I belive these people are Cilvil or Public Servants.. but it seems as if they haven't been told who it is they're supposed to serve.
"Who will protect us against the protectors?"
Plato's Socrates in The Republic

Matt, St Albans, Herts

What we have here are two monsters of modern society, the up-start official fed a diet of rigid process management and the urban mother bear cum pushy parent. I dare say that if you were not so well educated and perhaps wore cheap jewellery and fake designer sports ware this confrontation would have ended in violence.

Wolfie, Toulouse, France

It was bound to happen in an establishment led society.
This country is not interested in its people
I am writing this from Hol in France
Up the Republics!

John, N Yorks,

'Why don't we lock up the Cabinet for 42 days?'.........ah bliss!

Shirley Bowen, Blackpool, UK

Interesting article. Funny, isn't it, that Hong Kong, part of what is claimed in this country to be an oppressive totalitarian dictatorship, is now a more pleasant place to live than here? You will note that Margaret Tallon is one of the few people prepared to add more than a nickname to a posting.

Steve Evans, Argyll,

I could agree with you if it was said that Britain is a nation of politicians - an over represented feather bedded bunch and the root cause of many of its ills.

So, treat the disease, not the symptoms.

Terry, L'Absie, France

I was stopped on my bicycle the other day by an animated wpc . My name and address were carefully recorded. My crime? I had changed direction on my bike. Yes! I was cycling in one direction, I then decided to cycle in another direction. That was enough to be investigated for suspicious behaviour.

Raymond, Somerset,

Have to agree with the article. After 4 or so years living in London, I just couldn't handle the feeling of being controlled. Work, queues, transport, night clubs, pretty much everywhere.

Great people though, pity about the world wealth HQ police state.

Rudy , Joburg, SA

At last a journalist has spoken out against bureaucracy in its fullest sense of 'rule by unelected officials'.
<br/>
<br/>It doesn't seem to matter which party's in power we still get more of it.

Colin Parker, SAFFRON WALDEN,

If the time was any sort of paper at all this would be on the front page its so perfectly catches the mood of the country, we need you our public voice to stand up for as and hold the govermetn to acount it shame they even have the times running scared these days.

Mr w Jones, Liverpool, England

Roland, Budapest: The problem is that we British have not been invaded for centuries. Most of Europe was invaded in the past century and there are many still alive in several countries who can remember exactly the rapes, the murders as they happened. Continental Europe knows how valuable freedom is.

Mike Mitchell, Spalding, England

I've had the "I'll have you arrested for ducking the barrier".Empty arrivals hall and a 20 yr old college dropout with a chip on her shoulder bigger than the radio she was frantically trying to call for "backup".
Best thing to do is to say nothing and demand their supervisor. I'm glad I left the UK

clark, Glasgow, scotland

At last a sensible editorial. I left the UK last year because of these and much more similar experiences. The UK is no more a 'society' it has degraded to the level of individual survivalistic rats trapped in the same experimental maze. 9mths away from UK and I again think clear and have bright eyes

Rod McLeod, Ostrava, Czech republic

Britain has become a nation of busy bodies that blindly follow instead of disputing or protesting against the idiotic and anally retentive.

Chantel , Wales,

I've been watching the re-run of 'Secret Army' on Freeview. Set in Nazi occupied Belgium, it doesn't seem as remote as it used to.

Barry, London,

when you give bullys power then youcan bet they will want more and will abuse and use that power at every given chance.england is no longer free and until we the people fight back and get rid of the bullys it won,t be.

brian rice, halifax, england

I do believe that Russia could learn a great deal from our country, in spying and devious doings

victor arram, westcliff,

Just to clarify on Ofqual. It is in fact a separation of the regulatory division within QCA to becoming an independent body. The main difference between QCA and what Ofqual will be is that QCA is a body for governments bidding whereas Ofqual will be independent. And its extra cost is taken from QCA.

QCA, London, UK

I work in a government dept. and have seen first hand the depth of beaurocracy and useless regulations the government has introduced. There's a process and committee for everything. They have condemed and are soon to remove our (perfectly well working and functional) toaster as it has been deemed a health and safety hazard. We as a nation should all beware the hazards of cooked bread. And you thought security was our only problem?

