Posted on 01/18/2021 3:25:46 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT
THE VAN IS COMING FOR YOU To ensure a regular income, the BBC runs enforcement operations under the TV Licencing trade name, the entity which is responsible for administering the system. Records are kept of licences and their expiry dates, and investigations are made into households suspected of owning a television who have not paid the requisite fees. To encourage compliance, TV Licencing regularly sends sternly worded letters to those who have let their licence lapse or have not purchased one. In the event this fails, they may arrange a visit from enforcement officers. These officers aren’t empowered to forcibly enter homes, so in the event a homeowner declines to cooperate with an investigation, TV Licencing will apply for a search warrant. This may be on the basis of evidence such as a satellite dish or antenna spotted on the roof of a dwelling, or a remote spied on a couch cushion through a window.
Based on an alleged BBC submission for a search warrant in recent years, there may be optical methods used in which reflected light from a television in a viewer’s home is compared to a live broadcast signal The BBC declined to answer the Freedom of Information request with any details of their methods, other than to say they have employed vehicles and handheld devices in enforcement efforts. However, given the multitude of broadcast, cable and satellite channels now available, the comparison effort would necessarily be much harder, leading some to suspect the days of the detector van are largely over.
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The British have a whole different view of the world.
Their individual rights come from the royalty, not God, and most are happy to live that way.
That’s why we in the US broke away. And were able to sustain freedom for quite a long time. Sadly it’s now going down the tubes.
Wasn’t that a Monty Python skit?
Yup.
“These officers aren’t empowered to forcibly enter homes, “
I never seen so many bleedin’ aerials.
I thought ‘The Young Ones’ were hilarious when I was in my twenties.
The loony detector van, you mean.
‘E said they could pinpoint a purr at four ‘undred yards, and Eric, being such an ‘appy cat, was a piece of cake.
The cable company used to have vans that patrolled the streets pointing detectors at homes to see if they were watching cable, but not paying for it. The tube sets were apparently quite the IF radiators. The van’s equipment made a computerized comparison between what the detector picked up from your set and comparing it to what was on cable at the moment and then seeing if you had subscribed. There were lots of ways to jack the boxes and get the premium channels. Some of my neighbors got letters with a bill and threats of legal actions. (I had the full service back when it was only 12.50 per month and that included HBO. But it kept going up, and up, and up. Finally, I dropped cable and they tried to lure me back with a better deal. They operate on the razorblade theory, only the blades keep getting more and more costly.)
Look, it’s people like you what cause unrest!
Why are all your pets called Eric?
Talked to an English lady a few years ago. She had married an American working in England and they decided to come here about 6 years ago.
She was telling me about all the fees and licenses average people in England have to pay for. It was mind blowing.
There seemed to be a fee or license for everything.
London had just ramped up the Rush Hour Driving fee. Suppose we had to pay an extra fee just to drive during rush hour? Crazy, right?
Yeah, I know they had this TV tax in the UK for many decades, but I thought they got rid of it. I guess I was wrong. One of the most ridiculous taxes that I can fathom. Pay a fee every year to watch commercial television?
If they gotta be really hard nosed about it, why not just tax the commercials?
There’s nothin’ so odd about that! Kemal Attaturk ‘ad an entire menagerie called Abdul!
Yep. When I lived there we had to pay a license fee if we had a TV. It pays for the BBC.
When I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath, I was doing a post check at the main gate one afternoon and a van drove up to the gate. It was the detection van demanding access to our housing area for a check. I immediately told them how I felt with the licensing fees, and pointed to the turn-around lane. The MOD cop with me started laughing and bought me a beer at the pub later that night...”you got brass balls mate!”
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