Lead us not into temptation

Here's an interesting method of protecting people's personal data. In the Eye Clinic at my local NHS Infirmary I saw a notice, pictured to the right, in a waiting area outside the consultants' rooms. It reads "ATTENTION Please refrain from looking at these notes as they are STRICTLY confidential". Whilst it's true many of the people sitting opposite this invitation appeared to have very little vision at all, other bored hangers-on and passers-by could not but help take a glance at the intriguing pile of documents.

It may be that the damage from recent spate of Civil Servants leaving secret Government papers on trains and in taxis could have been mitigated by similar highly visible notices. Sadly, I think not. I'll continue trying to keep all my secrets far away from prying eyes as I fear there may be far too many people sharing Mark Twain's view; "I deal with temptation by yielding to it".