Is There a Spy Cam Hidden in the Room?
Next time you’re visiting friends, interviewing for a job, or sitting on a date’s couch while he or she changes clothes, try playing a little game. The game is called, "Find the spy cam hidden in this room." The catch, of course, is that there may not be a camera in the room, in which case you’ll never find it. But it’s a fun game, and you might find a camera, after all.
Why would there be a spy cam hidden in the room you’re sitting in? That depends, of course, on exactly where you’re sitting and why you’re there. But generally people hide cameras in rooms for one of two reasons. First, they may be interested in reviewing the recording later to refresh their memory of a conversation. Or, they may suspect someone in the room of doing something wrong and want to "catch" them. While there may be some minor variations in motivation for a spy cam hidden in a public room, most fall under one of these two categories.
When you’re looking for a spy cam hidden in a room, keep in mind that it would look like it belongs there, but there might be some jarring detail that gives it away. For instance, many spy cams look like clocks, but not all of them keep good time. If there are two clocks in a room, there might be a spy cam hidden in one. Also look for duplicates of electronic equipment like DVD players, and books that seem out of place. All could hide a spy cam.
Let’s look at each of the examples for a moment. It’s important to look not just at where a camera might be hidden, but why each of these people would have a spy cam hidden in the room.
First, if you’re visiting friends, and you suspect they have a spy cam hidden in their living room, you’ll want to think about why they’d be using a hidden camera. Are they watching a nanny with their toddler, or trying to catch their teenagers up to something they shouldn’t be? If the goal is to catch teenagers acting out, the spy camera hidden in the room is probably not in any of the electronics or on the DVD shelf. Think clocks or books; something a teenager wouldn’t likely pick up in the living room. Especially look at large, heavy, boring books. A spy cam hidden in War and Peace would probably be very safe from most teens.
Now let’s say you’re interviewing for a job. If there is a spy cam hidden in the room, the purpose is not to catch you misspeaking or telling white lies about your resume. In fact, if the interviewer has any doubts about your suitability for the job, they’ll probably never run the tape from your interview. But if your interviewer feels you may be a match for the position, he or she may show others the tape from the spy cam hidden in your interview room. This will let other people in the company get a feel for you and make a decision as to whether to offer you another interview or even the position. Where would such a camera be hidden? Probably right over your interviewer’s shoulder, so that you’re in plain view of the camera and other viewers can get a good feeling for you.
And if you’re in your date’s apartment for the first time, the spy cam hidden in the room may be to catch her roommate stealing her diet soda. It might be a safeguard in case anything bad happens on your date, but you can surely understand that someone bringing a stranger home might be a little concerned. As with the first two examples, the idea is not to catch YOU doing something wrong; it may not even be about you at all. But if you want to scope out a camera, look for something facing the couch, particularly an electronic component like a stereo or DVD player. Duplicates of anything might indicate a camera.
Looking for the spy cam hidden in plain sight can be fun, but remember that even if there is a spy cam, it’s probably not really directed at you.