Brett, London,

If terrorists and criminals were as effectively , documented, controlled and policed as we ordinary taxpaying citizens - we would have no problems.

Alan Trent, London,

What happened to freedom? It is lost. This country is becoming more and more a police state. It has already become one. In 1688 the monarchy passed the power to the lords and parliament. Now they have to pass it on to the people. Enough of this authoritarian tyranny!

John Morgan, Old Stratford, United Kingdom

I entirely agree, but the only way to defeat this is to challenge these pompous imbeciles at every stage. Clog up the beauracracy with its own effluent. If you accede to them you only inflate their own sense of self-importance.

Adrian Ryan, Donegal, Ireland

T Coates - your (1) - (3) are exactly right. But I disagree with the psychologist comment. On the contrary, they are doing exactly what they need to do to stay in power in this most crassly undemocratic system - create legions of ZaNu Lab voters who owe their jobs to ZaNu Lab apparatchiks! Smart!

Jake, London, UK

How dare you question the thought police report to Room 101 imediately!!!

Dean, Southampton, England

I agree about the proliferation of quangos, lack of joined-up government etc. But I don't see why Camilla should include personal beefs about the way certain people were doing their jobs. By the way, there are 8 trains an hour to Sutton, why the rush? And I've never had to grovel to see my GP.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Excellent article! '1984 is a warning not a blueprint ' - our Government doesn't think so. I find it disturbing that these 'unpleasant and swaggering officials' often exist to 'protect' us from the Governments own failures. All this scrutiny at airports - how many fraudulent passports are issued?

Wyn, Liverpool, UK

T Coates well said. AKA Hegelian Dialectic: "in short, the critical process by which the ruling elite create a problem, anticipating in advance the reaction that the population will have to the given crisis, and thus conditioning the people that a change is needed" Oldest trick in the book.

Michael, London, England

These officials can be a force for good - they can ensure that you arnt blown up by terrorists, or penalised by thieves evading fares; they can ensure traffic moves freely.
For some reason though, many officials find it easier to abuse their power. Jobsworths have been around for decades, for ever.

Morris, Horsham,

I think we are getting a bit carried away here, ok the uk has become a bit of a nanny state and we must get shot of Brown but Id rather live in the uk or the us than anywhere else. If more of us actually voted ,then the politicians would be less in control. We have the best police force in the world

kenny livitt, hove,

It's funny to see that in a country, where Orwell lived and worked, people are still so ignorant, that they let their government do this (administration growing day by day, CCTV-s, enormous databases set up etc.)to them . Here at us it'd be just enough for a nice little riot. Revolt, people!

Roland, Budapest,

Every time on uniform I put, I get zis tremendous surge of power !!

Mautrice, Wiesbaden , Germany

All this surveillance must mean they have got something nasty lined up. The tension feels palpable when I alight each week at Paddington, but this may just be due to staff being unduly pressured by management. They all look totally worried all of the time. London is a real jolly treat these days.

Colin, Llandingat Without, Rural Wales

If you haven't already seen it I recommend watching Zeitgeist - a brilliant documentary on how the state wish to erode our civil liberties under the pretense of "protecting" us from terrorism.

Al Bloom, London, UK

Doctors get paid for every vaccine they administer. That's why they're wasting their publicly funded secretarial resource chasing you. I've always wondered what they do between the morning surgery and the 3 eve surgeries - they go home and put their feet up, apparently. For £100k + final salary pens

Pennie Bower, London,

On most public transport services it seems there is an institutional lack of respect for their customers. You probably made this mans day. Something for him to brag about to his colleagues after work in an otherwise boring day. Like the bus drivers who pump the brakes when you're on the stairs.

Harry Styles, London, UK

Politicians, of the current batch especially, suffer from personality traits which require them to (1) create a threat/excuse/need, (2) present the public with a solution to that need, and (3) take away personal liberty and taxes to implement that "solution". They need to see a psychologist.

T Coates, Ambelside, England

This is subversive literature that threatens the stability and security of the state. A Civil Enforcement Officer shall be along to take you to The Ministry of Justice for you to be processed.

David, Bradford, UK

Officialdom is taking over! Traffic Wardens no longer keep traffic moving, the means have become the ends. The NHS leaves top-up patients to die because they don't fit the rules. Local authorities no longer bother consulting residents. It's time to stop this madness and bring back common sense.

