Had problems taking pictures of the railways?

[alexdodds]

Here is a few minor incidents i havent mentioned till now.

Carlisle
(July 2007)
Member of staff asked me what I was videoing and i said trains then he said i should of informed him first because of security but i was able to continue and he smiled when he saw me after that.

(October 2009)
I was waiting for waiting for tornado well this was when a shunter train. This was not with staff or police but was with an old man with a white beard. I was videoing the shunter and so was he. I accidently got in his shot as i passed him and he called me a c**k which wasnt very nice and i said sorry but ignored us.

If someone had got in the way of my shot ok i would be a bit annoyed but i would not go calling them names.

Leeds (June 2009)
Northern Rail staff member comes and says do you have permission showed him my visitors badge and so i was left alone

London (Sep 2009)
Charing Cross
After i videoed a SE 465 the despatcher of the train came up to me and my mam to check on us luckly we had our visitors badges otherwise we might of got in a bit of trouble. We were on our way to sign out anyway but this man was nice and plesant.

London Bridge
almost the same as Charing Cross

St Pancras
One NR staff member just came to check i wasnt using a tripod and that I had a pass.

Cannon Street
Almost could not video but I showed this man the guidelines and he took me to the office to sign in.

This was my first time in London and so i was expecting to be checked at times.

 

[RPM]

In BR days Drivers had no problem with flash photography. Indeed many specials resulted in trains arriving at the stops to a fusilade of poppuing flashguns and flashbulbs !

Saltleyman can verify this I am sure, having once worked a 58 into Paddington on a failed train !

I really do not know where this paranoia about flash photography has recently come from.

If a Driver finds it distracting then I respectfully suggest that they are not in the ideal job.

As far as the loss of vision argument is concerned, does this happen when photos are taken at parties, do's, etc ?? Of course not. Yet another example of people rushing of into hysterics over something that is not actually a problem

Agreed. As a driver I can't see what all the fuss is about regarding flashes. Between West Hampstead and Watford South Junction we overtake loads of Metropolitan Line A60 stock trains and the pyrotechnics that they produce are far brighter than any camera flash, but it's not a problem.

 

[142094]

Supposed to be distracting, but I guess this is probably exaggerated. Surely people walking around in hi-viz jackets, including platform staff, BTP etc would be more distracting.

One other thing I can't understand is the use of tripods - if a platform is empty then it should be allowed, and when full common sense should be used. However I guess a few people in the hobby lack common sense and a few braincells to boot.

 

[moonrakerz]

he said i should of informed him first because of security but i was able to continue and he smiled when he saw me after that.

sounds as useful as the rest of them !

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/article7060873.ece

 

[royaloak]

One other thing I can't understand is the use of tripods - if a platform is empty then it should be allowed, and when full common sense should be used. However I guess a few people in the hobby lack common sense and a few braincells to boot.

A tripod would be a trip hazard to the people that walk around with their noses in the air , I think you have answered your own question at the end and not just in the hobby as well.

 

[43167]

Abit of positive feedback. Was at preston yesterday and I saw a poster welcoming photographers. Think ive seen the sameone at Carlisle not too long ago aswell.

 

[142094]

Think Virgin had put them up a few months back, and Network Rail had some up at Manchester.

 

[alexdodds]

Went back to London today (19-3-10) filmed Paddington, Victoria, Waterloo, London Bridge, Fenchurch Street, Kings Cross and Euston without a problem.

It all went a bit wrong at St Pancras though and EM2 if you are watching u should take note.

I went into the station reception at about 1945 told the lady what I was going to do she rang up the shift station manager and the manager said to her we dont allow photography on a friday night because of peak time.

very dissapointed i was so i did some extra filming at KX.

EM2 as a staff member at St Pancras u r responsible for making sure all staff know the rules on photography. I had no trouble filming peak time back in December as u saw so i dont know why i couldnt this time.

 

[kennethw]

I've been taking pics of the two heritage CIG's on Lymington branch for over a year, only one incident when a member of security staff present, presumably having a bash at non fare paying passengers, told to get a platform ticket & sign a visitor's book as to what I was doing as I could pose a terrorist threat. Came back next day, that member of staff not there, noone took any notice ps I've also used a tripod to catch videos, not like the one on Facebook where it appears the person taking the video tripped and nearly fell over

 

[SteamontheMet]

1) Pilmco - Photoing a Northbound Arrival of Vicy train and over the annocement the station staff shout no cameras, please put your camera away or we will call the police.
I was also nealing down to get a steady picture with no flash, never been told to stop taking pictures in such a rude way.

2) London Paddington - Standing on Platform 14 getting a few pictures of Chilterns and Wrexham and Shopshires on Paddington Diverts a First Great Western woman with Train Dispatcher Hi-Vis told me to stop taking photos and move away or take a train (She was Eastern European of Some Sort by her accent).

