Big Brother Protecting the Rich

Medina is a community across Lake Washington (and mostly on the shores of Lake Washington) from Seattle. It's mostly known as "where Bill Gates" lives. Yeah, Microsoft Bill Gates.

For years the Medina Police Department feasted off of handing out speeding tickets to young Master Gates as he roared to and from the Microsoft offices in his various fast cars. But now that the little burg is accumulating more and more wealthy residents, and Mr. Gates seems to have slowed down, the Medina Police Department disclosed that they have installed cameras and software that will record and instantaneously determine who owns what vehicle as it crosses into the Medina boundaries.

The cameras and software were installed on the basis of 11 burglaries in 2008 (having gone to school in New Haven, lived in New York and Washington, DC, 11 burglaries a day in any one of those towns would be considered a quiet event!).

I rarely if ever go to Medina. I think when I head to Bellevue, the nearest largest city, I may meekly step into Medina turf as I drive by the exclusive golf course on my way to the Orvis store (for much needed fly fishing supplies). But what concerns me is this rush to Big Brother in an attempt to deter relatively minor amounts of crime. Woe to the poor guy who is caught driving to and fro from his law partner's house, having, perhaps an affair with the wife! Or the nosey employer who may want to see the video tapes to make sure their highly paid executive isn't parked at the golf course rather than at his desk. And of course there are all the overtones of cars entering Medina that may not be Mercedes, Porches, Bentleys, Volvos...you get the drift. The very thought that I am being watched creeps me out. Guess I will find an alternate route to Orvis!

And the other issue is a larger one. Affluent residents of Sun Valley, Idaho, hired their own firefighters to protect their mega-mansions during the summer fires several years ago. Private security is hired to protect publicly elected officials. It's as if the wealthy and powerful don't trust the public and the security we provide each other. Perhaps, not only are these cameras a scary and unnerving portend of the future, but also a testament to the unravelling of community, a sense we're all in "this" together.

Word to the wise: don't drive your stolen car to Medina!