It's not a photo shoot or the paparazzi focusing their cameras on you. Those are the security cameras - some of which you see and some you don't - and they got you fair and square, warts and all. You get your images alright and most of them are worse than the mug shots of Charles Mansion. It's no problem, but in the ladies' room or men's room, are you safe from prying eyes?

Be Ready for the Cameras

Security cameras should do exactly that - provide security. But what if these are abused and used to steal, peep into the ladies rooms, and record your intimate and personal activities in the privacy of your hotel room? Man and woman - nobody is safe from the abusive and malicious use of surveillance cameras in public places.

You know that each time you enter a bank or a restaurant there are hidden security cameras. Just ignore the thought and relax. But when you use the ladies or men's room, be on your guard. Although operators of the surveillance systems are supposed to be impeachable, there will be some bad guys in the lot.

Be warned, too, that big name hotels have been sued for breaching the privacy of their customers. If this is the case, you will never know whom to trust. The least you can do is take extra precaution when you're in a public area or even in trusted hotels and malls.

But sometimes the culprits are not from the establishments. These wireless cameras can be placed by individuals who can receive the images in the comfort of their homes as long as they are within broadcast range. Perhaps you should get those bugs sweepers and check the rest room or hotel rooms. As you've learned already, it takes a spy to catch a spy.

Cases of Surveillance Abuses

There are several types of security cameras - surveillance cameras, night vision cameras, wireless cameras, and infrared cameras. Knowing the different types can alert you to possibilities of snooping any time of day and anywhere. The only place you are safe from the probing eye is your home. If you think only women are peeped at, you're wrong. Men are also unsuspecting victims of perverts.

* Women commuters in New York City have been ogled at in what is now the famous "skirt cam." A camera was installed under a subway grate in Lexington Avenue and 88th Street. Fearing a bomb, police discovered instead a multi-media camera.

* Newark, New York - A police officer resigned after he was found guilty of placing a camera at a mall's fitting room for women.

* Ithaca, New York - A landlord landed in hot water when he was discovered to have placed a pinhead in the bathroom of an apartment shared by four college students.

* A casino was fined heavily when two employees focused the security cameras on low-cut necklines, not on chips and stacks.

Criminals are using surveillance cameras too. If you go to the ATM, next time check out the gadgets that look so legal. These are actually cameras aimed to record your PIN. The best way to get your money is over the counter.

Young children are not spared, too. Before entrusting your young ones to the day care center, check out the credentials of the child care givers and teachers. As a parent, don't be intimidated to ask questions and do a background check. Talk to the teachers and check the facilities. You might find a spy camera in the rest rooms. This is not allowed as children and the day care workers have the right to their privacy, too.