old.user4556
Has a sexy sister. I am also a Bodhi wannabee.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2003
- Messages
- 16,163
You. Won't. Believe. This.
So we've got an architecture themed photo competition going on at the moment and I had a half day off work, so I decided to get out there and take some urban shots. I gave up with the architecture and went over to obscure. I went to my local shopping centre knowing that might be problematic and got two shots of an escalator. Within minutes, security were over (this is as close as I can remember the chain of conversation):
"Can I ask what you're taking photos of please."
"The escalator".
"Photography is not allowed here".
"Oh? Says who?"
"The management - this is private property."
"So what about tourists, people with point and shoot cameras and people with camera phones - do you stop them too?
"Yes, we stop everyone photographing here."
"So what's the reason behind that?"
"You could be photographing someone's children, infact it was a mother that reported you".
"So you're suggesting I'm a paedophile?!" - loudly at him.
"No no no sir, I'm only suggesting that members of the public could see it that way."
Now I know my rights, if it's deemed to be private property, he can stop me taking photographs, but I know they have absolutely no power - including the police - to stop me taking pictures in a public place provided it's not a sensitive subject; so I took the trumped up bastard on.
"Can I take photos from outside the building?"
"No, that's not permitted."
"Sorry mate, it's a public place, you can't stop me taking pictures in a public place - I'll respect your request not to photograph inside here, but I'll be taking as many as I like outside"
Then he radios in "he says he knows his rights...". So I start to take a couple of shots from the public road of the front of the building. At that point he and his security mate run out shouting "we don't want you taking pictures outside either".
"You can't stop me, phone the police, get them down here and i'll prove it"
"Well if that's how you want to play it".
Five minutes later, old bill show up and interview me. Fair play to him, he was as nice as pie and I answered all his questions. I told him I was taking photos for personal use and that it was a hobby. Then he sucked through his teeth;
"You can't really take photos here though".
"All due respect, but this is a public place - you can't stop or arrest me for anything - I know my rights"
Then came the trump card:
"Well, under <whatever section> of the Terrorist Act I must caution you that this building could be deemed a sensitive subject and as such I'm going to have to ask you not to. I'm also gonna need to see some photo ID and take some details".
Gobsmacked, I complied - address, occupation, employer, had to review most of my memory card, driving licence. I've been through this before when photographing an oil refinery.
I then said "If i was a terrorist, do you honestly think I'd come down here in broad daylight and snap photos like this? Don't you think I'd be better off using google maps? or maybe use a long lens from far away?".
They said "yeah we know, we hear that a lot, we understand that but we have to follow up every reported case".
I followed up with "look - you know it and I know it, I can take photos here all day long - can you advise what law i've broken exactly?".
He sighed and said "right - you've not broken any law, but I would appreciate it if you didn't just now".
I said "As I say, I know my rights, but for the interest of a peaceful life, I will respect your request". Off I went.
So there you have it, two photos of an escalator and two photos of the exterior of a shopping centre and I get stopped, searched and cautioned under the terrorism act.
Un-fucking-believable.
So we've got an architecture themed photo competition going on at the moment and I had a half day off work, so I decided to get out there and take some urban shots. I gave up with the architecture and went over to obscure. I went to my local shopping centre knowing that might be problematic and got two shots of an escalator. Within minutes, security were over (this is as close as I can remember the chain of conversation):
"Can I ask what you're taking photos of please."
"The escalator".
"Photography is not allowed here".
"Oh? Says who?"
"The management - this is private property."
"So what about tourists, people with point and shoot cameras and people with camera phones - do you stop them too?
"Yes, we stop everyone photographing here."
"So what's the reason behind that?"
"You could be photographing someone's children, infact it was a mother that reported you".
"So you're suggesting I'm a paedophile?!" - loudly at him.
"No no no sir, I'm only suggesting that members of the public could see it that way."
Now I know my rights, if it's deemed to be private property, he can stop me taking photographs, but I know they have absolutely no power - including the police - to stop me taking pictures in a public place provided it's not a sensitive subject; so I took the trumped up bastard on.
"Can I take photos from outside the building?"
"No, that's not permitted."
"Sorry mate, it's a public place, you can't stop me taking pictures in a public place - I'll respect your request not to photograph inside here, but I'll be taking as many as I like outside"
Then he radios in "he says he knows his rights...". So I start to take a couple of shots from the public road of the front of the building. At that point he and his security mate run out shouting "we don't want you taking pictures outside either".
"You can't stop me, phone the police, get them down here and i'll prove it"
"Well if that's how you want to play it".
Five minutes later, old bill show up and interview me. Fair play to him, he was as nice as pie and I answered all his questions. I told him I was taking photos for personal use and that it was a hobby. Then he sucked through his teeth;
"You can't really take photos here though".
"All due respect, but this is a public place - you can't stop or arrest me for anything - I know my rights"
Then came the trump card:
"Well, under <whatever section> of the Terrorist Act I must caution you that this building could be deemed a sensitive subject and as such I'm going to have to ask you not to. I'm also gonna need to see some photo ID and take some details".
Gobsmacked, I complied - address, occupation, employer, had to review most of my memory card, driving licence. I've been through this before when photographing an oil refinery.
I then said "If i was a terrorist, do you honestly think I'd come down here in broad daylight and snap photos like this? Don't you think I'd be better off using google maps? or maybe use a long lens from far away?".
They said "yeah we know, we hear that a lot, we understand that but we have to follow up every reported case".
I followed up with "look - you know it and I know it, I can take photos here all day long - can you advise what law i've broken exactly?".
He sighed and said "right - you've not broken any law, but I would appreciate it if you didn't just now".
I said "As I say, I know my rights, but for the interest of a peaceful life, I will respect your request". Off I went.
So there you have it, two photos of an escalator and two photos of the exterior of a shopping centre and I get stopped, searched and cautioned under the terrorism act.
Un-fucking-believable.
