Surveillance cameras in rest rooms

My Q is in the subject itself.
I work in a huge building complex. the security arrangements are pretty impressive. And then the above thought occured to me, and I searched a bit. I couldnt find any. My questionis it legal to have surveillance in rest rooms?

That all depends. Some states allow for cameras to be placed anywhere on the property of the owner. For example, in Washington state, a camera can be placed anywhere for "theft protection purposes" as long as it doesn't include sound. This includes changing rooms, bathrooms, etc.

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To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCKK!

tell me where I will make sure I go pee BEFORE I visit!

There was a local case (Rochester, NY) in a marina where the surveillance tapes from the women's changing room were kept around for entertainment purposes. The tapes were impounded, but to the chagrin of the prosecutors it turned out that no laws were violated -- they knew they wanted to charge him with SOMETHING!

However, there was a civil law suit from at least one of the unwitting filmstars, so I think it would have been cheaper and more explicit to rent finished tapes from one of the establishments that specializes in that sort of entertainment.

kellibelli:

Thanks for reminding me--you should see a doctor about that mole.

(Just kidding)

you got me...my face is just scarlet, you should see it....or CAN you....?

:-)

If the restrooms in question were public restrooms, then no, you can't. But restrooms in privately owned office buildings are not considered public. If I were the landlord and I wanted to put cameras in the restrooms, I'd post "Not open to the public" signs.

Sure you can video but you can't do the audio part. This is the USA, is that what you are talking about? Might vary by state. What state?

Plus, im sure they have to post somewhere that they are using cameras.

i dont want there camras in the bathrooms!!! i dont want poeple to see all my STUFF!! it migh make them horny annd shit thats y im the LOVE ROCK
unless it was a girls bath room thenthats ok.

Thank you for sharing, Loverock. So were you just passing through, or were you planning on becoming a regular SDMB member?

*twitch*

But back on topic, I remember seeing a TV expose (paragons of journalistic integrity, every one) about a hotel that put TV cameras behind its bedroom mirrors. Apparently, they convicted the owner, but only could because he recorded the sound as well as the video. There was a law against audio recordings in that case, but none against video recordings. There's another case where the law hadn't quite caught up with the technology.

Then again, it was a while ago, so my memory is kinda sketchy.

Your Quadell

Okay, if you put an accent mark above the final e in "expose" in the above post, it makes more sense. (No, my television did not undress for me. :) )

Your Quadell

I think "loverock" is kind of misnomer for someone who has to ask an MB about that "little thing its likke a penis but relly small on their virgina." (See http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001447.html for more detail)

A few years back, the Galleria (a large shopping mall here in town) had signs in the men's rest rooms advising that they were under video surveillance - I don't know if it's still the case.

Also, sort of barely on thread, a couple of years ago it was reported in the news that police had arrested a man who had rigged up a camera hidden in whatever he was dragging around on a luggage cart so he could snap photos looking up women's skirts. While not very polite behavior, I still wonder what law might've applied in that case. A guy got detained sometime in the last year when it was discovered that the boombox he was carrying around at the beach was hollowed out and contained a camera full of shots of bikini clad women - in that news story it was mentioned that police released him because there just was not any law against taking pictures that way.

Anyway, struggling to get back on thread, does anybody remember Chuck Berry getting nailed a few years back for rigging up some hidden cameras in his home bathroom and snapping the guests?

"Galleria"

I'm SICK of that word.
I'll stand nekkid in front of those stupid cameras if malls would quit using that freakin word.
Damn!
Isn't anyone in business capable of original thought?
Sorry, beatle It's not your fault.
Peace,
mangeorge


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Work like you don't need the money.....
Love like you've never been hurt.....
Dance like nobody's watching! ....Unknown

You know that Michael Moore guy with the tv truth show? He put a camera on the Internet and its pointed 24-7 at Linda Trips' apartment. I kid you not. Could still be on the net. Just doing the video part.

She may sue for invasion of privacy, how ironic, eh?

i dont want there camras in the bathrooms!!! i dont want poeple to see all my STUFF!! it migh make them horny annd shit thats y im the LOVE ROCK unless it was a girls bath room thenthats ok.

And here I figured that you called yourself "loverock" because as a kid (what, two years ago?) your pet rock was the only thing that loved you.

Trust me, we don't want to see your stuff either. Fortunately security cameras don't have the resolution to see really small things.

cheftroy you are so dumb
I nevr had no pet rock im not old like you and your probably soold you old u knew the dinosers
and my stuff aint small if you want meto sedn you a pictur i will but not if your gay
you just wish u were funny the chef on southpark.
peace out

Loverock, um, I think a lot of your problems would be solved if you just took your mittens off before sitting down to type.

chef im just kidding with you your cool
its like yo mama jokes like yo mam is so fat she jumps and get stuck ha ha! im just plying with u
hey where's the spell check buton on here?i cant find it

jesus-h ! some one put that child to BED!
either you are WAY too lazy to type properly, or you are A MORON...well which is it...
I am still waiting for you to prove your age...dare ya!

Oh, and I am NOY 'plying' with YOU....

Guys, I think the mitten is on his head!

kelli -

$5 says he's under 15. Any other people want to place a bet?

falcon (cool name BTW) check out his thread "firstt time posting" or something like that ...my original guess of 13 stands.
lets hope he gets a new pokemon card and gets bored with us old dumbbbbb fogies!

