your mail

Ken Brown k.brown at ccs.bbk.ac.uk
Fri Mar 30 07:45:56 PST 2001


Jim Choate wrote:

[...snip...]

> For example, you could arrange to meet a bum at one time and place. Have
> the bum execute your plan (ie go into store and then head down street) and
> then meet you at another time and place. Have the two meeting in a
> residential neighborhood where you've scoured the neighborhood for obvious
> external cameras. 

Classic bad move. Time to read up on your tradecraft Jim!

You need to meet in a public place, preferably crowded, where both of
you might be reasonably expected to be found. Railway stations are the
classic case - noisy, busy, everyone goes there, and you have an excuse
to either rush through in a hurry or wait for hours. Noise drowns out
voice far better than distance conceals it.  Airport departure lounges
are probably too quiet. *Very* busy large shops might work. Supermarket
aisle at 18:00 the last working day before Christmas. Big sports events
might be good.  Yeah, yeah, they have cameras - but you aren't
pretending not to *be* there - all you want is to be able to pass a note
or a few private words - the bloody cameras can't lipread through the
back of your head - if they pull you up you just say you were talking
about the game - after all, mostly, you were. Loud music events would be
great. As long as both of you look like the sort of person who belongs
there. Smelly bum + 40-something fat guy in  a business suit probably
would look out of place in a hardcore dance club, but might get away
with it in some other venue. In England, pubs are surprisingly useful
for this sort of thing. 

Residential areas where you don't live yourself are likely to draw
attention to you. As for "scouring the neighbourhood", it's hard to
think of a worse way. 

In the city thousands of people pass each other surreptitious packages
every day. How many get caught by cameras?


Ken





More information about the cypherpunks-legacy mailing list