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"Privacy Rules" for Photographs

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Mutant Lemming

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To be fair that kind of selfish arrogance is something I've observed to exist far more in the areas around Manchester and Liverpool, particularly rougher areas, (in the demographic you may refer to as "scallies", perhaps) than elsewhere in the UK. It's not a purely cyclist thing, but that demographic probably drives less than others, and when it does it's too busy driving too fast in its souped-up Corsa to do anything else.

You mean something along the lines of 'you are more likely to suffer a fatal stabbing attack in London and the South East' kind of random comment ?
 
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carlberry

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It would appear not - now just an opportunity to pursue grievances based on personal observation.

On the plus side, it appears I live in a trendy area, as opposed to a selection of former mining villages in Northern Somerset - (relaxs, quaffs Vietnamese Macchiato and checks property prices.....)
You've been looking in too many Estate Agents!
 

TheGrandWazoo

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You've been looking in too many Estate Agents!
That's how we roll in the garden village of Norton Radstock :D The spoil heaps from the collieries are now "post industrial features" and there's a major new multi use leisure and cultural centre - we're getting a 'Spoons!! We're so trendy, Darling :wub:

Back on topic, the rules are if you're in a public place and not indulging in a course of harassment (e.g. multiple instances of sticking your lens in someone's face), then you are within the law.

One instance I had a few years ago was a Buses of Somerset lady driver who took exception to me taking a photo of a bus I was about the catch. She took me to task (quoting the "law"), and stating about "invasion of privacy" etc. I didn't push it as I actually needed to catch the bus so smiled, showed ticket, and sat down. At journey's end in Bridgwater however, she stopped me on leaving and demanded my name and address for "legal reasons". I asked her for a pen and paper, and scribbled some stuff down. As I pointed out, it was my name and address, and that of my solicitor (I'd just bought a house really) and if she could provide her details, that would be great. Kept a straight face and left her to it!
 

Gostav

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That's how we roll in the garden village of Norton Radstock :D The spoil heaps from the collieries are now "post industrial features" and there's a major new multi use leisure and cultural centre - we're getting a 'Spoons!! We're so trendy, Darling :wub:

Back on topic, the rules are if you're in a public place and not indulging in a course of harassment (e.g. multiple instances of sticking your lens in someone's face), then you are within the law.

One instance I had a few years ago was a Buses of Somerset lady driver who took exception to me taking a photo of a bus I was about the catch. She took me to task (quoting the "law"), and stating about "invasion of privacy" etc. I didn't push it as I actually needed to catch the bus so smiled, showed ticket, and sat down. At journey's end in Bridgwater however, she stopped me on leaving and demanded my name and address for "legal reasons". I asked her for a pen and paper, and scribbled some stuff down. As I pointed out, it was my name and address, and that of my solicitor (I'd just bought a house really) and if she could provide her details, that would be great. Kept a straight face and left her to it!

Struggling with sensitive people has always been a compulsory course for street photographers, of course also applies to bus-spotters and rail-fans.
This is due to a variety of social factors,whether due to promotion of privacy ,anti-harassment (anti-paparazzi) ,anti-terrorism and anti-pedophile and anti-other thing. For a man with camera from the Eastern, l thing by today's digital photography technology (even i still using film), only niqab can give complete privacy.
 
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VioletEclipse

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Take the photo, then edit it and blur the drivers fce, problem solved.
That is what I would do, but only if all the following three are true: 1: The driver got annoyed at me for taking the photo. 2: The driver is visible in the photo. 3: I am posting the photo online. Only then will I edit it, otherwise I don't see the point :D
 

neilmc

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When I was a student in Huddersfield I realised that the old rear platform buses were only sent out at peak periods and especially on school duties. So I went up to Salendine Nook school and took photos of a couple of them. I don't think I'd lurk round a school with a camera these days, whether being on public property or no. Unless of course they actually used old rear platform buses in 2018.
 

Mwanesh

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Myself as a bus driver i dont mind my photo being taken.I even slow down for a good photo.It makes the day easier for me .
 
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I don't think I'd lurk round a school with a camera these days, whether being on public property or no.
That's probably a good idea after this encounter one group had.
https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news..._perverts__for_taking_pictures_of_school_bus/
More than 7,000 Facebook users have shared a post by a concerned parent who has reported a group of men photographing a school bus in Manningtree to the police.

However, a resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the men taking photographs of the bus were innocent bus spotters.

