Citizen-Blogger “bugs-out”/postpones meeting with Mississauga Judicial Inquiry investigators. Switches to Toronto.
February 25th, 2010
[I'd intended to post this blog on Monday, February 22nd. I hesitated because, I just wasn't sure —sure about my creepy feeling inside. Something happened yesterday and all I can say is it was yet another email breach of privacy by the City of Mississauga. And now?... I don't feel I was "too paranoid" in bugging out of Monday's meeting and switching over to Toronto for my meeting with investigators (I'm due there today at 2:00 pm). Also for the record, I will now post what I'd hesitated to Monday evening.]
I arrived early as did one of the investigators. I asked if I could videotape my testimony aiming the camera only at me. She declined and I understood (can’t hurt to ask, right?)
But then I informed her that I had an audio-recorder. She said because of confidentiality reasons I wasn’t allowed that either. That’s all it took. I refused to turn it off. I told her Burnhamthorpe Courthouse was City of Mississauga property and that I never step on Property without an audio-recorder going and keeping it on until I was off.
We’ve rescheduled to Thursday at investigators’ offices —in Toronto.
Have to admit it was embarrassing and I felt badly. The only bright side of this equation was she and her colleagues on route got to go home early in this crazy snowy day.
Once in the car, I felt compelled to file a report if for no other reason than three of my recent blogs were about this interview with the Judicial Inquiry investigators. I can’t just not report on me being too chicken to turn off my audio-recorder…
So once again. The video, followed by the transcript.
Video: “MISSISSAUGA JUDICIAL INQUIRY: Citizen-Blogger bugs out of Mississauga, switches to Toronto” (5:29 min)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
MISSISSAUGAWATCH inside car in parking lot of Burnhamthorpe Courthouse (aka FacPropMgmt/MissCorpSec HQ) :
It’s 1:58. I didn’t get anywhere. I know, yeah, 1:58 and I know the meeting was at 2. The investigator showed up early.
So in the pre-meeting discussion I asked whether I could shoot video. And I said I wasn’t going to take pictures/video of her but just me speaking the way I’m speaking to you —to the camera right now.
And she said no —that she’d prefer not to. And then I said, well, at least I’d like to audio-record it. And she didn’t want that either. And at that point it was over. And not so much because I wanted an audiotape —I don’t need that.
But because I’m here at Burnhamthorpe Courthouse which is —headquarters for Facilities and Properties Management, City of Mississauga.
So when you are on this property —at least when I’m on this property, I’m at Mississauga Corporate Security headquarters. And you know I’m —you see the video surveillance cameras.
I mean I took video —heck, I know intimately where the video surveillance cameras are around here. And it just feels too much like MissCorpSec here.
And I told her that at no time —whenever I’m on City property, I always have my audio-recorder going on. And that I was not about to turn it off right here in Burnhamthorpe Courthouse —which is Mississauga Corporate Security there was no way I was going to do that. And that was it.
We have rescheduled and I’m to go to Toronto on Thursday at the same time roughly —2 o’clock.
She managed to phone the other two who were going to be at the meeting and I guess with the weather being nasty, it’s good that they get to turn around and hopefully she’ll be able to leave as well. It’s unfortunate but—
I’m kind of thinking because —how uncomfortable I felt in there. And the other thing is, you know, looking at that initial Judicial Inquiry room—
—maybe I’ve crossed the line at this point. There’s a crossing the line of every researcher.
And I think today, I think what’s significant is how so profoundly Big Brother‘s gotten into my head.
I know all of the violen— violence— pardon me, the violations of policies while they swear up and down how they’re a dedicated team of professionals. And it’s so bad I worried that they might have been a bug planted in there. Like. You know.
It’s highly unlikely but given this group? I can’t rule that out.
But the other thing is, there’s no way at this point —I just can’t go on City property without having this. I just—
And I realize the implications of it.
And I gotta be wondering right now what the investigators are thinking. That I— because she came out from Toronto. It’s a nasty day. And the two investigators were on their way there. They must be wondering why —why I would not, I’d not want to turn this off.
And they just don’t know. They just have no idea what I’ve seen with Freedom of Information and experienced. And the reading of other public complaints and how City of Mississauga Corporate Security dealt with that. So I know what these people are capable of. So no, I’m not—
But going back to that crossing the line, I’m just —for the first time I’m wondering if I wasn’t too paranoid this time.
Paranoia. An irrational fear.
And was it irrational of me to be afraid to turn this off? And B: was it irrational to wonder whether there wasn’t some kind of a bug —a hearing [sic] device in that courtroom?
I gotta say that Big Brother’s really really really gone inside my head.
TRANSCRIPT ENDS
Signed,
The (And yesterday’s Council meeting proved to be “The Perfect Storm”) Mississauga Muse
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Perhaps, you should have just kept the recorder your business for your personal security. As for there being a bug, it is good that you are conscience of that so you watch what you say.
Hey there Brampton.
Don’t know if you’re the same person who emailed me a couple days ago but…
You wrote:
I believe it’s unethical to record people and not tell them. If you view yourself as The Good Guy then you have to behave like that, right? Plus Edward R. Murrow wouldn’t sneak/audio-record either.
You can’t fight for citizen’s Privacy and then secretly go about audio-recording them.
I’m even upfront with the City of Mississauga and they know I don’t go on their Property unless I’m wired. AND they know why.
You wrote:
First if I were to put a hundred bucks on the line I’d bet there is no bug. I really don’t think there was one.
But Thinking isn’t Knowing.
I just got back from my meeting with the Judicial Inquiry folks in Toronto. I made the right decision bugging out of Burnhamthorpe and switching to T.O. Zero doubt.
Funny. Because the first thing that the Judicial Inquiry folks asked was whether I was recording. I responded with “No, I was hoping you’d be doing that.” They laughed and said no.
They didn’t want to record either. Regrettable actually. But I also understand and respect their request.
Just kind of wish that “hypocritical evil empire” could’ve made it into the Judicial Inquiry records.
Love hearing from B-Town and warm regards.