3) Richmond - While waiting for Clan Line a Mental Disabled woman started shouting for the ploice and claimed i was acting odd photographing trains, another guy then told me to get a life and the BTP came telling me to move on, missing Clan Line

4) Stratford International - Moved on from the London Overground Platforms by BTP, due to the Olympic Village and Site.

the only station i do like is Stratford International, Southeastern Highspeed, very friendly staff who gave me a platform ticket for 10p and came to check on me every so often and liked my photos and videos.

There have a number of different occasions but these ones I remember quite well.

 

[royaloak]

SotM, maybe you just have one of those faces ,
On a serious note, only once have I had a problem (also at Paddington, when a platform bod told me to stop taking photos as it was against the law, when I enquired "which law" he came out with the old "terrorism law", so I pulled a copy of section 44 and 45 out of my bag (yes it is heavy ) and asked him, politely, to show me which bit I was in breach of, his face was a picture and as he turned and walked away he mumbled something about "letting me off this time". Funnily enough didnt have any more problems after that

 

[SteamontheMet]

SotM, maybe you just have one of those faces

It doesnt help when your mixed raced, with a South East Asian & White British Background but what can i do.

 

[royaloak]

Oops sorry mate, didnt mean to cause offence , sometimes these people just need to be played at their own game.
Lets be honest if a terrorist wanted to take photos he would do it discreetly, not stand at the end of the platform for an hour, we are an easy target and not likely to go off on one which is why they pick on us!

 

[alexdodds]

1) Pilmco - Photoing a Northbound Arrival of Vicy train and over the annocement the station staff shout no cameras, please put your camera away or we will call the police.
I was also nealing down to get a steady picture with no flash, never been told to stop taking pictures in such a rude way.

2) London Paddington - Standing on Platform 14 getting a few pictures of Chilterns and Wrexham and Shopshires on Paddington Diverts a First Great Western woman with Train Dispatcher Hi-Vis told me to stop taking photos and move away or take a train (She was Eastern European of Some Sort by her accent).

Well at Paddington if you had a visitor pass on she would of left you alone.

At Pimlico i would of just run back up to the manager and give him/her a conversation of some sort as i dont take that kind of abuse lightly. Infact you should of done that and said section 4.5 CoC and 10.8 part 10 i think of the working reference manual.

 

[anthony263]

1) Pilmco - Photoing a Northbound Arrival of Vicy train and over the annocement the station staff shout no cameras, please put your camera away or we will call the police.
I was also nealing down to get a steady picture with no flash, never been told to stop taking pictures in such a rude way.

2) London Paddington - Standing on Platform 14 getting a few pictures of Chilterns and Wrexham and Shopshires on Paddington Diverts a First Great Western woman with Train Dispatcher Hi-Vis told me to stop taking photos and move away or take a train (She was Eastern European of Some Sort by her accent).

3) Richmond - While waiting for Clan Line a Mental Disabled woman started shouting for the ploice and claimed i was acting odd photographing trains, another guy then told me to get a life and the BTP came telling me to move on, missing Clan Line


I have had similar problems at Richmond, although i did get a apoligy from South west trains after i sent them a angry complaint.

Another problem i have had is people harassing you when you are trying to get photos as what happened to me at Cardiff central recently, although a nice member of staff told this group of teens to go away.

I haven't had any problems at Paddington although i have at Reading

 

[jon0844]

Think I've said this before, maybe even in this thread, but I got hassle at Paddington taking a picture of the Heathrow Express - at a press event to launch their Wi-Fi service! I got there early and thought I'd get some photos before everyone boarded to take the train and try out the service.

I even showed the lady my press pass when she, eventually, got the courage to approach me. She didn't tell me to leave, because - as it later transpired - she came back with someone else who asked if I was a police officer. I pointed out that I'd shown her a press pass and said I was a journalist, not a police officer, which might explain why the other person looked confused. She was also Eastern European though, maybe the same person?!

I guess I'm lucky that I didn't get approached by BTP later on and get accused of having tried to pass myself off as a police officer! Not sure how journalist and a card clearly showing the word 'PRESS' can be mistaken for police though.

 

[Daniel]

EM2 as a staff member at St Pancras u r responsible for making sure all staff know the rules on photography.

Er, what?

No no no no no. It doesn't work like that. Just because I work for a train company doesn't make it my job to ensure everyone else in my company knows the rules. If you go up to one of your colleagues, who may well be in a higher position than you, and begin to quote a rule book you won't get very far on the railway...

 

[SteamontheMet]

Oops sorry mate, didnt mean to cause offence , sometimes these people just need to be played at their own game.
Lets be honest if a terrorist wanted to take photos he would do it discreetly, not stand at the end of the platform for an hour, we are an easy target and not likely to go off on one which is why they pick on us!

No offence taken, I just think (and I shouldnt) that because of my race, they think its unsual for me to be interested in this sort of thing and see me as an easy target, most police officers i speak too are quite friendly, and if your friendly to them and do what they say you usually get the same respect and you are left alone afterwards.

Your quite right, if a terrorist wants to take photos, he will do it discreetly, they would also be after photos of Station Infstructure, CCTV, passenger behaviours, and exits, none of which appeal to me, just trains (the last time I photographed station bulidings was for a Photography assignement , in which i had permission at all stations.)

