ARTICLE: Big Lego Brother is Watching

[WesternOutlaw]

Big Lego Brother is Watching

Police Surveillance or Invasion of Privacy? - Trains & Town Article by TheBrickster

Over the past several years, I've been watching Lego Big Brother expand its umbrealla of spying and espionage on Lego City. I am now beginning to wonder if there is a diabolic plot to watch the smiling faces of Lego town and city citizens by infiltrating the Lego electronic information network.

Big Brother started sometime in 1994 with set 6348 Surveillance Squad. Conveniently disguised as a "Town Rescue" set at Brickset.com, this police vehicle was the first of its kind and the beginning of the loss of privacy for Lego Town citizens. Some might even say that Lego's efforts to spy on its town citizens may have even started eight years earlier with 6676 Mobile Command Unit, released in 1986. This set was more of a surveillance van with a radar dish and small antenna.

_{6348 Surveillance Squad}

_{6676 Mobile Command Unit}

As surveillance equipment quickly becomes obsolete with new technological advances; in 2003 among the World City Collection, set 7034 Surveillance Truck, would include new undercover equipment for phone tapping, ease dropping, and pin-pointing Lego citizens as they went about their normal day-to-day business. Unfortunately, a "Police" sticker prominently displayed on the rear side of the surveillance trailer once again caused suspicion among the population of World City.

_{7034 Surveillance Truck}

If a surveillance truck was not enough, World City also included 7032 4WD and Undercover Van. Why did such a large World City police force need an Undercover Van? This set even included a tape recording system to make sure to capture those special recordings. The driver of the Undercover Van was none other than the mysterious Mr. X, a man in black. Complete with dark eye glasses and black suit, Mr. X toted a police badge and laptop computer, ready for some Matrix Agent-style action.

_{7032 4WD and Undercover Van}

2008 City now introduces a new police vehicle, 7743. This set; however, has conveniently been named, Police Command Center. Strange, with such a large Police Headquarters (7744), I would think that police command would stay within the air conditioned offices of the headquarters. More spying, more espionage, more surveillance...

_{7743 Police Command Center}

Now, we have the new Agents Theme. Since Lego now knows every habit, every conversation, and every political opposition within its Cities, and as the citizens have become more conditioned and use to living within a Police State, spies have blatantly been introduced. Perhaps this is part of a masterplan to recruit more Lego City Citizens to assist in gaining control? Big Brother is watching... and as he is doing so, the happy smiles of Classic Town inhabitants are slowly being replaced by frowns.

[AgentRick]

Interesting article, I really think someone watching me is kinda strange, and I personally d--sdfs--sdz-ZZZZXZXVZVVHSXVZVVVXVZVVV

This entry has been edited for the greater benefit of Brickton and it's citizens. Thank you for complying.

[Admiral Blockbeard]

This was an excellent article informing us of...

Lies lies lies, all lies! (Google is no worse, they track everything you do on-line...)

Who was that, is someone listen to us?

I am just a little afraid.

I must wonder, what made you think of writing this?

Regards Cpt. PB

free streaming, untraceable news reports on toys spying ON

[iamded]

A very thought provoking discussion, The Brickster...

I'll have to address this with the mayor of... oh wait. There's no mayor here, only the king. Good thing there's no high-tech spy equipment in medieval times!

Though there are ninjas...

~Peace

[Norrington]

An interesting article, but you mentioned an un-person and Oceana has always been at war with Eastasia. Not Eurasia.

Doubleplusun-good.

Seriously, a very interesting article. I never really thought of the civil liberties of my minifigs. Except for the nudist figs. We shut that mess down on the quick step.

[Stash2Sixx]

Excellent article. Made my minifigs think twice about using those cell phones.

[CP5670]

Funny article. It does seem like the Lego city theme has always been something of a totalitarian state, with the very high ratio of police sets they have released over the years compared to everything else.

These surveillance vehicles have always been my favorite police sets though. I have all but the old van. I love that World City MIB minifig.

Edited September 16, 2008 by CP5670

[Skorpius47]

The Agent's Mobile Command Center survey your *** off.

[5150 Lego]

Great article! But i have to disagree to some extent. While there might be an abundance of survalance equipment in LEGO Cityin the past couple years, one does have to remember that when it comes to survalnce and computer equipment, one (espeacailly the police) need to stay on top of technology. I still believe that the lego police force is spending my mini figs hard earned tax dollars on propper mobile command centers needed for anything from major accidents, to hostage situations. Though i have to admit, that the last mobile command center that my city purchased (7743) denenatly left somthing to be desired in terms of funtionality.

[Tenorikuma]

Great article (and some of the comments are pretty amusing too). I enjoy comparisons of similar or equivalent sets from different years.

The new police surveillance truck is actually one set I haven't been able to bring myself to buy ... the set itself looks great, but the subject matter bothers me a little. Fortunately, there are plenty of other great sets this year still waiting to be purchased.

[Guss]

I just bought the new surveillance truck and I have to say it's a really nice set ^^

but ... now that you say it ... I'm afraid , Big Lego Brother is watching me!!! *hide somewhere*

[donneyboy]

all those surveillance trucks is makeing my minifigs stop using their cell phones, and telephones, and now send letters everywhere.

[Col. Brik]

Good article. I like how you used the progression of every set with your ideas.

My country suffers from the Big Brother, 1 police officer for every 30 citizens and it will increase after the holidays.

[Alywin]

World City series police vehicles are particularly creepy. Other citizen minifigs are afraid of them...

[timbutnice]

Lego are at it in the future too:

or is it the past? They previously tracked things in the future? err, they will have done this before?...

Lego reverse engineered tracking, from the future, into the present, 29 years after it will be available

(sorry, its been a long day)

Nice article, thanks,

timbutnice

[Marko]

I like your tone. Specially such articles are needed for the people who need to fight daily with their children wishes for more police sets (ATV, surveillance truck and prison) to the local town.

I have a small island town with prisoner transport only. Another police is from airport. My force operates in the principle that all the harm doers will be initially kept in cage and in an need flown away to the prisons on mainland (of course we do not have any judges). Most of the time prisoner transport (without modifications) is used for transporting Ferrari team members from hotel to the pub in harbor.

Maybe the new police surveillance truck would be in use when Formula 1 race or football match would be taking place. But again in now days world you do not want to spend tax money keeping up something that is needed only twice a year or so. We will see how long ...