinking about to date - and perhaps that in itself is wrong, as it is a big issue. [MENTION=13402615]PeeJay[/MENTION] - John, I'd be particularly interested in your view if you're not compromised in giving it.
I'm just going into the garden to ponder things more - to paraphrase Holmes: this looks like a two cigar problem... On the other hand, I may just end-up watching the latest installment of 'Better call Saul'; how shallow am I?!
Thanks all.
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