Big Brother is Watching You

[AlanHo]

Have you ever wondered if THEY know you are on your way to work, shopping or perhaps to a hotel etc? Or that THEY know you have been staying there? Have you ever wondered how the postman knows exactly where you live - how the other person on the phone knows you are waiting - the lying manufacturers who claim they do not make your cereal for anyone else. It would be all too easy to become paranoid.

Up until about a few years ago I was sceptical about THEM, I knew THEY existed and that THEY took notice of things but was fairly happy that I was not a target for THEIR interests, how wrong can you be?

I recently booked a room in a Hotel for a couple of nights and it so happened that the Hotel car park was actually a public car park (cost of parking refunded by the Hotel) about 100 yards down, or was it up? the road, I drove into the car park and went to the “Pay & Display” meter and there was my first major clue, above the meter was a large map that had a very prominent arrow pointing to the car park and proclaiming “YOU ARE HERE”. To add fuel to the fire, there was a second very prominent arrow pointing to the Hotel and proclaiming “HOTEL MIRAMAR IS HERE”. I was a little taken aback that not only did THEY know where I was but THEY also knew that I was booked into the Hotel Miramar (or whatever the name was).

Foolishly I decided to ignore the obvious signs and began to walk towards the Hotel and it was during this walk that I saw the second major clue, on my way I had to pass the hotel tradesman's entrance and glancing at the door I saw it had a notice “THIS DOOR IS ALARMED”. That really got me thinking, if a mere door can be alarmed at something then perhaps I should start to get worried - so it was with no little trepidation that I went to reception and booked in.

A large notice outside my room gave me the biggest clue yet, a floor map purporting to show the location of fire exits, but I noticed that the only room that was marked in red was my room, THEY knew which was my room. This was confirmed when upon entering I saw that the “DO NOT DISTURB” sign was on the inside of the door! THEY were in my room and THEY did not want to be disturbed, I hurriedly looked around but I could not see THEM. I made a thorough search of the entire room but the only clue I observed was that if the size of the bars of soap and sachets of shower gel were anything to go on, then THEY must be quite small. By now I was pretty much convinced that THEY knew just about everything about me so I decided to switch the radio on and forget all about THEM. Disaster struck because after 5 minutes the continuity announcer said, in what I thought was a slightly smug voice, “You have been listening to Radio 2”, to make it worse THEY chased me round the dial “This is Radio 3 and for your enjoyment ………….” etc.

What really did it for me was that the next morning. I went down to breakfast and the buffet included all of my favourite breakfast treats – not only did THEY know where I was, but THEY knew what I liked to eat. On my return to my room I saw that THEY had broken into my room and had made the bed! That was good enough for me - I had all the proof I needed - and I booked out immediately.

So what clues have you picked up that THEY exist and that THEY know everything about you and what you have been doing?

With apologies to Kevin McAleer.

[Watchful]

THEY are just fooling you into thinking that everything is done just for you alone :D

[catgate]

I remember as a child in Bradford asking my dad who this mysterious THEY were.

He told me that THEY were a group of six grey men who sat up in the town hall clock tower, dressed in morning coats, jodhpurs and riding boots, and wearing tram drivers mittens (because it is cold up there) and they made the decisions on the important things.

Now you've gone and spoilt it all.

[andsome]

Have you ever wondered if THEY know you are on your way to work, shopping or perhaps to a hotel etc? Or that THEY know you have been staying there? Have you ever wondered how the postman knows exactly where you live - how the other person on the phone knows you are waiting - the lying manufacturers who claim they do not make your cereal for anyone else. It would be all too easy to become paranoid.

Up until about a few years ago I was sceptical about THEM, I knew THEY existed and that THEY took notice of things but was fairly happy that I was not a target for THEIR interests, how wrong can you be?

I recently booked a room in a Hotel for a couple of nights and it so happened that the Hotel car park was actually a public car park (cost of parking refunded by the Hotel) about 100 yards down, or was it up? the road, I drove into the car park and went to the “Pay & Display” meter and there was my first major clue, above the meter was a large map that had a very prominent arrow pointing to the car park and proclaiming “YOU ARE HERE”. To add fuel to the fire, there was a second very prominent arrow pointing to the Hotel and proclaiming “HOTEL MIRAMAR IS HERE”. I was a little taken aback that not only did THEY know where I was but THEY also knew that I was booked into the Hotel Miramar (or whatever the name was).

Foolishly I decided to ignore the obvious signs and began to walk towards the Hotel and it was during this walk that I saw the second major clue, on my way I had to pass the hotel tradesman's entrance and glancing at the door I saw it had a notice “THIS DOOR IS ALARMED”. That really got me thinking, if a mere door can be alarmed at something then perhaps I should start to get worried - so it was with no little trepidation that I went to reception and booked in.

A large notice outside my room gave me the biggest clue yet, a floor map purporting to show the location of fire exits, but I noticed that the only room that was marked in red was my room, THEY knew which was my room. This was confirmed when upon entering I saw that the “DO NOT DISTURB” sign was on the inside of the door! THEY were in my room and THEY did not want to be disturbed, I hurriedly looked around but I could not see THEM. I made a thorough search of the entire room but the only clue I observed was that if the size of the bars of soap and sachets of shower gel were anything to go on, then THEY must be quite small. By now I was pretty much convinced that THEY knew just about everything about me so I decided to switch the radio on and forget all about THEM. Disaster struck because after 5 minutes the continuity announcer said, in what I thought was a slightly smug voice, “You have been listening to Radio 2”, to make it worse THEY chased me round the dial “This is Radio 3 and for your enjoyment ………….” etc.

What really did it for me was that the next morning. I went down to breakfast and the buffet included all of my favourite breakfast treats – not only did THEY know where I was, but THEY knew what I liked to eat. On my return to my room I saw that THEY had broken into my room and had made the bed! That was good enough for me - I had all the proof I needed - and I booked out immediately.

So what clues have you picked up that THEY exist and that THEY know everything about you and what you have been doing?

With apologies to Kevin McAleer.

I don't know if this is still the case, but a few years ago, most supermarket corn flakes were made by the Weetabix Company. :D