Oh, I already had. And was amused beyond belief. Hmmm...13 might be a bit too old. I think I'm going for 11.

Kelli, my dear Kelli, calm yourself... now breathe...
Cool? Okay. Now repeat these words:
"I am not bothered by idiots."
"I am not bothered by idiots."
"I am not bothered by idiots."
"I am not bothered by idiots."

See? Now so long as he doesn't start witnessing, we're all fine. :)

Your Quadell

we have 11, 11 going once, going twice....

Q, I am so relaxed now, "I'm Like Butta!"
cawfey talk-SNL

kisses guys!

Guys! Guys!! GUYS!!! Please!!!
Just stop rolling on the floor, wipe those tears of laughter away and think for a sec. You WILL conclude loverboy is some joke. No way a guy is going to find the SD message board on the net, log on and send in dumb messages again and again (Jesus!! He has to remember his password EVERYTIME!!).
I vote he is atleast 18. I also vote we ignore him (or her).
And BTW, do I conclude silent video recordings of the rest rooms are legal?
Veera.

"do I conclude silent video recordings of the rest rooms are
legal?"


Yeah, Veera, go ahead and put in that camera.

loverock, ya mamma so fat she can't see you sitting at the computer!

Im going to guess 12.

11, at best

You know that Michael Moore guy with the tv truth show? He put a camera on the Internet and its pointed 24-7 at Linda Trips' apartment.

Actually it's Lucianne Goldberg's place. I think she's the agent who convinced Ms. Tripp to wear a wire in the first place. It used to be at http://www.iseelucy.com . Apparently she's been putting up signs saying things like "What will this yo-yo (Moore) do next?" So the site's been down.


Alphagene

*shakes head*

loverock, why do you persist in entering a battle of wits unarmed?

And I'm sincerely trying to help you with the spell check suggestion. Here we go again:

(your original post)
cheftroy you are so dumb I nevr had no pet rock im not old like you and your probably soold you old u knew the dinosers and my stuff aint small if you want meto sedn you a pictur i will but not if your gay you just wish u were funny the chef on southpark. peace out

Your post after spell check:
Cheftroy you are so dumb I nerve had no pet rock IM not old like you and your probably sold you old u knew the dinosaurs and my stuff Anita small if you want meet sedan you a picture I will but not if your gay you just wish u were funny the chef on Southport. Peace out

Lucky for you, AltaVista's babelfish translator is down at the moment or more hilarity would ensue.

Trust me, loverock, I am so much smarter than you that you will never be able to win this war of words -- certainly if you don't learn how to spell them.

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Live a Lush Life
Da Chef

Babelfish seems to be back online now, Chef! English->Portuguese->English:
Cheftroy you is thus that the nerve dumb of I did not have no rock IM of the old animal of esteem nao as you and its sold probably the u old knew dinosaurs and my material Anita small if you wanted the meeting sedan you a picture that I but if its gay you it desire just u was not funny chef in Southport. Peace for is of

I like this one better, English->French->English:
head I am right badinant with you your expenses his taste you them jokes of mama as you mamma is thus the grease which it jumps and obtains the wedged ha! I am to handle right with U hé where is the button of control of charm on the lucky find of slope of here?

Obligatory on-topic bit: veera13, cameras in the rest room are legal, as long as they're there for legitimate security reasons, like prevention of theft. I'm told that a guideline of "reasonableness" (or a similar term) is used. For instance, if a buliding surveills the women's bathrooms but not the men's, one can reasonably assume lascivious motives in placing those cameras.

I recently saw a news story about the owner of a small bar, who was arrested for placing a hidden camera in the women's bathroom. This one a one-person bathroom, so there were no enclosed stalls; the camera was about two feet from the ground, aimed horizontally at one ::ahem:: specific location.

AuraSeer, yeah but where do you put the camera??

On the net there are lots of sites with pee cams. They put the camera in the toilet somehow so it points up. Not to gross anyone out.

Eeeeeeewwwwww! A Virtual Golden Shower; where people get these ideas, I'll never know.

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...it has never been my way to bother much about things which you can't cure.
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court-Mark Twain

handy, I believe the camera was hidden in the wall, with just a small hole through; methinks it was also under the sink, or similarly obscured from a top-down view. Also, it was a "lipstick" camera, so it can't have been too hard to hide. Those things are small enough to fit on a keychain.

Wait why would you want to watch someone go pee? I like looking at naked woman as much as the next guy but... Peeing or 'gulp' worse. I don't think so

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no matter where you go...there you are

"Galleria"
I'm SICK of that word.
I'll stand nekkid in front of those stupid cameras if malls would quit using that freakin word.
Damn!
Isn't anyone in business capable of original thought?
Sorry, beatle It's not your fault.
Peace,
mangeorge

I could be wrong, but I belive that most (if not all) Gallerias were designed by the same firm.


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"Age is mind over matter; if you don't mind, it don't matter." -Leroy "Satchel" Paige

...a camera can be placed anywhere for "theft protection purposes" as long as it doesn't include sound. This includes changing rooms, bathrooms, etc.

Oh, lest some mysoginistic security guard gets proof, on film, that women fart?

And as for loverock, my pet theory about people like him is that, since they seem stupid beyond literacy, it's simply the manifestation of the Earth's magnetic field creating random letters on certain Web servers. Rumor has it that AOL is built on a hotbed of such activity.

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"If A=B, B=C, and C=D, do not get a job proofreading" --Quid's Theorem