What is the world coming to?

[FlexiPack]

I was killing time at Milton Keynes train station by taking some snaps with my fuji F30 compact about an hour ago. When a member of staff come across saying that I'm not allowed to take photographs on station premises.

I was dumb founded, I thought it was some sort of jokeat first. It's in case i'm a terrorist she said. It wasn't her fault though, she was just doing her job.

Has anyone else been told this? I've taken pictures at Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly and those were with my DSLR. No one confronted me then.

I'm furious and dumb struck. If terrorists do want to take pictures of a station they could easily use a hidden camera. This rule is going to make sod all of a difference other than to give us photographers one more place that we cannot take photographs.

The world is going mad!!

rant over

[ssim]

Have you been in hiding:D:D. This is a long running topic in many corners of the world. In many cases it is just security personnel flaunting their authority and in some cases they are just doing what they are told. I think the key is how they approach it. There is always a nice way of doing things but people with a badge (even a rent a cop one) sometimes go a tad overboard on this.

The governments seem to have missed the mark on this whole photography thing. Someone with a hidden agenda, ie terror, is certainly not going to do this openly to a large extent. There is normally no shortage of online images if they need them. It was just another thing that governments did to try and show us that they are actually doing something no matter how ill-fated it is.

I am not aware of the circumstances of the individual station but if you are on private property they have every right to ask you to cease. If it is public property then generally they do not.

[TheHoff]

Try this:

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/photographer-not-terrorist-ringer-t/29977480

I have one; it might help? :D

[dolfinack]

Try this:

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/photographer-not-terrorist-ringer-t/29977480

I have one; it might help? :D

haha! I want.

[FlexiPack]

Have you been in hiding:D:D

I must've missed the boat on this one :lol: I've heard/read bits and pieces about little hitlers in uniforms being arsey about people taking photographs. I haven't come across it in a train station before though.

To be the fair the lady member of staff who told me was perfectly nice about it, she wasn't arsey at all. She explained that her station manager has told the staff to tell anyone who is taking photographs and that she was sorry. I think she knew herself that it was ridiculous but she has to do her job. I wonder if this is a directive from national rail (or which ever company is currently ruining, sorry.. running our rail service) or is station dependant.

I was just so shocked. I guess you read about these things but it hits home more when it actually happens to yourself.



Try this:

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/photographer-not-terrorist-ringer-t/29977480

I have one; it might help? :D

Oh that's classic, I'm ordering one right now! thanks for that one Hoff :D

[KayakPhotos]

I had a similar problem the other day. I was taking some shots around town and came across the local bus terminal. There was an older bike sitting inside of it that caught my eye and I thought that it might make an interesting shot. I was lining up for the shot and getting my composition how I wanted it (I was shooting with my 50mm), when the security guard stepped out and confronted me. She told me that City Utilities (they run the buses) does not allow photographs on their premises because some people do not like to be photographed. I politely explained that I was not photographing a person, but was taking a picture of the bike instead. She did not seem to believe me. Then I mentioned that I would ask someone first before taking their picture, which is the truth, and she asked me again to leave. I went ahead and left because by now this was causing a scene and I am not used to this sort of thing.

[KayakPhotos]

Try this:

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/photographer-not-terrorist-ringer-t/29977480

I have one; it might help? :D

That's classic and I definitely need to get one.

[TheHoff]

That's classic and I definitely need to get one.

The problem will come, though, when the real terrorists catch wind of these and start wearing the shirts themselves :mad:

[KayakPhotos]

Sadly, nothing would surprise me....

[Wilt]

So, judging from POTN topics, in the UK it is not possible...
...to photograph a child without being accused of being a 'pedophile'
...to photograph a public garden flower without being accused by a woman of being a 'pervert' photographing her butt
...to photograph a train station without being accused of being a 'terrorist'.

All that leaves is a male photographer taking a picture of another male adult, and being accused of being 'interested'! :rolleyes: ;)

[highbarger]

Maybe we need to get them to design a new shirt for us... something like this??

[Robbierob]

I worked for a major airline for years and it was one of those things that some "authority complex" guys would pull. Next time someone tells you that, ask to see the security directive pertaining to no photography, and see if they still hold their line. Or, that could just get you cavity searched LOL....

[Mum2J&M]

Why the heck can't someone get smart and make an impossible to duplicate ID, which has been run through some government security check, to show these people? With the world as it is today, why can't they figure crap like this out??? I mean, you need a license for a gun, surely they could come up with a photographer's license that you could do voluntarily and it would be legit? Hey - one more way to get some money out of us we don't have.

[Tee Why]

That's the problem, being able to shoot photos in public is a right, if for art sake, freedom of speech.

We should not be required to get approval for such freedom of expressions. How sad that fear has over taken our societies.

