Spy in the Toilet

Germany continues to debate whether increased numbers of security cameras will help reduce the risk of terror attacks.

The German Interior Ministry is particularly keen on rolling out more surveillance systems and while there is a certain amount of concern among civil liberty groups and a percentage of the population, many Germans equate more security with more protection and seem to have few problems with the idea.

One section of the population who may start to have a problem with more CCTV is the nation's bus drivers. While a strategically placed camera may be used to identify a person of specific threat from ending hundreds of people's lives, a single device can also be used to ruin just one person's life and put his career on the skids.

Stomach cramps lead to employment pain

This is exactly what happened to German bus driver Jochen Lorenz. The 58-year-old driver from the central town of Ilmenau -- with no known affiliations with any terrorist group -- was sacked after being spotted taking a roll of toilet paper from the bus depot lavatory.

Lorenz had arrived at work for his shift at 5:30 a.m., feeling a little under the weather with stomach cramps. He made an emergency visit to the loo shortly before taking his seat at the helm of his bus and, fearing he may be caught short on the route, took a roll from the cubicle just in case.

"I was feeling ill when I arrived at the bus depot. Stomach problems," Lorenz told the Bild Zeitung newspaper. "So I went to the lavatory. Things didn't get better so I took a roll of toilet paper and put it in the bus. I wanted to have some during the drive in case of an emergency."

Bus driver unaware of strict paper controls

The eye-in-the-sky, however, did not look favorably on this. The surveillance cameras had been installed by the powers that be to monitor strict control of toilet paper usage, among other things. This fact, unbeknownst to Lorenz at the time, was made glaringly and painfully obvious when he received his marching orders.

The letter of dismissal stated that the quantity of toilet paper was strictly monitored and that a fresh roll of paper had disappeared.

“After the surveillance data was analyzed, it was found that you, Herr Lorenz, were the only user to use the facilities, at 05:49 hours," the letter from the bus company said.

Lorenz protested against the sacking and told his boss that the roll was still in the bus, but to no avail. So Lorenz took the company to court and managed to secure a pay-off settlement totaling €7,500 ($10,625).