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ALL photographers are potential terrorists !

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You can't use a tripod on the tube, trains or stations but other than that, as long as you aren't causing an obstruction, you should be ok.
RobertSigmund said:
Is that so? Good to hear. I used to be in England often and enjoyed it a lot, but the last time is 12 years ago, I did not take so many photos (I regret it now). I would like to go to London or elsewhere, with camera and tripod but the thought of being harassed prevents me from doing so.

About 5 years ago I was in Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh, with Canon EOS 20 and tripod and had no problems at all. In fact, I didn't even know about these problems (sometimes it's good not to learn (think about King Oedipus).
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DickyUK said:
i couldnt agrre with you more ..as earlier posts have confirmed.. the police (a small minotity of them in realality) seem to get carried away with the power and are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater ..if the public feel that the forces of law and order are persecuteing them for no good reason then the public will be alienated by the police and cease to co operate when a real terrorist atrocity could be averted ..

i can not imagine that any terrorist would do anything in any way to atract attention to them selves let alone stand up in public with a dirty big DSLR in their hands photographing a place which they wish to blow up....... most such things are allready in the public domaine and just need to be googled or looked up on (in the UK) ordenance survey maps which are very detailed..or google maps/earth
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What I know about England is from reading about the place, and talking to people in England. But it seems to me that much of this questioning is coming from your equivalent of what we call "Auxliary" Police. Here in the US they have no power to do anything. Certainly I can't imagine being questioned by one of them. And aside from that, there aren't that many of them. Yet I get the inpression that your equivalents do have power to do a stop. And I've read about programs to organize and train them; programs which stress to them their "role" in fighting terror. What do you think?

Dave
 
Chato, The "auxiliary" police you refer to are called PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers), they have very limited powers, for example they cannot arrest you, but they can ask you for personal details, detain you until a real policeman comes along and under certain circumstances (life or death) they can enter properties. They look very much like regular policemen on patrol, apart from the big PCSO across the backs of their bright coloured jackets.

Basically, they are a police-like presence on the streets that cost less than police, introduced to tackle "anti-social behaviour" on the streets, leaving the police to go after the "real" criminals.

To be honest, I don't think they are any more a cause of harassing photographers than the real police.

I have been stopped from taking photos by a private security guard, and I suspect it is mainly these who are causing the problem. Unfortunately (or very conveniently, depending how you see it) being private, they are virtually unaccountable to "normal", democratic process.
 
mikeval said:
Chato, The "auxiliary" police you refer to are called PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers), they have very limited powers, for example they cannot arrest you, but they can ask you for personal details, detain you until a real policeman comes along and under certain circumstances (life or death) they can enter properties. They look very much like regular policemen on patrol, apart from the big PCSO across the backs of their bright coloured jackets.

Basically, they are a police-like presence on the streets that cost less than police, introduced to tackle "anti-social behaviour" on the streets, leaving the police to go after the "real" criminals.

To be honest, I don't think they are any more a cause of harassing photographers than the real police.

I have been stopped from taking photos by a private security guard, and I suspect it is mainly these who are causing the problem. Unfortunately (or very conveniently, depending how you see it) being private, they are virtually unaccountable to "normal", democratic process.
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Thanks.

Auxliary Police here (At least NYC) do not have any more power than a normal citizen has. They can ask you questions, (as any citizen can) but they can't detain you, or enforce any demand for identification. They dress in Police Uniforms and therefore have a deterent effect, but other than the uniform, they can't do a thing differently that you or I could do.

Dave
 
Good links, thanks for posting these. One of those stories occured not far from where I live, the one at the airport. I've not heard this story before. Sounds like the town is on the hook for a huge sttlement.
--
My humble photo gallery: http://www.pete-the-greek.com

 
Chris59 said:
CFynn said:
mikeval said:
To those who think the issue of photographers' rights is a load of bull...

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/All_photographers_are_potential_terrorists_say_police_news_305758.html
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Hmm... I wonder what type of camera terrorists are most likely to use.
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Fully automatic, no thinking, one shot only.
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They prefer Big Flashy DSLR's, preferably with a > 500mm lens. Something to enable them to, err, both blend in with the crowd and attract the Hot Babes. Who would want to be a terrorist if you couldn't "Stand out from the crowd?"

Now I ain't making this up!!! This guys trolling for Babes!

