Police and Photographers

If your story is in fact true, I do feel for you. Sounds like you had a real **** time of it.

Keep your chin up and don't let it put you off. Some Policemen are power hungry assholes, you should make a point of not letting them ruin it for you.

Gary.
 
fracster said:
Thank goodness for that......:)
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Fracster you have added nothing of any worth to this thread whatsoever, as well as being rude to a new member.

I really hope your 3000 or so other posts have been half as useful as those here.

:bang:
 
Then why couldn't he just say "google stop and search"? Which would have been more helpfull to a new member than "you are wrong".
 
cyclone said:
Fair point, but that first post was pretty difficult to read.
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It was a tad difficult to follow, but some people really struggle to communicate effectively using the written word. Slagging them only makes a difficult situation worse. I remember when young, really struggling with Handwriting, and it got me in a lot of trouble in School. I would like to think, if I still had the same problem, that I would not be ridiculed for it.

No point in making a big deal I guess, its been done now. I just hope the OP hangs around, as we are normally a real friendly, helpful bunch.

Gary.
 
Dave Stone said:
Then why couldn't he just say "google stop and search"? Which would have been more helpfull to a new member than "you are wrong".
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I didn`t want to. I expect most people to have some form of intellect,i`m obviously mistaken.For the life of me I cannot understand why people ask such questions on a forum and expect the correct answer, they are only advised by people who *think* they know the answer and *think* they have some expert knowledge, they then proceed to be self proclaimed experts because they have been advised on the net by some ill informed person.

Get the answer from the horses mouth, it would be far more prudent.
 
EdinburghGary said:
It was a tad difficult to follow, but some people really struggle to communicate effectively using the written word. Slagging them only makes a difficult situation worse. I remember when young, really struggling with Handwriting, and it got me in a lot of trouble in School. I would like to think, if I still had the same problem, that I would not be ridiculed for it.

No point in making a big deal I guess, its been done now. I just hope the OP hangs around, as we are normally a real friendly, helpful bunch.

Gary.
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Lets hope a mod comes along shortly, confirms what I have said and cleans this thread up.
 
Stop bloody arguing.

And don't take the **** out of new members, it's sad and pathetic.
 
just to add to marcels comment

Fracster - step off. You are dangerously close to annoying me.

To the rest of you who find the OP an easy target, leave it out. Just because he like, likes the like, doesnt make him fair game. Please be a little more respectful to fellow members.
 
Marcel said:
Stop bloody arguing.

And don't take the **** out of new members, it's sad and pathetic.
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Steps away from the Submit Reply button...... move along folks nothing to see here:D

Seriously though, well said Marcel(y)
 
No matter.
 
i thought it was a photography forum not a tribute to shakespeare's prose leave him alone.

its a interesting story and has made me stop and think ime going into a cop shop and getting the brochure as a lot of police seem ignorant of the laws themselves.nothing better than showing them it in print.

this year after a woman nearly knocked me of my motorbike [she was on the phone] a policeman made me delete pictures i took of her and her car.

he got really angry with me and offered to arrest me,i told him that i live in a free country and had every right to argue with him.he calmed down but i deleted some of the photos and kept some without him knowing.
 
you need to modify your posting tone, you come across as rude and patronising, incorrect information or not, there is no need to be rude.
 
ditchdigger said:
its a interesting story and has made me stop and think ime going into a cop shop and getting the brochure as a lot of police seem ignorant of the laws themselves.nothing better than showing them it in print.
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I am also gonna call in at the bobby shop and pick up some leaflets - but now I'm worried what that looks like if I DO get stopped and go rooting in my bag to find the leaflet as if I EXPECTED to get stopped - you can't win with it.
 
it was interesting to read in the pdf you don't have to give name Addy or age unless arrested nor take more than your coat of in a public place and they have to give you a report on why.
 
Maybe the coppers prefered Canon?
 
i thought the reason he was stopped was because the boys in blue said he matched the description of someone who had just commited a robbery , perfectly reasonable to want to have a look in his bag , but a lot of members on here have gone off on a ,,,,you cant stop photography in a public place rant ,,,you cant search my bag because im only taking photos . can someone please let me know if i'm right on that one?
 
It's always interesting (I think) when discussion arises concerning being stopped by police when out taking photos that people get so upset about being asked to open their kit bag.

Quite honestly, if I was minding my own business taking photos and a policeman politely asked if he could have a quick check in my bag, I'd happily talk him through the contents.

Far better to have a country full of coppers who are active in their policing than forces who couldn't give a monkeys and would rather sit in a caff drinking tea I say.

I've got nothing to hide.

PS. Yes, I know there are a lot of police officers out there who think they should be drawing pepper spray at anyone who has a camera, and that some think they can tell you to stop doing something when they can't, but most are just trying to do their job.
 
(y) @ Simmotino

I think the OP was just unlucky, although at least it shows the police were being fairly observant with descriptions of a wanted person!
 
donutagain said:
i thought the reason he was stopped was because the boys in blue said he matched the description of someone who had just commited a robbery , perfectly reasonable to want to have a look in his bag , but a lot of members on here have gone off on a ,,,,you cant stop photography in a public place rant ,,,you cant search my bag because im only taking photos . can someone please let me know if i'm right on that one?
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I think you've got it spot on Andy. I think the OP was just very unlucky in this case. I've often heard descriptions of wanted villains given out on TV/radio and thought "Oh sh*t, hide!!".

