First attempt at light trails - Police turfed me off.

P

parker455

Messages
882
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi guys,

Decided to go out and do some light trails this evening, was going great until Essex police decided they were going to waste tax payers money and come turf me off. They actually believed i was going to top myself or throw something from the bridge, i doubt that would have happened, £1000 worth of camera gear pfft... :wacky:

They even wondered what i was doing..

Besides, now this location is a no no from now, here's the two images i managed to get:
1. My favourite, 5 seconds before they pulled up all sirens blazing.
6703295163_02887b1cb9_o.jpg


2.
6703298025_8e45e20005_o.jpg
 
Did you show them the shots they may have understood, Ive had that and they left me to carry on (y) I know Matt and Darrell have had the same, show them your shots, off they toddle (y)
 
Last edited:
They are cool photos.
Sorry to hear about your trouble with the police. As above if you explain to them what your doing and show them the pics they usually happily leave you to it.

I know the police are a bit more warey of people on bridges atm from the incidents a while back when stuff was been thrown from one.
 
I expect you'd be the first to complain if someone dropped a brick on your car. Did you seriously not for one moment think, that from a speeding car going under the bridge, that you may have looked like you could be about to do anything?
 
It's time the police were put in their place - start by making a complaint. This is a definite over-reaction. Go back and see what happens - provoke the sods (edit: or should I say plods) and sue their backsides off if they take the bait ;)

Edit 2: all of the above assumes that you're doing nothing illegal. Let them waste more taxpayers' money; after all Essex is the land of 400 "accredited persons"...
 
Last edited:
they cannot move you on from a public place unless 1. you are causing a disturbance or 2. you are doing something illegal, feel free next time to explain more and stand your ground. photography isn't illegal and neither is standing on a bridge.

great pics though
 
Just Dave said:
Did you show them the shots they may have understood, Ive had that and they left me to carry on (y) I know Matt and Darrell have had the same, show them your shots, off they toddle (y)
Click to expand...

I did, they still kicked me off. Shame because i was just getting used to the exposures etc. Oh well!
Micky_st said:
They are cool photos.
Sorry to hear about your trouble with the police. As above if you explain to them what your doing and show them the pics they usually happily leave you to it.

I know the police are a bit more warey of people on bridges atm from the incidents a while back when stuff was been thrown from one.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Yeah that incident was from this very bridge, so it's understandable why they came. They told me in future to call beforehand and let them know what i'm doing.
treeman said:
I expect you'd be the first to complain if someone dropped a brick on your car. Did you seriously not for one moment think, that from a speeding car going under the bridge, that you may have looked like you could be about to do anything?
Click to expand...

Don't get angry, there's no need. :bang:

Jonathan Shl said:
It's time the police were put in their place - start by making a complaint. This is a definite over-reaction. Go back and see what happens - provoke the sods (edit: or should I say plods) and sue their backsides off if they take the bait ;)

Edit 2: all of the above assumes that you're doing nothing illegal. Let them waste more taxpayers' money; after all Essex is the land of 400 "accredited persons"...
Click to expand...

haha, maybe i shall! It's ridiculous, around 3 cars and 8 or so coppers come out just for little me on the bridge in a snowboarding jacket and bobble hat.
 
I won't for one second pretend that I have any knowledge of the law but if you were in a public place doing nothing illegal can that actually make you move on?
EDIT: Too slow lol.

P.S. #1 is my fav too! :)
 
parker455 said:
Yeah that incident was from this very bridge, so it's understandable why they came. They told me in future to call beforehand and let them know what i'm doing.
Click to expand...

They probably got a series of calls from worried motorists - in the circumstances I'm not surprised that they turned up and asked you to leave as you (unwittingly) were presenting a potential danger to motorists.
I would suggest their advice to let them know in the future was reasonable.
 
Next time ask them if they have brought thier cameras too and tell them to take a picture. Doubt it would look as good as yours though
 
Apparently so.. i didn't kick up a massive fuss as there was a fair few of them there, and i don't particularly fancy a trip to basildon police station :sigh:

Thank you!
 
gramps said:
They probably got a series of calls from worried motorists - in the circumstances I'm not surprised that they turned up and asked you to leave as you (unwittingly) were presenting a potential danger to motorists.
I would suggest their advice to let them know in the future was reasonable.
Click to expand...

