So I just recently came to Oxford University (in England of course) and I am here for 7 weeks of school. Our big group of about 65 Americans decided that we should go to see the "Evening Song" which is some weekly/monthly event put on by the church choir. Completely open to the public. Usually tourists aren't allowed in there, the only people allowed are church-goers and students (since it is also a college of Oxford). So I grab my XT (it is one of the main buildings for the Harry Potter Movies, and I promised a friend I would take pics for her) and we all head over there together.
We enter stating what we are there for, almost everybody had a point and shoot in their hand, and the guard looked at me with my SLR (I'm the only one) and we smiled at each other. We were also told by our group leader (who is a visiting fellow of Oxford University for the past 40 years and knows almost every Don at the school, as well as works and teaches there every year) that it was ok to take pictures in the courtyard, just not inside. So after we all enter people start snapping away being loud and obnoxious like us Americans usually are.
I take a few here and there, nothing too amazing compared to the outside, which I had taken on a previous day. I lagged behind a bit to wait for the crowd to disperse from the shot. I take two quick snaps and proceed to follow the group putting my camera away. A gentleman motions for me to come over and says, "You, out!" and juts his thumb towards the exit. I explained to him I was there for the Evening Song and that I was told it was ok to take pictures in the courtyard. He stated he didn't care and that "he" worked there and "he" wanted me out (replace the "he" with "I"). Since I'm in a foreign country and didn't want him to think less of my great country of America, I simply said, "alright, I'm sorry about that" and proceeded towards the exit. A buddy of mine saw me leaving and was pretty confused of why I of all people was being kicked out especially since I wasn't blocking anyones way like all the others were when they were taking their pictures.
But that's my first bad encounter using an SLR since I'm sure it's because I had a "big, professional camera" that I was the one chosen to be kicked out. Or maybe it was because I lagged a few steps behind and I was alone and vulnerable for the guard on his power trip to exercise his immense power of kicking people out on me. I'm not mad he kicked me out, it's perfectly fine if they don't want tourists in and out of there all day, but I was there for the Evening Song, and I am religious so I was a bit bummed. This just happened half an hour ago by the way. Oh well I got the pictures I needed anyways. I can always go to the next one.
Tl;dr I got kicked out taking pictures in a place we supposedly weren't supposed to be. Everybody had point and shoots I had my SLR. We were told it was ok to shoot there.
