Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Data protection
Back on patrol along Horton Lane this morning, came across a large bunch of keys on the path. How did they get there? One would have thought that one would have noticed dropping something that big and heavy. Were they chucked out of a burglar's get away car? But a more pressing issue was what to do with them. Not much use to anyone other than the owner, so perhaps one should just hang them on the adjacent railing?
After deep thought, decided that I could do better and finding that a Tesco Loyalty tag was included with the keys, popped into the nearby Tesco Express to ask them to decode the serial number. Oh no sir, can't do a thing like that, but if you phone the free phone number given they will be able to help you.
Some minutes later I phone the free phone number given and after engaging with 'if you want a poodle click 7' computer for a few minutes, spoke to a pleasantly spoken lady, from somewhere in Scotland by the sound of her, who said that she certainly could not divulge the name of the owner of the keys. Data protection, data protection! Perhaps you could pass on my name to the owner, that shouldn't be a problem. Data protection, data protection! Clearly a splendid cloak to hide behind when you are asked to do things you don't want to get into, in this case to be a lost property office. On the other hand, she said, if I handed the tag into the nearest Tesco store, they would make every effort to reunite it with its owner. Not much help in the present case. And I suspect it would actually just be filed in the nearest bin.
We decided on a two part response to this tricky situation. Erect one poster at the scene and another at the nearby retail centre - this being the home to aforementioned Tesco Express and 8 empty retail units, the hoardings shutting up one of which provided an excellent site for the second poster. Await developments. If nothing happens within 24 hours, turn the keys over to the Epsom police - the office hours only police station probably being slightly less convenient to an owner living somewhere handy to Horton Lane than our house. But a known quantity.
After deep thought, decided that I could do better and finding that a Tesco Loyalty tag was included with the keys, popped into the nearby Tesco Express to ask them to decode the serial number. Oh no sir, can't do a thing like that, but if you phone the free phone number given they will be able to help you.
Some minutes later I phone the free phone number given and after engaging with 'if you want a poodle click 7' computer for a few minutes, spoke to a pleasantly spoken lady, from somewhere in Scotland by the sound of her, who said that she certainly could not divulge the name of the owner of the keys. Data protection, data protection! Perhaps you could pass on my name to the owner, that shouldn't be a problem. Data protection, data protection! Clearly a splendid cloak to hide behind when you are asked to do things you don't want to get into, in this case to be a lost property office. On the other hand, she said, if I handed the tag into the nearest Tesco store, they would make every effort to reunite it with its owner. Not much help in the present case. And I suspect it would actually just be filed in the nearest bin.
We decided on a two part response to this tricky situation. Erect one poster at the scene and another at the nearby retail centre - this being the home to aforementioned Tesco Express and 8 empty retail units, the hoardings shutting up one of which provided an excellent site for the second poster. Await developments. If nothing happens within 24 hours, turn the keys over to the Epsom police - the office hours only police station probably being slightly less convenient to an owner living somewhere handy to Horton Lane than our house. But a known quantity.
# posted by Jim @ 9:38 AM 