Can't help but agree, it was just a tad annoying as i can't do anything without something preventing me these days!
 
treeman said:
So what are you actually complaining about?
Click to expand...
I disagree. The OP was doing nothing illegal. Why should he have to advise the police that he is to carry out a legal act? This is a step towards unofficial police control over photography.

What if he has called the police to "advise" them of his intentions and they had said he must not do it?

Don't be so spineless.
 
Both images look a bit overexposed to me and can do with a bit more contrast IMO. Maybe 5 secs was a bit too long - 2/3 secs would have been enough given the cars are moving at over 70MPH.
 
gridlock said:
So you didn't ask them to do a drive-by with the blue lights on? :D
Click to expand...

Haha, they really wasn't happy with me..

ProG77 said:
Both images look a bit overexposed to me and can do with a bit more contrast IMO. Maybe 5 secs was a bit too long - 2/3 secs would have been enough given the cars are moving at over 70MPH.
Click to expand...

The exposure was around 15 seconds as it wasn't that busy, f/11 i think too..
 
Yellowbelly said:
I disagree. The OP was doing nothing illegal. Why should he have to advise the police that he is to carry out a legal act? This is a step towards unofficial police control over photography.

What if he has called the police to "advise" them of his intentions and they had said he must not do it?

Don't be so spineless.
Click to expand...

Rubbish, just the sort of insensitive and pointless action that would make things worse for every tog. Yes we have rights but with rights go responsibilities.
 
gramps said:
Rubbish, just the sort of insensitive and pointless action that would make things worse for every tog. Yes we have rights but with rights go responsibilities.
Click to expand...

Responsibilities to obey the law. That is all. There is no requirement to obey the whim of the boys in blue just because they are wearaing a uniform. Parliament makes the law, not PC Plod.
 
I still don't see why I can't do something that's perfectly legal, even when saying it was for my uni portfolio they didn't understand why. With the circumstances of people on bridges launching things below, fair enough, but I don't see why I couldn't have stayed and they make a brief not about it all. It was clear that in my bag was photography equipment and I wasn't using flashes so putting motorists off wasn't an issue.

Wonder what Matt did when the coppers turned up..
 
Just to add, there have been a series of incidents along the A12 in Essex with mindless idiots dropping lumps of concrete the size of a builder's bucket off the bridges.

Several cars have been hit, several people have been put in hospital and the police are treating these incidents as attempted murder (and rightly so IMHO).

I can understand why the police were so sensitive about someone hanging around on the bridge BUT I think in this instance they should have been satisfied of the OP's motives for being there, told him to let them know if he's doing it in future and let him be. Certainly had no right to move him on.

Do like the pictures, a little "glowy" in places but nothing a touch of PP wouldn't fix :)
 
Russ77 said:
Just to add, there have been a series of incidents along the A12 in Essex with mindless idiots dropping lumps of concrete the size of a builder's bucket off the bridges.

Several cars have been hit, several people have been put in hospital and the police are treating these incidents as attempted murder (and rightly so IMHO).

I can understand why the police were so sensitive about someone hanging around on the bridge BUT I think in this instance they should have been satisfied of the OP's motives for being there, told him to let them know if he's doing it in future and let him be. Certainly had no right to move him on.

Do like the pictures, a little "glowy" in places but nothing a touch of PP wouldn't fix :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Russ, i agree, i'd have been happy to talk and let them know what i was doing, to be left alone.

Agreed, i think the exposure was a bit long, but the road wasn't immensley busy tonight (as it usually is!) so i tried to get as many cars in as possible.

I want to go back when it's a bit lighter, toward sunset. The second shot would be perfect as the sun sets!
 
treeman said:
I expect you'd be the first to complain if someone dropped a brick on your car. Did you seriously not for one moment think, that from a speeding car going under the bridge, that you may have looked like you could be about to do anything?
Click to expand...

No but they may think your a speed camera and slow down :D
 
Last edited:
Yellowbelly said:
Responsibilities to obey the law. That is all. There is no requirement to obey the whim of the boys in blue just because they are wearaing a uniform. Parliament makes the law, not PC Plod.
Click to expand...

