I've spent quite a while today doing something really pointless. You see, there's a test on the MI5 Extranet (the site which accompanies the new BBC Drama Spooks). It's called THE TC 10: MANDATORY SURVEILLANCE SKILLS FOR ALL OFFICERS. And yes, I pasted that which is why it's in caps. Can't be bothered to retype it. Anyway, it's really hard, and I can't see that it tells you the answers anywhere. But I did work out the answers. In a way not unlike the Mastermind game with the pegs. And I posted a message on the message board there to say what I'd done.

But I think I'll post the answers here. Because I worked them out. And they're sort of interesting. Not really interesting, but hey.

1 - Which of these is NOT a surveillance method?
Fixed
Mobile
Arrest
Intensive *

2 - When should a one-person surveillance be used?
To check reliability of informant information
When moving within a short radius
When using bicycle mobile surveillance
Never *

3 - If a one-person foot surveillance is required, where should the surveillant position themselves in relation to the subject?
In front
Beside
Behind *
Above

4 - What piece of surveillance equipment permits the officer to legally view persons or things that would normally be impossible?
Body-mounted transmitter
Binoculars *
Electromagnetic sensors
Conducting shield

5 - What type of surveillance is used primarily for the protection of the undercover officer?
Fixed
Mobile
Technical
Covert *

6 - If a subject enters a telephone booth, where should the surveillant position themselves?
Queueing outside
In an adjacent booth *
Behind a parked vehicle
In a nearby shop

7 - In a vehicle surveillance, how many surveillants should be in each vehicle?
1
2 *
3
4

8 - Which of the following does NOT form a part of RF transmitter signal devices?
Oscillator
Amplifier
Antenna
Recorder *

9 - How many surveillants form the team when using ABC method?
1
2
3 *
4

10 - What is another name for Progressive surveillance?
A-Z
Leap-Frog
Co-operative
Expansive *

11 - What kind of moving surveillance with a vehicle can only be used if there is no arrest intent?
One car
Two car
Three car
Leap-Frog *

12 - Which of these is NOT an electronic eavesdropping device?
Wiretap
Mobile Phone *
Beeper
Electronic tracker

13 - What piece of surveillance equipment can be located by electromagnetic sensors?
Helicopter
Low-level light viewing devices
RF transmitters *
PDA

14 - What offers the best security against detection when conducting foot surveillance?
One-man surveillance
Two-man surveillance
ABC method
Progressive method *

15 - What type of moving vehicle surveillance is best in city areas during daytime hours?
One-car surveillance
Two-car surveillance *
Three-car surveillance
Leap-Frog surveillance

So there you go. I had something else I was going to say. (The starred answers are the correct ones, obviously.) I'm really not sure what we're supposed to be doing on that site. Fun though. Anyway, what was I saying?

Ah, that's it. I finally started writing some of the Stargate fic that's been sitting in my brain for ages. Months. Years, even. A year, maybe. Um, so... I wrote two paragraphs. Maybe three. And then Word locked up. And it showed the words, "Your program caused a divide overflow error. If the problem persists, contact your program vendor." Not in an error box. Just at the top of the screen, black words on a white background. And weirder than that, the printer started printing! And it printed weird black rectangles and repeated those sentences twice. I didn't even know the printer was on. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it's a sign that I should never write that fic down. Probably best for everyone if I don't. Last thing people need's another Stargate fic...