Eavesdropping

[jutchi]

can anyone tell me wether a public building like a working mens club can install microphones in the ceiling i would have thought it ilegal but they have just been installed in my local!

[almcd007]

It is not a public building - it's a privately owned club and they can indeed do what they want to do.

If you feel strongly - boycott the place.

Have you asked what the official explanation for having them is ? There will be a committee meeting and members can bring it up there.

[jutchi]

almcd007 it is a registered charity owned by the members and not by individuals the committee have already resigned because of the trustees behaviour
there explanation for the mics is for the AGM (once a year so money well spent NOT) like you say the place needs boycotting how does anyone know when the mics are on ?
there are no signs to say the mics are there and you must have signs to say the building as cctv. i still think it is ilegal but thanks anyway.

[dzug]

What are the microphones connected to? A loudspeaker system? Recording devices? If the former I think you may be over-reacting.

It still sounds odd though.

[almcd007]

So have the trustees installed the microphones without the say so or the approval of the committee? How do you actually know they are there - are they hanging from the ceiling or are they set into the ceiling ?

Surely it had to be put to the members for their approval ?

I'd also find out where the mics lead to - if it's just a PA then fair enough but if it's recording equipment which would need seperate feeds and recording chanels for each mic in order to isolate the sound - then I'd be very suspicious.

Our local WMC had a problem with the Xmas club. All the local scrotes used it to stash their drug/ "ill gotten" money and instead of a couple of thousand being in there at xmas - it was more like tens of thousands. Obviously there was no proof of this - just a record in the paying in book which the member in charge kept very secret. Obviously if there were similar problems - the mics could be used to pick up conversations about these type of dealings.

It may just be an over reaction but if you and other members get together and either boycott it or petition the trustees - then you might get somewhere. Good luck.