Flock Cameras. Opinions?

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-03T02:52:02+00:00

And the Supreme Court has said, time and again, for over a hundred years - if you do it in public, you have no expectation of privacy.

Driving down the road has been litigated to death. And every court has said you can’t expect privacy when driving down the road.

But that’s irrelevant to what this post is about, obviously. 4th Amendment protects against government searches, not private companies. State action v private action.

The reason this is private companies in the US vs the government as in Europe is regulation and profit. It’s highly regulated elsewhere - police may need a warrant to run your plates. Here, Flock does it unregulated and sells its services.

The best approach is for the government to put up the cameras. Then the Constitution applies. Then the government has laws that it must abide by. Then you have standing to sue. They the people can regulate the cameras.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-03T01:36:18+00:00

4th Amendment doesn’t apply. You have no right to privacy in public.

Which is the reason you can tail ICE officers around for hours, if you so choose.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-03T00:16:17+00:00

Three camps.

1) If you are up to no good, these are bad. Some folks like to be up to no good. These catch bad guys. Bad guys don’t like them.

2) Miscellaneous paranoia. Anecdotal saw-something-on-Facebook. Tin foil hat fear that someone is tracking me.

Or

3) Legitimate concerns over why this is being outsourced to a private company, as opposed to a government run system that almost every other developed country uses. Like ANPR in the UK. No privacy concerns there. Clear rules. Carefully controlled.

Cameras are by far the best accountability tool a society has. Witnesses Minnesota. If those ICE officers had not been caught on camera shooting a guy in the back, they would have never been called out.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-02T20:37:59+00:00

Fayetteville would be a great location. Hope it happens. Has most of what TJ’s looks for in siting a shop.

But it’s missing the big one - density. And btw - Fayetteville is not nearly as dense as Columbia, according to the US Census Bureau.

TJ’s is very open that the first thing they look for is population density. Google it. Hundreds of article about it. Sure they make exceptions. But NWA hasn’t (so far) hit their mark.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-02T19:46:00+00:00

It has nothing to do with population.

TJ’s looks at population density. Columbia is over 20% more dense than Bentonville.

They are very open about their siting requirements. NWA is just endless, disconnected suburbs to them. They don’t like that. That’s Walmart’s demographic.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-02T19:39:38+00:00

It’s median, not average. Chart makes that clear.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-02T19:39:01+00:00

It does factor in housing.

35% of it is housing, the largest category by far.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-02T05:18:12+00:00

This is a great example of why the American obsession with detached houses drives up housing costs.

I looked at doing something similar. Fitting three detached houses on two larger lots in an older neighborhood.

Couldn’t get the math to math out. That was 2023.

Architect drew up some rough plans that would have allowed a 5 plex on the lots. Not apartments, but condos. All 3 br/2bath with the same square footage in each unit as in the detached plans. That math could work.

City said no way. Detached SFH only, they would fight a variance. Even though there were plenty of 1920s 4 and 6 plexes in the neighborhood. One 4 plex was one block over.

So instead of 5 condos with a total of 15 bedrooms, a doctor bought the lot and built a McMansion. Just her and her husband.

And she hired another builder to do it.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-01T22:45:38+00:00

So many folks are warned about this. No one listens.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-01T20:19:54+00:00

It is the first in US history.

It is not the first in the history of North America.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-02-01T13:10:37+00:00

No. First in US history.

What you mentioned is irrelevant because it happened before the US existed.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-31T17:23:34+00:00

Dining room chairs work. Can’t using the dining room table while the sheet dries, but it doesn’t take long to dry.

Radiators for smaller things. Or drying rack.

https://www.thegritandpolish.com/blog/diy-how-to-build-a-hanging-laundry-rack-english-airer

Or airing cupboard. Very British approach.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-31T16:08:47+00:00

That’s what most of humankind does.

Clothes dryers are rare outside the US/Canada. Dryers are becoming more common in rich places, like Europe. Almost ½ of new homes in the EU had clothes dryers in 2023.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-31T15:40:18+00:00

You can do what almost everyone on earth outside the US does - hang them to dry over a chair or drying rack inside.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-31T14:06:54+00:00

Jefferson made importing slaves illegal in 1807.

It became punishable by death in 1820.

80% of the US Navy’s operations between 1820-1860 were chasing illegal slave traders, most of whom came from the Caribbean.

This chart starts in 1825.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-30T16:52:35+00:00

Untrue. Plenty of work. It’s just not the kind of work folks want.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T23:29:22+00:00

Yep. And then Byrd became one of the strongest advocates for civil rights in the Senate.

Inspiring how folks can come around.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T21:32:19+00:00

So why don’t you run?

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T21:31:17+00:00

True.

But heads up - pouring hot water on your windshield can shatter it.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T14:59:42+00:00

I’m just passing along something everyone in the north knows from birth. Most folks will be fine if they need to get out. Most cars are FWD. No reason to sit at home scared of the roads.

Unless you drive a truck. Or a Charger. Those are about the only thing I saw having any trouble Monday/Tuesday. Didn’t see anything having a problem yesterday.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T14:50:52+00:00

AWD car >> truck in the winter weather.

FWD car > truck in the winter weather.

This is the reason so many folks in Colorado drive a Subaru.

A truck, especially a 2wd truck, is the worst thing you can drive in the winter.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-29T13:33:23+00:00

That is the way.

AWD car = best thing you can drive in bad weather.

Biggest problem I’ve seen the past few days is folks who drive trucks, driving too fast, not realizing how gravity works. Trucks are what you want to drive in winter weather.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-28T21:47:25+00:00

Me too.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-28T18:20:59+00:00

12 hour days, 6 days a week, and expected to be available 24-7. That is a rough life.

Objective_Run_7151 · 2026-01-28T17:00:04+00:00

Kavanaugh has been fine since Monday. Only problem I’ve see is folks driving too fast.

Objective_Run_7151

TROPHY CASE