A decade ago Pullyman - aka Michael Cowin - was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, a condition that affects people in different ways. Michael discovered writing and Island Life is featuring some of his musings. Sometimes topical, sometimes nostalgic, read about life as seen through the eyes of Pullyman

What about all this data protection that everyone is on about?

I decided to give them a call, and guess what? I couldn’t find them in the book.

It turned out that they were actually called the Information Commissioners.

So I gave them a quick call and had a chat with a very helpful young lady. But, I’m sorry, I can’t tell you her name.

Now for the last month or so, there has been letter after letter from the Isle of Man Bank dropping through the letter box.

Apparently the reason was to advise their customers about the way that they will be doing their job in the future.

That’s good, I thought. They must be going to make it easier for the customer to use the bank or, even, in my wildest dreams make it possible to find a bank. No chance.

Now to be truthful, I don’t really understand just what this data protection is all about. What does it protect you from? Will it make our day to day business with the bank more secure or even more difficult? Time will tell.

It would appear that the one thing that we can be absolutely certain of is that data protection will cost many businesses and charities more time, effort and expense.

For example, an email from the local charity, Sailing for the Disabled popped up the other day. They now have to have my permission to send me a regular newsletter.

The other day, I was standing at the receptionist to check in for my doctor’s appointment and could not avoid hearing the conversation between the man who was in front of me and the receptionist.

’Good morning,’ he said. ’I have come to collect a prescription for my wife’.

’Certainly, do you have her authority for this?’ the receptionist replied.

’Well I suppose so, I have always collected it for her as she works full time’ he said

’Unfortunately because of the new Data Protection regulations, she will have to complete this form to allow you to collect her prescription on her behalf,’ she explained.

’But, as I have explained, she works full time.’ ’No problem. You can take one of the forms for her to fill in,’ he replied.

Now, forgive me for being naive, but if the man actually takes the form home with him for his wife to fill in, it somehow defeats the object.

And a final comment about doctors and data protection. I had checked in at the desk and was waiting for my turn to be called.

Then right on time, my name appeared on the screen, and a voice advised me to go to room four. No further comment.

But let me tell you a story. It was a long ago and involved my late and sadly-missed mother, and a very helpful lady who was on duty at the Manx Airlines help desk.

Manx Airlines was the much maligned operator of flights to and from the island.

They flew to so many destinations that now we can only dream about, and at a frequency that you couldn’t believe. They also had a help desk with a phone number.

My mother was due to fly with Manx Airlines to Liverpool, but had somehow made a mistake with her days and dates with the result that we arrived at the airport a day too soon.

She was naturally upset and if the truth was known, I must have been less than sympathetic.

The time arrived for her to travel back to the island and would you believe, she had done it again.

The day that she had written down was today but the date was tomorrow, so I phoned Manx Airlines to help me solve the problem.

I told the tale to the helpful and sympathetic assistant. She explained that for security reasons she could not give out the information that I needed, but she added that if she was going to pick up her mother from the airport, she would leave it until tomorrow.

That’s what I call data protection.