Steve, London, uk

This article should be used to train every single person whose salary is paid by the state. The heads of these organisations don't care because they don't have to care. Having locally elected Chief Constables would be a useful start.

John Williams, London,

I can only say that I am delighted, if surprised, to hear that station staff at Victoria are taking effective action against the many inconsiderate people who stand around in the middle of the walkways. I will, however, agree that the queues at the ticket office are a scandal.

Mike Scott, London,

I was reliably told recently that Gordon Brown was once a long term member of the Communist Party and still fundamentally holds these political views. If true, it explains everything and we all really should fear what he and his cohorts might do.

Peter, Genova, Italy

Once I attempted to list all the areas covered by regulatioins, motoring, refuse, building and on and on. After 5 minutes I had to give up - getting far too depressed. What can we do about it? We elect a government that does as this article states!

John, Worcester, England

I know that this is becoming a cliche - but re-read Orwell's 1984. Which social group suffers the most surveillance and oppression? Which social group gets left to their own devices? There in a nutshell you have New Labour's state. Joe Stalin would have been in awe.

Dave, Notts, UK

One of the best and most interesting articles I have read. We have recently spent 5 years in UK after 25 years in the Far East . We have returned to Hong Kong as we found ourselves very anxious and 'out of step' with current UK society. Officialdom in UK is very threatening.

Margaret Tallon, Hong Kong,

This article is right. We are law-abiding, middle-class, middle-aged, non-criminal inoffensive yet having been the victims of police intimidation and lies ( for which we later got a clearly insincere official apology, we now avoid the police at all costs and regard other officials with suspicion.

Jan Thomas, Nottingham, England

Britain has become intolerable to live in.Democracy is as good as dead.Central London has its army of different uniformed lackies all ready to hand out fines and ticlets at the drop of a hat.
One is not allowed to say anything for fear of being branded some sort of phobe.

James, Marbella, Spain

You have nothing to fear if you have done nothing wrong?
Many in Britain, are of the opinion that if you see or experience something that is wrong, whatever you do don't contact any authority. You will be the one who will be made to suffer and those 'seen' doing the 'wrong' will prosper! So Sad !

Tessa Boo, London,

What sort of personality signs on to be "Screecher Man" at Victoria? A fair minded individual with a sense of proportion for how utterly meaningless their job is? Or a petty nazi in waiting, ready to abuse their "power" over those who dare walk in the wrong PLACE!

Will, Leicester,

We live in an age where information is power. Those in power will always seek more power and control.

Nick Williams, Potters Bar, UK

This is a well thought out argument and you've picked a very apropriate time to make it. The machinations of the state have already gone too far. Our civil liberties are now being infringed by the very people we trust to protect them. The state needs to be rolled back now. It's already too Orwellian

ben, london, uk

Terrorism and crime may have kill hundreds of people since the beginning of this century but is only governments that have killed 100s of thousands and threatened there civil liberties Do what I do, have as little to do with the state as humanly possible. Bring on the liberal revolution.

Greg, Bristol,

You are far too late! The point of no return was passed long long ago.

nick white, rancho mirage , usa

I read an interview with Brown where he scoffed at libertarians; shows you everything you need to know about the man. His 'philosophy' is minimum personal freedom, maximum State control. He cannot see that when the State is made too big it becomes at best impotent, at worst malevolent.

James, Newcastle, UK

"So which country do you think will become a Police State first? The US or the UK?" "Keep your voice down, pilgrim."
Start compiling that, "Marked for Destruction" list for the post-revolution period. Only comes every 350-400 years, so no half-measures. Doesn't "Hate it and leave it" sound better?

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

I live in the US and there are similarities here. I am not sure we are less free politically but what I see is a growing intrusion of government agencies into all aspects of our lives to "better" protect us from whatever. However we share the responsibility in how we vote and support politically.

Chris, Los Angeles, USA

My experience was: the train station's ticket office was shut. The ticket machine didn't work. I had no cash for the permit to travel. I know that "Revenue Protection officers" (sic?) patrol the platforms.

You'd think I was an armed robber.

D, Lonodn,