[400dabuser]

Political correctness gone mad. Really I would of asked for permission of the station manager, most if not all would of given permission, that would of put you in more stead if this stupid idiot came up to you with that attitude

[tzalman]

Why the heck can't someone get smart and make an impossible to duplicate ID, which has been run through some government security check, to show these people? With the world as it is today, why can't they figure crap like this out??? I mean, you need a license for a gun, surely they could come up with a photographer's license that you could do voluntarily and it would be legit? Hey - one more way to get some money out of us we don't have.

They say that in some states it's easy to get a gun permit, but where I live even though hand gun ownership is huge, before a license is issued a background check is done with the Minstry of Health to see if there is a record of mental illness and with the police to see if there is a criminal record. Would you want the licensing authority checking into your political affiliations, your friends and associates, investigating your sexual preferences and talking to your neighbors before issuing a photography license?

[Wilt]

So, judging from POTN topics, in the UK it is not possible...
...to photograph a child without being accused of being a 'pedophile'
...to photograph a public garden flower without being accused by a woman of being a 'pervert' photographing her butt
...to photograph a train station without being accused of being a 'terrorist'.

All that leaves is a male photographer taking a picture of another male adult, and being accused of being 'interested'! :rolleyes: ;)

And now I read about a certified journalist in the UK being accused of being a terrorist! :cry: From the article
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Photographer_mulls_legal_action_after_terror_swoop _news_273937.html
which is cited in the POTN posting:

"In a further twist, we understand that police told Jess she was not allowed to use the video footage she had captured because it was the police's copyright. (my comment, Yeah right!)
Jess had been covering the wedding for a news story about the treatment of travellers in Europe. The pictures were published in The Guardian newspaper on Saturday (pictured).

She had been standing in the Ramada Hotel car park at Royal Victoria Dock. London E16.

The news comes just weeks after police insisted that newly published anti-terrorism guidance (http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/photographers_not_threatened_say_police_news_27323 5.html) does not threaten press photographers right to do their job. "

[medhora]

Try this:

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/photographer-not-terrorist-ringer-t/29977480

I have one; it might help? :D

+1 need to get one of these just in case :lol:

[FlexiPack]

Maybe we need to get them to design a new shirt for us... something like this??



It could end up being a long list with the way things are going!





Political correctness gone mad. Really I would of asked for permission of the station manager, most if not all would of given permission, that would of put you in more stead if this stupid idiot came up to you with that attitude



I'm going to contact them and find out more info about it. Though i'm sure once I get my t-shirt i'll never get stopped again

[FlexiPack]

And now I read about a certified journalist in the UK being accused of being a terrorist! :cry: From the article
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Photographer_mulls_legal_action_after_terror_swoop _news_273937.html
which is cited in the POTN posting:

"In a further twist, we understand that police told Jess she was not allowed to use the video footage she had captured because it was the police's copyright. (my comment, Yeah right!)
Jess had been covering the wedding for a news story about the treatment of travellers in Europe. The pictures were published in The Guardian newspaper on Saturday (pictured).

She had been standing in the Ramada Hotel car park at Royal Victoria Dock. London E16.

The news comes just weeks after police insisted that newly published anti-terrorism guidance (http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/photographers_not_threatened_say_police_news_27323 5.html) does not threaten press photographers right to do their job. "


That's terrible! It really is getting worse, that photographer was arrested just because he/she was photographing a wedding 'near' to another location. what?!!

I'm certainly going to be a lot more self conscious now when I'm taking pictures in public places. Sometimes, like the other day for instance, I take snapshots for ideas, or close ups for use in compositing. If a law official were to stop me and review my images, what constitutes an image that could be used for terrorist activities?

Surely any photographing of a public place could potentially be 'reconnisance'. So then it comes to down to a human opinion, that of the official. There's far too much grey area at the moment.

It stands to reason that any area that is busy with people is a potential terrorist target. In a city centre that would be hundreds of locations. So if you're going to ban photography in train stations then surely you have to in all these other locations as well otherwise you're pissing in the wind for want of a better phrase.

I suppose you could argue that's easier to spot or more containable in a station. Though with the amount of CCTV in major towns and cities this really isn't a valid argument either. It just smells of another one these government initiatives designed to make it look like they're doing something but which actually accomplishes nothing other than to the detriment of law abiding citizens.

Once the terrorists become aware of the ban (which i'm sure they already are). They will just do it covertly, with hidden cameras or using other methods (high quality satellite imagery is freely available for instance).

Yet the ban will still remain.

[cdifoto]

Why the heck can't someone get smart and make an impossible to duplicate ID, which has been run through some government security check, to show these people? With the world as it is today, why can't they figure crap like this out??? I mean, you need a license for a gun, surely they could come up with a photographer's license that you could do voluntarily and it would be legit? Hey - one more way to get some money out of us we don't have.
Worst idea I've ever heard in my life.

If you really want to to terrorist recon, hop on Google Earth. You can even do it in your undies. Or less.