She said teachers had asked the bus enthusiasts to stop taking photographs but they refused because they were on public ground and so were acting legally.

The woman said: “Children inside the vehicle took photos and videos of the spotters. This was then blown out of all proportion by a small number of parents and the photographers may be at risk of vigilante action.”

She said she was appalled at the vitriolic comments left on the Facebook post and is concerned the individuals targeted may be at risk of getting attacked.

Edit: ignore the printscreen I accidently put into the post.
 

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Jordan Adam

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While when you're in busy areas it's near impossible to avoid a photo without a child getting in. I think it all comes down to a common sense approach. Schools are a big no for bus spotters (or anyone who's in to photography for that matter) if it's during a time where children are entering or leaving, school buses are the same. Common sense would dictate that you don't photo a schoolbus full of kids!

As for drivers, excluding the odd grumpy Stagecoach driver who pulls a face at you (i'm by no means saying all are like this) i've never had any issues. I have had one or two drivers ask why i've taken a photo, but provided you give a respectful reply to them they're 99% of the time fine, most drivers are just curious rather than taking offence. Once again common sense prevails here, if you take a photo of the front of the bus right up at the drivers face then they're probably going to get irritated. Perhaps it maybe helps that a member of my family has been a driver 40+ years and other drivers have seen me out and about with them so recognise me as a relation.

I think it helps when companies do a little bit of educating to drivers on enthusiasts, most of the time when a driver has issue with you taking a photo of a vehicle it's a lack of understanding rather then them being aggressive. Of course there are drivers who "hate" enthusiasts and will deliberately harass them, but the same can be said for enthusiasts.

I was speaking to a driver a little while back who used to work for Megabus and he was saying that he's noticed that the further south you go the less tolerant drivers are to enthusiasts and that here most of the drivers are fine with them, i'm not saying this is the case, but it's interesting to hear this sort of thing from a driver themselves. It certainly translates to me own experience of never having an issues in the Aberdeen City/Shire area!
 

VioletEclipse

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While when you're in busy areas it's near impossible to avoid a photo without a child getting in. I think it all comes down to a common sense approach. Schools are a big no for bus spotters (or anyone who's in to photography for that matter) if it's during a time where children are entering or leaving, school buses are the same. Common sense would dictate that you don't photo a schoolbus full of kids!

As for drivers, excluding the odd grumpy Stagecoach driver who pulls a face at you (i'm by no means saying all are like this) i've never had any issues. I have had one or two drivers ask why i've taken a photo, but provided you give a respectful reply to them they're 99% of the time fine, most drivers are just curious rather than taking offence. Once again common sense prevails here, if you take a photo of the front of the bus right up at the drivers face then they're probably going to get irritated. Perhaps it maybe helps that a member of my family has been a driver 40+ years and other drivers have seen me out and about with them so recognise me as a relation.

I think it helps when companies do a little bit of educating to drivers on enthusiasts, most of the time when a driver has issue with you taking a photo of a vehicle it's a lack of understanding rather then them being aggressive. Of course there are drivers who "hate" enthusiasts and will deliberately harass them, but the same can be said for enthusiasts.

I was speaking to a driver a little while back who used to work for Megabus and he was saying that he's noticed that the further south you go the less tolerant drivers are to enthusiasts and that here most of the drivers are fine with them, i'm not saying this is the case, but it's interesting to hear this sort of thing from a driver themselves. It certainly translates to me own experience of never having an issues in the Aberdeen City/Shire area!
I had never thought of it as a North/South thing but the more I think of it, it is. There have been a total of 2 drivers over 3 years who have told me that it's illegal, and that's a lot less than 0.3% of Lothian drivers, considering how many bus photos I've taken. It's hardly even an issue in Edinburgh but I've heard of a lot of conflict down South.
 

Jordan Adam

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I had never thought of it as a North/South thing but the more I think of it, it is. There have been a total of 2 drivers over 3 years who have told me that it's illegal, and that's a lot less than 0.3% of Lothian drivers, considering how many bus photos I've taken. It's hardly even an issue in Edinburgh but I've heard of a lot of conflict down South.

I never thought of it as a North/South thing either until that driver mentioned it to me. Certainly it goes along with the well known "fact" that the further north you go the nicer the people are. I'm being Sarcastic...

I think even the smart enough drivers who dislike when enthusiasts capture their bus understand that if they were to say anything or make interesting hand signals it would only draw attention to themselves. After all most people who see the photo won't even pay attention to the driver unless the driver makes them self the centre of it!
 
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