At Pimlico i would of just run back up to the manager and give him/her a conversation of some sort as i dont take that kind of abuse lightly. Infact you should of done that and said section 4.5 CoC and 10.8 part 10 i think of the working reference manual.

I was highly embarrassed and got quite angry about this, luckly it was a quiet platform with only a few people, I boarded the train I was taking the picture of and felt like sticking two fingers at the camera (not me though) but your right I should have gone up there an had a talk with them.

 

[alexdodds]

Er, what?

No no no no no. It doesn't work like that. Just because I work for a train company doesn't make it my job to ensure everyone else in my company knows the rules. If you go up to one of your colleagues, who may well be in a higher position than you, and begin to quote a rule book you won't get very far on the railway...

Let it go. It was just a slip up i had that day. the same kind of scene happerned to me at Leeds in March 2009 where I wasnt allowed to video between 5 and 7pm but I did those hours earlier this year because NR staff there said it was ok this time.

Look on the bright side at least I havent had any serious problems like been thrown off the station or told to stop filming or be called over the PA in London or anywhere else.

 

[Aictos]

Well FCC have reissued a brief on the subject so all FCC staff should be aware of what is and what isn't acceptable not forgetting advising what staff should do and even what photographers ought to do.

Good thing too,

 

[NSEFAN]

If anyone feels like going to Airdrie to take pictures, make sure you ask first. On a trip to Glasgow yersterday, I'd just arrived off of a train from Drumgelloch, and taken one picture, when a man from the office came out and told me that I have to get permission. He then told me to stop.

I then walked to the other platform to get the next Glasgow train, and passed another member of staff who was smoking! I'm pretty sure that it is illegal to smoke on stations, but permission is not needed for photography. If I'd been there for an extended period of time, then I probably would have signed in or asked permission. But I hadn't even been there for five minutes! :roll:

 

[Ferret]

NSEFAN, please don't take this personally but why do people such as yourself think you need to ask permission to fot on a station? If you do decide to go and sign in you don't ask, you inform them that you are going to be taking photos as per the guidelines. Nowhere does it say you need to ask permission. Now I've lost count of the amount of times this has cropped up but I sincerely hope this will be the last.

 

[NSEFAN]

I know I don't need to ask permission! (Although it is polite). It was the guy from the ticket office who was making a fuss. I went to loads of other stations, several of them staffed, and nobody else made a fuss.

It particularily annoyed me because of the other staff member smoking! I've already sent an email to Scotrail about it. Hopefully I will hear from them soon.

 

[CarterUSM]

It's not illegal to smoke at stations in Scotland. You are not allowed to smoke under a canopy or roof with walls surrounding more than 50 per cent of the said structure though. Smoking on the platform, or in the locale of the platform is perfectly within the law of the land if not the law of social ettiqutte.

 

[Aictos]

It's not illegal to smoke at stations in Scotland. You are not allowed to smoke under a canopy or roof with walls surrounding more than 50 per cent of the said structure though. Smoking on the platform, or in the locale of the platform is perfectly within the law of the land if not the law of social ettiqutte.

Which surprised me as I thought it was illegal to smoke at all stations across the UK, until this was pointed out to me as you have stated that there is a loophole of such for Scotland.

Although I don't begrudge anyone the chance to slowly kill themselves with a smoke as that is their choice, I still would have thought a simple blanket ban would have be easier to use that or permit smoking anywhere on site.

 

[CarterUSM]

I should point out that by smoking on the platform I mean as long it is NOT under the cover that I stated. I also thought, and I am no expert, that the law in england and wales was similar if not exactly the same and that it was a TOC decision to bar smoking at all stations?

 

[Aictos]

Well I'm sure the railway byelaws state smoking is not permitted on any part of the station although that might only apply to where signs are, I can't check at this moment as I don't have my copy of said byelaws to hand.

Only thing is even with signs and announcements, you could still have someone smoke under a platform canopy and have them say that they are not in a enclosed building or such.

 

[CarterUSM]

That's the point, it has to have a walled perimeter of more than 50 percent of th structure. Up here at least anyway. Getting a bit off topic now all the same.

 

[Aictos]

You all know how you ain't supposed to photo CCTV, well what are you supposed to do if the CCTV camera is right in your view and there's no way of avoiding it?

Still as long as the guidelines are followed, I have no trouble with photographers at any station I work indeed the most you heard from me is a simple request to see what photos you have managed to take.
Even if asked nicely enough, I may give you a tip off to let you know when the train you want is about to enter the station.

 

[alexdodds]

Had no trouble in Glasgow and the suburbs on Thursday even had no trouble on the Subway ether though i did get a few strange looks from one or two teens at Bellgrove and Lenzie.

At Lenzie i told one of the staff what I was doing and he said i needed written permission but when i showed him the guidelines he said ok with a smile and told me the usual no flash, stand clear of the edge rules etc. I think he thought i was doing it for commercial purposes.

I dont know what it is but i always seem to think First Scotrail are more strict with photography on stations than any other TOC. And i dont know if a policy exists on the subway.