Harrasment in London

[Formatted]

It appears that you can still get harassed as a photographer in London. Not by the police but private security.

 

[Vtec44]

It seems like the police are very well educated on the laws in this video. Good job.

 

[johnh2005]

So, let me get this straight... Someone set this up to have a bunch of photographers and videographers go around to Banks and obviously other high security areas and then "cry" that security is asking them not to photograph the security system? Seriously? Some really weak crap right there... The funny thing is that most of them were ON private property. Hilarious.

 

[skieur]

So, let me get this straight... Someone set this up to have a bunch of photographers and videographers go around to Banks and obviously other high security areas and then "cry" that security is asking them not to photograph the security system? Seriously? Some really weak crap right there... The funny thing is that most of them were ON private property. Hilarious.

Not at all. They had every right to film the buildings and anything else in a public place. On private property they can still takes photos and film until they are told otherwise. Legally speaking the security guards and police had no right to even ask the photographers why they were taking pictures or filming and had no right to ask for ID either.

skieur

 

[johnh2005]

So, let me get this straight... Someone set this up to have a bunch of photographers and videographers go around to Banks and obviously other high security areas and then "cry" that security is asking them not to photograph the security system? Seriously? Some really weak crap right there... The funny thing is that most of them were ON private property. Hilarious.

Not at all. They had every right to film the buildings and anything else in a public place. On private property they can still takes photos and film until they are told otherwise. Legally speaking the security guards and police had no right to even ask the photographers why they were taking pictures or filming and had no right to ask for ID either.

skieur

They were told otherwise. And they continued to do what they wanted. I just find it funny when people go out looking for trouble, they find it, and then cry about it.

 

[Tomasko]

johnh2005, as far as I understood, that stopped taking photographs on private property and moved a few meters away to a public spot. However, harassment from the security didn't stop. I don't find that to be ok.
By the way, let's say you're in the city with your camera. You want to take some pictures, so you grab it and start shooting. Can you tell straight away, which pavement is public and which is private, when there's no fence or anything?

/edit: Btw, drawing is forbidden too I hope! If taking photos is a suspicious action, drawing should be to.

 

[bogeyguy]

It would seem that the London Police Officers were well versed in the laws regarding the taking of photos on public/private property. They handled the situation in a professional manner as they should have. I'm sure if there would have been an ounce of suspicion about what the photograhers were doing they would have pursued further questioning. Hats off to the London Police Officers for diffusing a somewhat tenuous situation between the photographers and security officers, who by the way were just doing their jobs, also in a professional manner.

 

[johnh2005]

johnh2005, as far as I understood, that stopped taking photographs on private property and moved a few meters away to a public spot. However, harassment from the security didn't stop. I don't find that to be ok.
By the way, let's say you're in the city with your camera. You want to take some pictures, so you grab it and start shooting. Can you tell straight away, which pavement is public and which is private, when there's no fence or anything?

/edit: Btw, drawing is forbidden too I hope! If taking photos is a suspicious action, drawing should be to.

Actually, yes, I can. So could these people as evidenced by the example where is shows a sign that CLEARLY says something along the lines of "From here that way is private property." However, with that said I am in a VAST minority of people. I am a land surveyor. I get PAID to tell people where their property line is, even if they are clearly WRONG about where THEY think it is. This is NOT about that though. This about people doing something they KNOW could get them "harassed" then pointing the finger and saying "Look I was harassed!" If you go into an airport and start taking pictures of the security cameras I would HOPE that the security there stopped you. If you were outside of MY bank, and taking pictures of the security cameras and other security features of it and I saw you I would stop you and see what the heck you were doing. But, again, I am probably in the vast minority on these forums, as I have probably more first hand experience with crime that the vast majority of the forum.

 

[Vtec44]

johnh2005, as far as I understood, that stopped taking photographs on private property and moved a few meters away to a public spot. However, harassment from the security didn't stop. I don't find that to be ok.
By the way, let's say you're in the city with your camera. You want to take some pictures, so you grab it and start shooting. Can you tell straight away, which pavement is public and which is private, when there's no fence or anything?

/edit: Btw, drawing is forbidden too I hope! If taking photos is a suspicious action, drawing should be to.

Actually, yes, I can. So could these people as evidenced by the example where is shows a sign that CLEARLY says something along the lines of "From here that way is private property." However, with that said I am in a VAST minority of people. I am a land surveyor. I get PAID to tell people where their property line is, even if they are clearly WRONG about where THEY think it is. This is NOT about that though. This about people doing something they KNOW could get them "harassed" then pointing the finger and saying "Look I was harassed!" If you go into an airport and start taking pictures of the security cameras I would HOPE that the security there stopped you. If you were outside of MY bank, and taking pictures of the security cameras and other security features of it and I saw you I would stop you and see what the heck you were doing. But, again, I am probably in the vast minority on these forums, as I have probably more first hand experience with crime that the vast majority of the forum.

In US, as long as you're on public property and the land is not designated as sensitive national security installation, you have the rights to take pictures. Sure they can ask, but you don't have to answer or required to as long as it is legal to do so. Unfortunately, we're slow becoming a society of "pre-crime" and people volunteer to give up their rights without questions.

 

[Formatted]

johnh2005 your trying to apply US laws and US ideals to the UK system.

 

[skieur]

johnh2005, as far as I understood, that stopped taking photographs on private property and moved a few meters away to a public spot. However, harassment from the security didn't stop. I don't find that to be ok.
By the way, let's say you're in the city with your camera. You want to take some pictures, so you grab it and start shooting. Can you tell straight away, which pavement is public and which is private, when there's no fence or anything?

/edit: Btw, drawing is forbidden too I hope! If taking photos is a suspicious action, drawing should be to.

Actually, yes, I can. So could these people as evidenced by the example where is shows a sign that CLEARLY says something along the lines of "From here that way is private property." However, with that said I am in a VAST minority of people. I am a land surveyor. I get PAID to tell people where their property line is, even if they are clearly WRONG about where THEY think it is. This is NOT about that though. This about people doing something they KNOW could get them "harassed" then pointing the finger and saying "Look I was harassed!" If you go into an airport and start taking pictures of the security cameras I would HOPE that the security there stopped you. If you were outside of MY bank, and taking pictures of the security cameras and other security features of it and I saw you I would stop you and see what the heck you were doing. But, again, I am probably in the vast minority on these forums, as I have probably more first hand experience with crime that the vast majority of the forum.

Well, you are certainly in the VAST minority, if you are assuming that photographers are taking pictures of security cameras and that it is somehow related to crime. Even if you are that challenged, you do not have the right to stop a person and harass them with any questions or statements that they cannot do what they have every right to do.

skieur

 

[Opher]