Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Folks, some more pictures and a tale. While waiting to collect my child from school I walked along a footpath adjacent to a railway station photographing some clouds over the wire fence surrounding the property. I crossed through the station walkway (open to all), shot some more from the opposite footpath then walked back through the public access to exit. I stopped and made a single photograph of the clouds since there were less poles in the way. Within 60 secs a rail employee moved quickly to me and told me that photography was forbidden. I was completely surprised by this patent foolishness. However, I explained that I was taking a picture of the beautiful clouds. To no avail! Sir, all photography is forbidden on our property. It is against the law! This is a public thoroughfare, a school on one side , shops the other and the actual station platforms below. I would say several thousand people per week use it. Heaven forbid that any of them might have evil camera-phones for clandestine pictures of the dirty tiles and rubbish bins or other national security assets sited there. Not seeking any confrontation I left this worthy and fearless guardian of freedom to his patrol and agreed to follow his ridiculous directive. Tonight I have actually located the department's policy explicitly permitting me to use my camera there as an amateur and within limits and naturally requiring that I follow sensible guidelines, not flashing the drivers etc. Yet it also tells me that I must obey every directive from their employees or they may detain me for arrest by a policeman. Even worse, should you have permission under their own policy to take photos within their property, it is VERBOTEN to post any pictures on the internet in case terrorists look at them. I'm not making this up. What unbelievable nonsense. So there it is. This foolishness so incensed me that I fell compelled to share the product of my blatant and appalling offence with you here. I shall burn in hell, then for these links. To compound my offence, these were taken with a fast fifty AT f 5.6!! <http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/96037500> <http://tinyurl.com/6fhkou> Oh and thank heavens this defender of national security did not detect the photo of the scene of the crime, else I might still be handcuffed or left beaten next to their Coke machine. Sssh, there's a Senorita! But you can clearly see the location of their coke machine which every extremist maniac will be sure to pinpoint for a suicide bombing. <http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/96037503> http://tinyurl.com/6r2pc8 Cheers Geoff <http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/