warning-strange man hanging around in childrens playground.

[Damian H]

jelly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> @Saffron

>

> Steady on there, 007. The risks outweight the

> positives, and if you "think" that snapping

> ordinary members of the public, however 'shifty'

> they might look, should be done from a distance,

> then you should've said so in the beginning seeing

> as you're the one who suggested such a bizarre

> measure against people who still remain innocent

> of anything except rousing your own suspicions.

> What you're encouraging is a more intrusive

> measure than CCTV, without official sanction. It

> would be against the law and could potentially

> leave you vulnerable to litigation served by an

> aggrieved party who objects to being photographed

> in public by an anxious and/or paranoid

> pedestrian. How would you react if you saw someone

> secretly or "serreptitiously" taking pictures of

> another member of the public who you didn't feel

> threatened by? One can only assume that you'd

> think the worst. Sorry, but the risks do outweigh

> the positives. By quite a lot, in fact.

Out of curiosity - what law would this break? If taking photographs of people in public breaks the law we must assume that probably millions of unlawful acts are committed on a daily basis in this fashion.

[Husker]

Photographing people in public does not break any laws!

[jelly]

I don't know about any laws that could or would be broken, but if I saw that I'd been photographed by a member of the public with no visible or apparent reason for doing so (I'm not easily flattered), I'd certainly feel that my privacy has been impinged upon. Wouldn't you? I might even indulge my suspicion by personally by demanding why the photographer had taken my picture, thus rendering their motive in this particular scenario counter-productive. And the result of having my photograph taken by a complete stranger in public might give me cause to warn others in East Dulwich via this forum that there's a potential predator stalking the area for otherwise unsuspecting victims. Vicious circle, anyone?

[Husker]

You could "demand" as much as you like, but they won't have broken any law if you're in a public place.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't like it either, but if you're in a public place there's no law being broken if a complete stranger takes your photograph.

[jelly]

In that case we're just as entitled to follow, or act suspiciously towards - thus, without fear of reproach - fellow members of the public.

[Penguin68]

but if you're in a public place there's no law being broken if a complete stranger takes your photograph

Open season on snapping kiddies then...and nothing anyone on the forum can (legally) do about it, apparently. Actually, it's strange that you can photograph anyone in a public place (and that's right, you can) but you can be arrested for photographing a station or a public building or a bridge (from a public place) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Indeed, you could be arrested if in photographing a person (legally) a building was in the background.

[JohnL]

Strange how the west is so often wrong and aboriginal people's right.

Taking a photo DOES steal your soul.

Husker Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You could "demand" as much as you like, but they

> won't have broken any law if you're in a public

> place.

>

> Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't like it either, but

> if you're in a public place there's no law being

> broken if a complete stranger takes your

> photograph.

[Louisa]

Don't take pictures and potentially provoke a reaction! If your instinct kicks in, as it should do with any animal, then do the right thing and call the police. At worst the person will be questioned and if thought to harmless let on their way. It's common sense surely? All this wishy-washy crap about thinking the best in people is coming from those least likely to ever be attacked or at risk of attack because they tower above the rest of us and hold themselves in a certain way, a vulnerable mother and child doesn't have such a luxury does she?

Louisa.

[ClareC]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Don't take pictures and potentially provoke a

> reaction! If your instinct kicks in, as it should

> do with any animal, then do the right thing and

> call the police. At worst the person will be

> questioned and if thought to harmless let on their

> way. It's common sense surely? All this

> wishy-washy crap about thinking the best in people

> is coming from those least likely to ever be

> attacked or at risk of attack because they tower

> above the rest of us and hold themselves in a

> certain way, a vulnerable mother and child doesn't

> have such a luxury does she?

>

> Louisa.

Here here!

[ibilly99]

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2009/5/30/1243679922404/Peter-Lorre-in-M-001.jpg

[verds]

Rumours of Le Moulin's demise are not true.

I had the pork in calvados sauce there tonight and it was delicious. It's open Tues-Sat, plus Sunday lunch.

[ClareC]

Good to hear :)

We move away on Friday, may just pay le moulin one final visit before we go!

[southmark]

Mmmm, pork in Calvados, now your talking (tu)

[fuzzyboots]

The paparazzi wouldn't exist if photographing people in public were illegal! And what about all of the CCTV and the police filming of protestors, etc.? I seriously doubt the police would be doing it if it were illegal..?!

[the-e-dealer]

Yeah of course the Police never do anything illegal.

Sticks head in Sand and Wonders if NOW and Levinson ever happened.

[Damian H]

Look, can we have just a smidgen of common sense here please? People have been taking photographs of other people in public places since cameras were invented. With the limited exceptions of certain potential terrorist targets or photographing someone to the extent of it being persistent harrassment over time, or intruding on someone's privacy by photographing them in a palce where they are entitled to expect privacy (such as their own home or secluded garden) the notion that taking a picture of someone is illegal is just absurd. If it was illegal you would have hundreds of celebs queuing outside police stations to make complaints that would have paparazzi slammed up in their droves.

That is not to say, of course, that people won't object to it personally and some might get a bit belligerent,but the notion that it is illegal is simply untenable.

[El Pibe]

Don't even think about taking your camera to the park Damien, if you do you're a braver man than I *sharpens pitchfork*

[fuzzyboots]

Damian H I agree. I was dancing in my seat to entertain a toddler behind us in McDonald's in the old

Kent road on Sunday and somebody else seemed it worthy of filming without asking me.

I am secretly hoping it might go viral ;)

[Damian H]

fuzzyboots Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Damian H I agree. I was dancing in my seat to

> entertain a toddler behind us in McDonald's in the

> old

> Kent road on Sunday and somebody else seemed it

> worthy of filming without asking me.

>

> I am secretly hoping it might go viral ;)

If it does, we will know you by your fuzzy boots :-)

[northlondoner]

"A friend who has lived in London many years gave me this advice: Take a pic of the suspected dodgy person on your phone and send it to a friend or your partner. Then if the worst is true and you are mugged for your phone etc, at least someone has a record of the person's face. Also, simply taking the pic might deter the person from approaching you. That's just some advice I was given. Thankfully I've never had to use said advice."

This forum is getting nuttier and nuttier.

[Jeremy]

How long does it take to take a photo of someone and send it to a friend? A minute maybe, if you're quick. Plenty of time for a mugger to get the phone off you. And he'd now have a reason to take it from you quickly - and possibly violently.

[*Bob*]

And remember - it's important to adjust the shutter speed to 'sport' before you line-up for the shot, otherwise the boot swinging towards your genitals can often come-out all blurry.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Tip of the week:

"Avoid miss-understandings and legal problems by taking unsolicited pictures of complete strangers in public spaces"

Brilliant.

[El Pibe]

NOt to get involved in this ridiculous discussion, but it's quite easy to set up i/android phones to automatically send photos to iCloud, picasaweb respectively on taking the photo. In fact it took me a while to work out that that's what my phone was doing as I realised that's what was chewing up my data usage.

[the-e-dealer]

Being worried about possible stalking is ridiculous?