 
Hey, this advertisment must be a joke. This cannot be serious, can it?
 
it so sad how police or other people in power abuse their authority especially to innocent citizens who are probably unaware of their rights. I hope things like these don't happen again as it can be prevented if we, photographers are well informed of our rights and that we will be able to stand up to them. If we know that we are not violating anything and that it is within our rights, we should not be afraid to speak up.
 
All photographers are potential terrorists? Lets take this a step further: -

All drivers are potential drunk drivers.
All computer users are potential hackers.
All women are potential hookers.
All men are potential gigilos.
All babies are potential axe murderers.
etc. etc. ad nauseum

This is all a load of elephant droppings! ( for those who don't know, the difference between elephant droppings and BS is the quantity.

Why don't the petty officials ( very petty) responsible look for specific acts of terrorism, crime etc. before the over-react.
--
I'm a photographer, not a criminal.
 
Chato said:
Chris59 said:
CFynn said:
mikeval said:
To those who think the issue of photographers' rights is a load of bull...

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/All_photographers_are_potential_terrorists_say_police_news_305758.html
Click to expand...
Hmm... I wonder what type of camera terrorists are most likely to use.
Click to expand...
Fully automatic, no thinking, one shot only.
Click to expand...
They prefer Big Flashy DSLR's, preferably with a > 500mm lens. Something to enable them to, err, both blend in with the crowd and attract the Hot Babes. Who would want to be a terrorist if you couldn't "Stand out from the crowd?"
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I think that this guys lens is much smaller than 500mm, that may be why he's missing out on the babes

--
I'm a photographer, not a criminal.
 
morean51 said:
i agree with you
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I don't

ideally police work should be preventive
(like preventing medicine)

to often though, police work is done by people who are not qualified for it

(like doctors who prescribe the wrong medicine, or cut the wrong limb, sometimes even on the wrong patient)

that is a problem that should be addressed with education not abstinence,
punishing a crime after the act, can leave a family broken, a property stollen…

practice will make perfect
hopefully, prevention will become perfect before crime will

but if we only let criminals practice, non criminals will be in a lot more of trouble than they/[we?] are now
 
Laurentiu Todie said:
morean51 said:
i agree with you
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I don't

ideally police work should be preventive
(like preventing medicine)

to often though, police work is done by people who are not qualified for it

(like doctors who prescribe the wrong medicine, or cut the wrong limb, sometimes even on the wrong patient)

that is a problem that should be addressed with education not abstinence,
punishing a crime after the act, can leave a family broken, a property stollen…

practice will make perfect
hopefully, prevention will become perfect before crime will

but if we only let criminals practice, non criminals will be in a lot more of trouble than they/[we?] are now
Click to expand...
Sure just lock up everyone BEFORE they commit a crime like in Minority Report.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/

--
Brian Schneider

 
Laurentiu Todie said:
Brian D. Schneider said:
Laurentiu Todie said:
morean51 said:
i agree with you
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I don't
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
…
Laurentiu Todie said:
Sure just lock up everyone BEFORE they commit a crime like in Minority Report.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/

--
Brian Schneider
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You can't read too well : )
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I don't

ideally police work should be preventive
(like preventing medicine)

to often though, police work is done by people who are not qualified for it

(like doctors who prescribe the wrong medicine, or cut the wrong limb, sometimes even on the wrong patient)

that is a problem that should be addressed with education not abstinence,
punishing a crime after the act, can leave a family broken, a property stollen…

practice will make perfect
hopefully, prevention will become perfect before crime will

but if we only let criminals practice, non criminals will be in a lot more of trouble than they/[we?] are now/

Hmm, Mr. Todie, seems to me that it would take a pretty sophisticated computer to, err, "understand" what you wrote. But it sure sounds like you're advocating locking people up in advance, and that hopefully, the majority of these, err, "preventive" acts by the police will be on target. Presumably, you would never, ever, be mistaken for a criminal...

Dave
 
deleted_081301 said:
On a more serious note if you are stopped by a policeman or policewoman while taking photographs in a public place always ask for Identification of the officers who are harrasssing you then make an official complaint Only when these officers get fed up with the hassle of complaints will they stop harrassing inocent members of the public
First complain to their police station then to the
"Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)."

If you get arrested Always get a lawyer and insist on an Official complaint and look into a wrongfull arrest suit on Legal aid
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These days, all people are encouraged to report suspicious activity to authorities.

If someone told you they suspect the person with the camera has a bomb under his jacket, and it was your job to inquire and check it out... how would you do it?
 
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