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More Recording Of Boat Licence Details

alan_fincher

By alan_fincher
in General Boating

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mrsmelly Veteran II

mrsmellyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Now now, surely, if you have nothing to hide, there is no problem with an unknow stranger noting details about your boat? Mrsmelly says so. And he is always right.

 

I am not always right .........just usualy !! and if you want to wind me up try cycling on the towpath for a good starter :cheers:

 

Tim

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MHS Experienced

MHSDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

we were moored outside Mercia a while ago, a guy came out of a house and took photos from in front of the boat and not only was the boat name in the photo, the front doors were open and the shot would have included the inside of the boat. That, I did find obtrusive and I asked him what he was doing and why. (it was really nothing to do with us specifically but he had a problem with boats mooring outside his garden gate). I must admit to feeling uncomfortable in that situation

 

Haggis

 

While I obviously sympathise that you felt a bit under the spotlight, he wasn't doing anything wrong. (Providing he didn't come aboard)

The law allows someone to photograph property and/or individuals from any public place. It is always polite to ask permission first if taking someone's photo, but there is no requirement.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Out of interest, Alan - from where is it "known"? I'm not deliberately disbelieving you, I'm just curious to know where this has sprung from.

See (both) Jenlyn's posts above.

 

Also on Facebook groups, and even on Narrowboatworld, (so it must be true).

Edited by alan_fincher
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Rusty Shackleford Engager

Rusty Shackleford

Posted
Posted

I think if people are getting agitated that individuals.....for whatever reason....are taking photos of boats, those taking the photos will just use more hidden ways of taking them. With today's tech, you can easily get photo's and full HD quality video from small inconspicuous cameras. You would never know you were being filmed, and if we've learnt anything from the past few years on the news, evidence is everything, if people are doing something illegal or against the rules, lying to cover your bottom is a breeze. To me it's all a bit Daily Mail, too much complaining of snooping and ignoring the cause. People won't be complaining of cameras once all boats are fitted with GPS trackers. Less enforcement officers required as well. Careful what we wish for.

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novascotianboy Engager

novascotianboy

Posted
Posted

While I don't know if anything can be done about this - my concern is that if random IWA folk are collecting "data" and then presenting it to CRT as evidence of an overstayer problem - how does anyone know that their data is correct? Given the cosy relationship the IWA seems to enjoy with the CRT, I'd be very concerned indeed if the CRT decide to change their enforcement priorities based on IWA "data". If someone came along and wrote down my licence details and was clearly not a member of CRT staff, I'd be very tempted to follow them along the towpath - and follow them home, writing down their address when I got there.

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luctor et emergo Veteran II

luctor et emergo

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not really. Those who are now keen to volunteer, are those without a boat to boat with. Come summer, they either go away and boat with there own boat, or simply find something else to bother about...

 

**** em..

 

Just to add.. They are simply yealous of those of us who live on pur boats. If only they had the guts to do so.. But no, they can't move away from their accepted little mortgage riddled way of life

Edited by Lady Muck
Language Timothy!
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churchward Veteran II

churchward

Posted
Posted (edited)

As we were boating up towards the Marsworth Locks Open Day today, I noted a man with a notepad and camera walking the line of boats moored near the Red Lion bridge.

 

He was very visibly inspecting licences, and noting down the details on his notepad.

 

I have no doubt at all he was neither CRT, nor a sub-contractor of CRT.

 

I can only imagine this is a continuation of the several stories that have been doing the rounds about local IWA branches taking it upon themselves to record such details.

 

At the moment I can't imagine what exactly what use they propose to make of such information.

 

I am interested in three questions.

 

1) Has anybody yet had success is getting an answer from the IWA that confirms this is happening?

 

2) Have they said why, or what they plan to do with the data?

 

3) Does anybody know for certain if at any point they could be infringing any data protection issues. I can't see there can be an issue with writing down data that is openly displayed on the boats, but if that data, gathered by a number of people, were all put into a common database, is there any point at which they need to formally record the fact it is being collated and held on a computer and/or why they are doing it please? Or is it legally perfectly OK, because they are only recording information about people's property, not the people themselves?

 

As you suspect there is no DPA issues to do with collecting and recording the data of boat name and number. This data does not identify an individual regardless of how it is stored. CRT as far as I know do not publish owners against boat IDs you can only find out if it is currently licensed but not who to. DPA in a way does not care about scale of data when it comes to protecting individual data 1 or 1 million people is all the same.

 

So as long as the data is divorced from identifying an individual I don't think there is an issue. These folk may be irritating and busy bodies but there is nothing illegal or against the DPA here. Just ignore them.

 

A reasonable summary of the key principles of the DPA are:

 

Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless –

 

( a ) at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and

 

( B ) in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met.

 

Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.

 

Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.

 

Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

 

Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.

 

Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.

 

Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

 

Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

Edited by churchward
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DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

Posted
Posted

Having recently attended a meeting where Sally Ash of CRT was present to explain the CRT policies....this is how CRT do it....They have 40 employees that deal with moorings. 10 are in the office, and 30 are "out there.". These 30, will travel each canal, twice, per month. They use devices which allow them to enter boat licence numbers into the CRT database. The CRT "system" runs some automated software, which generates notifications, sent to the enforcement officers, who then go to the offending boats (who may be in an area for a long time), and stick a piece of paper of some sort on the boat. The policy is slightly changing in that these officers may knock on the boat to talk to the boat owner if they are present. Often they arent. This method, allows CRT to create a growing database, which is their main tool for managing boats on the system. Someone mentioned to Sally that others were "inspecting boats" but her response was that their info was not being entered into the CRT database, and wasnt useful...would never be responded to.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

None of the volunteers up here would do that kind of 'dirty work' no way. They suggested it to the bloke who ran our canoe centre if he would do it and I think he said, 'bugger off!'

 

None of us envy the patrol officers or boat checkers, its a very stressful job so why would anyone do that for nothing?

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luctor et emergo Veteran II

luctor et emergo

Posted
Posted

Not really. Those who are now keen to volunteer, are those without a boat to boat with. Come summer, they either go away and boat with there own boat, or simply find something else to bother about...

 

Fuck em..

 

Just to add.. They are simply yealous of those of us who live on pur boats. If only they had the guts to do so.. But no, they can't move away from their accepted little mortgage riddled way of life

 

who is Timothy?

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

As you suspect there is no DPA issues to do with collecting and recording the data of boat name and number. This data does not identify an individual regardless of how it is stored.

 

In that case, I would imagine the camera-wielding busybodies would have no objection to them being photographed by boaters, and their pictcures posted up on here. Just as long as no-one identifies them.

 

MtB

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cotswoldsman Veteran II

cotswoldsman

Posted
Posted

While I don't know if anything can be done about this - my concern is that if random IWA folk are collecting "data" and then presenting it to CRT as evidence of an overstayer problem - how does anyone know that their data is correct? Given the cosy relationship the IWA seems to enjoy with the CRT, I'd be very concerned indeed if the CRT decide to change their enforcement priorities based on IWA "data". If someone came along and wrote down my licence details and was clearly not a member of CRT staff, I'd be very tempted to follow them along the towpath - and follow them home, writing down their address when I got there.

 

Dean has already answered this but at our meeting it was made quite clear by Sally Ash that the only data The Trust use is there own. However the IWA have embarked on an anti Continuous Cruiser Campaign.

 

Vaughn Welsh has been quoted as espousing this in NBW.

 

I will withhold my opinion for fear of falling over the T's & Cs

 

Ah Vaughn Welch who has no idea of what is happening in the real world.

 

 

 

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