Big Brother

I'm sure you sophisticated types from the big city will laugh at me, but I'm finding the video cameras at all of the main Wailea intersections to be a bit disconcerting. I mean, am I supposed to smile? Do I need to wear a tie? Or at least comb my hair before going out in my car?

I spoke to one of the people sitting near a cluster of cameras as she was pushing buttons on a box in her lap. She said they were counting cars. When I asked her who hired her, she didn't know - it was just a temp job. She assumed the cameras were also a part of the counting of cars.

I know (from real-life movies like Mission Impossible) that cities have lots and lots of cameras which are all tied into central control centers where people are monitored. And they do check for things like proper attire. But here in quiet rural Maui, it all seems a bit out of place. After all, we only wear ties and jackets in the evening.