We never saw this one coming...no really.

So the security services have finally officially asked to have full automated access to the Oyster travel system on the London underground:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/17/spooks_want_oyster/

Combine that with the number plate tracking for the congestion charge and face recognition via CCTV and they're starting to get London sewn up.  Except that, as usual, it isn't anyone with half a mind to cover their tracks who this affects, but everyone who is trying to go about their lawful business but gets the creeps about having a government that wants to track our every move.  Want to use the tube anonymously?  Hmm, tricky.  How about pay cash!  Of course the price of privacy is twice that of surveillance, but if you really did want to throw the system in to confusion and want to get creative what about the suggestion from one of the commenters on the above story:

"If person A travels from Y to Z and person B travels from W to X, but they meet at M in the middle and swap cards it will look like card (a) has gone from Y to X and card (b) has gone from W to Z. The "Authority" will never make the link."

There could be a whole sport in this one.  Or there would be if it wasn't for the fact that that causing confusion to the police or security services can have a nasty effect on your health.

The point is, as always, that the all these 'security' measures that the authorities wish to sell us on are very impressive if the aim is to create a climate of fear that keeps the general (mainly law-abiding) population in a state of compliance.  Of course that could not possibly be the aim, which is we're told to stop the terrorists which we are, apparently, living in daily fear of.  Why is it then that these measures are so trivially avoidable by anyone with an ounce of determination?