Intrusive behaviour

Mike Todd wrote a while back on narrowboatworld about the use of spying and advising Neighbourhood Watch schemes—see www.narrowboatworld/5289 writes Mick Fitzgibbons.

I am picking up on this, because I find Mike Todd's remarks very curious. The reporting of unlicensed boats is an easy function—CaRT even has a web page that lets anyone report such issues.

Covert spying

But this is not about reporting the day to day stuff. This is covert spying and the collecting of evidence by way of note taking and photography. It is intrusive behaviour, and I am sure that many others will think the same. A popular saying to justify such spying is 'if you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to fear'.

Now, if anyone I don't know comes around me, my family or my boat, pointing a camera or making notes. I think that anyone might view it as suspicious behaviour. I would not think it threatening, but I would want to be able question their actions.

Suspicious behaviour

If when challenged, the person decided to run away, then that is a change to being very suspicious behaviour. Is it a burglar, are they a pervert or peeping tom, is it a paedophile, I don't know, but I do know that it certainly is not someone behaving normally. I am not going to take any chances, and the production of an IWA membership card does not hold any authority, to me or I am sure to the police.

For intruding on my privacy, photographing or just being a plain old nosy parker, or being observed spying suspiciously round my personal property, you are doing something morally wrong, despite Mr Todd protestations. People doing this sort of thing are placing themselves at risk of being confronted and detained until the police arrive.

Anyone being brought to the attention of the police will have the details of their behaviour recorded against their identity and it might have some serious consequences later if a employer or prospective employer decided to do a background check.