Simmotino said:
It's always interesting (I think) when discussion arises concerning being stopped by police when out taking photos that people get so upset about being asked to open their kit bag.

Quite honestly, if I was minding my own business taking photos and a policeman politely asked if he could have a quick check in my bag, I'd happily talk him through the contents.

Far better to have a country full of coppers who are active in their policing than forces who couldn't give a monkeys and would rather sit in a caff drinking tea I say.

I've got nothing to hide.

PS. Yes, I know there are a lot of police officers out there who think they should be drawing pepper spray at anyone who has a camera, and that some think they can tell you to stop doing something when they can't, but most are just trying to do their job.
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I think a lot of the "horror" stories stem from photographers responding to coppers in a very defensive manner ("I know my rights, it's not against the law to...." etc) which is like a red rag to a bull, looks like you've got something to hide. If you are polite and respectful then there really shouldn't be any problems.

And trust me, no copper is eager to spray pepper spray in a photographer's eyes, the paperwork would be horrendous! ;)
 
fabs said:
I think a lot of the "horror" stories stem from photographers responding to coppers in a very defensive manner ("I know my rights, it's not against the law to...." etc) which is like a red rag to a bull, looks like you've got something to hide. If you are polite and respectful then there really shouldn't be any problems.
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Exactly. Yes I can imagine it'd be a nuiscance in certain circumstances, but a quick "Sure" and a flip open of the bag would mean that it's over in a minute or two and you can carry on doing what you are doing.

Starting the conversation off as though you've been asked to lick the officer's boots will, I am sure, result in a somewhat longer interruption to your day!
 
matty said:
To the rest of you who find the OP an easy target, leave it out. Just because he like, likes the like, doesnt make him fair game. Please be a little more respectful to fellow members.
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It's a youngsters thing, probably from watching too much US TV. It is with my daughter anyway and I find it very amusing at times.

I've been stopped a couple of times by coppers and have just generally been polite when they've been arsey. I have to say continuously being stopped on a trip out with limited time must be very annoying, especially as London is a well known tourist spot.
 
Byker28i said:
It's a youngsters thing, probably from watching too much US TV. It is with my daughter anyway and I find it very amusing at times.

I've been stopped a couple of times by coppers and have just generally been polite when they've been arsey. I have to say continuously being stopped on a trip out with limited time must be very annoying, especially as London is a well known tourist spot.
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I think it's a case of just swapping "said" for "was like". As you say, just one of those youth things, annoying at first but you get used to it.

Being polite can be a very useful tool. I used to work in retail and if customers ever had a rant, being polite and helpful always put them off their stride. Many a time I've taken a product back to a shop, ready for an argument only to come out feeling cheated because they were extremely helpful and gave me a full refund! It will have the same effect on a police officer.
 
Seems to be a lot of arguing and backchatting going on here lately, i think some people are missing the xmas spirit. IMO this place is getting less friendly by the day, that is why i rarely check up on things here lately, some members who have been on a long time feel they can vindicate people for some of the posts they add, some folks just need to lighten up a bit.

I'm not perfect, far from it, and i can bite when provoked, but just being rude to a new member is pretty low.

The guy had a story to tell, he told it, probably not in the best English, but all the same, he took the time to share his experince with us. Stories like this are just more ammo for when we get confronted by over zealous Police Officer in the streets, knowing your rights is not a crime, and niether is taking a photo;)
 
I got stopped by a number of armed police on my bike in London a few years ago. Turns out 2 guys with the same make, model & colour of bike had just done an armed robbery, and I was picked out as one of the culprits....

Bloke in black leathers on a black bike...... not familiar really is it :LOL:

Never had the police question me about taking pics, but don't get me started on "Security Guards" :bang: :bonk: :rules:

Steve
 
Jelster said:
I got stopped by a number of armed police on my bike in London a few years ago. Turns out 2 guys with the same make, model & colour of bike had just done an armed robbery, and I was picked out as one of the culprits....

Bloke in black leathers on a black bike...... not familiar really is it :LOL:

Never had the police question me about taking pics, but don't get me started on "Security Guards" :bang: :bonk: :rules:

Steve
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ME too, when I was 15, in a car with my elder sisters boyfriend.
Although to be fair, we were in a bright green mk2 escort, passenger wearing a baseball cap...they'd just mugged an old lady.
At the time the police did an onstreet search (it was a woman too :naughty:), and she left her radio on the seat, and went to walk away.

I, being the good boy, told her what she'd forgotten. I wasn't brash enough to tell her she wasn't allowed to search me on the street (at the time anyway).
 
I would rather them chase down criminals rather than harrassing us photographers. Just because we walk around with expensive kit!
 
Sort of keeping this thread on topic :D is there a decent "easy to understand" guide to photography and the police, your rights, etc?

Oh, and to the OP, just a bit of advice, next time you're in London taking photographs don't wear that striped top, balaclava and stop using that camera bag with "SWAG" written on it. That's just looking for trouble... :)
 
Hahaha....
http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-and-the-law.html

"Note: Property owners or their employees and security staff have no right whatsoever to confiscate or damage a photographer's camera or insist that images are deleted."

lookup said:
Sort of keeping this thread on topic :D is there a decent "easy to understand" guide to photography and the police, your rights, etc?

Oh, and to the OP, just a bit of advice, next time you're in London taking photographs don't wear that striped top, balaclava and stop using that camera bag with "SWAG" written on it. That's just looking for trouble... :)
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