I'm old enough to remember the TV detector vans. (I lived on the Isle of Man for a while, and the local newspaper would be alerted by the ferrymen when the van

I'm old enough to remember the TV detector vans. (I lived on the Isle of Man for a while, and the local newspaper would be alerted by the ferrymen when the van was shipped over, and run a warning for everyone to turn their TVs off for a few days). It's only easier to evade now because flat-screen TVs don't emit radio signals they can detect from the street. If enough people opt out then they'll do what they do in Germany: everyone pays it regardless of whether you have a TV or not.