What's this van, then?

[TonyHetherington]

Driving to work this morning and for a while I followed this van. Apologies for poor picture, it was taken with phone.

It was a totally un marked van but had on each corner of the roof a camera (total 4) pointing away from the van. To my untrained eye they looked like ANPR cameras.

It was driving normally not slow or anything - and as I say, totally un marked!

Any ideas?

[Slowly Slowly]

It's a Volkswagen isn't it?.

[Fidgits]

CCTV van?

Peeping Tom with a large budget?

The beginning of the end of privacy?

[vonhosen]

Trial of new type parking sensors ?

[oldsoak]

...a 'G' registered VW as well

[gozomark]

The A Team ??

[philbes]

Mapping van for sat-nav maps?

[Size Nine Elm]

It's a van equipped to detect people driving and using camera phones at he same time.

They're very effective, I'm told...

[TonyHetherington]

This isn't a trick question by the way - I don't know the answer!

Just wondered if you guys knew? Very odd!

[TonyHetherington]

Size Nine Elm said:

It's a van equipped to detect people driving and using camera phones at he same time.

They're very effective, I'm told...

Was wondering the first person to say that. I'm stationary at red lights waiting to turn right - hence the stationary Corsa (with brake light) you can see in the picture

[oldsoak]

You sure that they ARE cameras?..Could they possibly be loud hailers or some kind of PA equipment or even some funky PIR security lighting?
Would hardly think the BiB or anyone in authority would tootle along in such an old vehicle...unless budget cuts are really biting nowadays...do you?

[TonyHetherington]

It's not a G plate...it's a GK plate (like wot they all is round these parts).

I was sat behind it at one point and was looking up at the cameras and was trying to read what's on the side of them but couldn't. IR lighting was one thought I had, and could have been. They did loko a bit bigger than those normally thinner ANRP cameras that you get on poles on dual carriageways.

[oldsoak]

Looked like G684 etc to me...just enhanced it in PSP to make sure I wasn't in need of another eye prescription. And concede it COULD be GD 04 something something something but paranoia aside I would favour the idea it was some local tradesman who's fitted PIR lighting to deter the local tea-leaves from gemmying the back doors and nicking all of his tools

[DirkDiggler]

how wierd, i saw one almost exactly the same on the north circular yesterday. Wondered what the hell it was so pulled up alongside - it had markings for a private security firm along the side.

Perhaps the cameras are for residential monitoring?

[KenP]

Ghostbusters?

[havoc]

GD06 FW_

And I've no idea what them things are...

[I want an Elise!]

Some sort of surveying type van thingy ?

[TonyHetherington]

oldsoak said:

I would favour the idea it was some local tradesman who's fitted PIR lighting to deter the local tea-leaves from gemmying the back doors and nicking all of his tools

In which case, would you not publicise it down the side of your van? "THESE ARE NIGHT VISION LIGHTS. DO NOT STEAL FROM THIS VAN" type thing. I don't think scrotes will look at that and say "oooooo, best not Bob, that's a 495282BTO Night Vision camera, they'll have a clear and concise print of your face now chap"

[malc_ppp]

They're ANPR cameras.

Theres a lot of debt recovery firms in London using them to trawl the streets for cars with outstanding finance, default agreements etc. They log the location of the car and either clamp it or tow it.

[Bodo]

I'd say this van takes pictures for picture databases like google-earth, where you will not only have satellite images, but also pictures taken from the ground. The cameras film to both sides, front and rear, so a 3d-image can be simulated from things that you can see at the side of the road.