If due to the history of what has happened at this and maybe other bridges has led to motorists being 'twitchy' at seeing people appearing to be loitering on motorway bridges then it is perfectly reasonable to view them as being a danger to passing motorists.
It is simply a case of using common sense and acting in a way that shows respect and concern for other members of the public.
Of course those who are anti-police would take a different view.
 
gramps said:
If due to the history of what has happened at this and maybe other bridges has led to motorists being 'twitchy' at seeing people appearing to be loitering on motorway bridges then it is perfectly reasonable to view them as being a danger to passing motorists.
It is simply a case of using common sense and acting in a way that shows respect and concern for other members of the public.
Of course those who are anti-police would take a different view.
Click to expand...

Did the OP do otherwise?

For the record, I am by no means anti-police. I am most certainly anti-bullying.
 
gramps said:
If due to the history of what has happened at this and maybe other bridges has led to motorists being 'twitchy' at seeing people appearing to be loitering on motorway bridges then it is perfectly reasonable to view them as being a danger to passing motorists.
It is simply a case of using common sense and acting in a way that shows respect and concern for other members of the public.
Of course those who are anti-police would take a different view.
Click to expand...

I was at the corner of the bridge, not in direct view of any motorists, to avoid this problem of them being twitchy.
 
parker455 said:
Are you here to kick up a fuss or something?
Click to expand...

No, just curious as to what your point is. You complained about
wasting tax payers money
Click to expand...
then you said
so it's understandable why they came
Click to expand...

Arguably they didn't need to send 3 cars, but you've no idea what the reported incident was. And you're right they technically shouldn't have turfed you off, though in the circumstances I'd have thought you'd have expected it.

And anyway, you did say you were wearing a bobble hat :naughty:
 
treeman said:
No, just curious as to what your point is. You complained about then you said

Arguably they didn't need to send 3 cars, but you've no idea what the reported incident was. And you're right they technically shouldn't have turfed you off, though in the circumstances I'd have thought you'd have expected it.

And anyway, you did say you were wearing a bobble hat :naughty:
Click to expand...

That is true, 3 cars was a waste, they said that someone had said I was up there and looked like I was going to throw myself off? Bizarre haha.


Naughty naughty, I had my specs and a bobble hat on
 
I've only read the first 5 or 10 posts on this thread, to be honest I don't fancy reading it all but I have to say I think its only fair that the police came to you. Considering what happened last year with people throwing things off bridges I'm happy to see the police doing something about it and the public making them aware.

Perhaps they should understand when it turns out you're with tripod and slr camera but still, I'm happy to see them do their job.
 
parker455 said:
I was at the corner of the bridge, not in direct view of any motorists, to avoid this problem of them being twitchy.
Click to expand...

Someone must have spotted you, otherwise the boys in blue wouldn't have appeared. I don't know about south of the border, but up here I'd imagine they could claim you were causing a Breach of the Peace, by placing others in a "state of fear or alarm" if they thought you were pointing a weapon/about to throw something/jump off....
 
I'm not exactly a criminal though am I? I agree with what you're saying, but it seems like they could be doing other things more worthwhile than shifting on a teenager with a camera.
 
I wasnt aware of the circumstances of that bridge, sure they should and did come check you out, fair enough, when they knew what you were doing they should have let you carry on, but now knowing what transpired I can understand people travelling along that stretch would be intimidated by some one on the bridge, although saying that you were out of line of sight, so they wouldnt be aware of you, its a fine line in this case,
 
treeman said:
I expect you'd be the first to complain if someone dropped a brick on your car. Did you seriously not for one moment think, that from a speeding car going under the bridge, that you may have looked like you could be about to do anything?
Click to expand...

So, you're saying that nobody is allowed on bridges at any time because they might look like they are about to do "anything".

How about all cars must slow down to 20 MPH when they approach any bridge at any time. That would allow them to see what was going on on the bridge, like "man with a camera".........
 
Aren't we missing the point of this thread? I don't think anyone has an objection to the police making checks, but I certainly have an objection to them trying to prevent me from performing a perfectly legal activity.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top