Why do folk fear cameras nowadays?

[xpc316e]

I am a Road Safety Officer who goes into schools and works with children. In one of my presentations I use photographs of the locality of the school I am visiting to show dangers, illustrate safe behaviour, etc. Today I went out to take a few shots for a visit I am planning to do next week. I was wearing my ID badge, had a large SLR around my neck, and was going about my business when an irate school secretary burst out of the building and demanded to know what I was doing as some parents had mentioned to her that a 'strange man was taking photos of children'. I explained to her what I was doing and she proceeded to tell me that I could not take photos of the children as some of the parents had refused permission. I started to tell her that I could take whatever pictures I liked as I was in a public place, photographing other people in a public place. With that she turned on her heels and stormed off.

If I was a paedophile, as some parents must have suspected, why would I be taking shots of children dressed up in virtually every article of clothing they own on a dull December day? Would I not sneek a small camera into a swimming pool, or similar. These parents who are so 'concerned' about the safety of their little ones are the same parents who drive around in cars with their children not in child seats, park half on the footway to let children out of the 'wrong' side of the car, drive them to school when the walk would do them a power of good, fill them with junk food, etc. Why can they not get some sort of common sense perspective on life and its hazards? Do they stop people from taking photos when they are on a holiday beach? If they really do not want their children photographed, why don't they cover them in veils like Michael Jackson did (there's a superb role model for any parent)?

The Police seem to think that anybody with a camera in public these days is a terrorist, and the parents think we are all paedophiles. When will common sense prevail? Rant over now, and blood pressure returning to normal.

 

[thomas]

If I was a paedophile, as some parents must have suspected, why would I be taking shots of children dressed up in virtually every article of clothing they own on a dull December day?

I'm willing to bet that paedos would do both. Children are children, they can turn a photo into any sick fantasy in their mind.

 

[wafflycat]

Everyone is a criminal/terrorist/pervert these days. It's why folk are anti ID cards don'tcha know - they've all got something to hide, they're all criminals.

 

[Stephenite]

Good rant. Everyone is mad

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Well done for not being cowed into submission.

 

[porteous]

Public photography

The first thing you learn about common sense is that it's not very common, sadly.

 

[Globalti]

You are clearly well educated and intelligent and you inhabit a web forum populated generally by people of a similar ilk. Unfortunately most of those parents are thick and true thickness is demonstrated by the inability to think things through in abstract terms, which is why thick parents allow their kids to stand between the seats. They are not capable of imagining in their tiny minds the consequences of their stupidity and they have become accustomed to believing without questioning or thinking about everything they read in the toilet-paper rags they call newspapers.

 

[Fnaar]

If I was a paedophile, as some parents must have suspected, why would I be taking shots of children dressed up in virtually every article of clothing they own on a dull December day? Would I not sneek a small camera into a swimming pool, or similar.

Hmm. you seem to have given this some thought... No, the paranoia is ridiculous, but it will come round in time, I guess...

 

[Aperitif]

Now that's a rant RR!
I remember tdr1nka and I exchanging furtive glances in Hyde Park a couple of years ago when we had the inaugural Southern Jersey Relay exchange..."Do they have infra-red sights on the Heckler and Koch?" we wondered, as the tripod was erected in a threatening manner...

Here - topical.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I'm surprised people don't get issued with a reflective jacket stating 'I'm not a paedo' in bold letters on the back - with matching logo on a hard hat whenever they visit schools.

Besides, statistically, kids are more likely to be abused by the teacher than any visitor. Just look at all the recent pupil/teacher sex cases, and the Plymouth nursery case.

 

[Globalti]

I'm surprised people don't get issued with a reflective jacket stating 'I'm not a paedo' in bold letters on the back - with matching logo on a hard hat whenever they visit schools.

That's exactly where the OP went wrong - if he had been wearing a flouro jacket with "Photographer" across the shoulders he could have lain on the playground taking shots up the girls' skirts and nobody would have bothered him. (I exaggerate but you get my point?)

 

[wafflycat]

Now that's a rant RR!
I remember tdr1nka and I exchanging furtive glances in Hyde Park a couple of years ago when we had the inaugural Southern Jersey Relay exchange..."Do they have infra-red sights on the Heckler and Koch?" we wondered, as the tripod was erected in a threatening manner...

Here - topical.

Have a look here too

http://bishopsimeontrust.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/snow-forecast/
http://ladyjulian.livejournal.com/17243.html

 

[summerdays]

Was it in or outside the school grounds... I think parents reporting a strange man, to the school secretary, hanging around the school gates taking photos of kids would be OK. I think her reaction was over the top - she should just have asked what you were doing and asked to see ID if necessary. I know when a person from the Safe Routes to School was taking photos at the school gate - it was done after informing the school.

Equally in schools parents have to sign to say whether photo's of their children can be used in school publications etc. Some parents do object on quite valid grounds, some just because they are paranoid.

If you work with school kids you have to follow the basic guideline of getting permission.

 

[trsleigh]

I got so annoyed reading about a similar photography incident, but concerning the police, that I joined Liberty yesterday. ( AKA National Council for Civil Liberties). Don't suppose it will make much difference, but if we let people run around banning things left, right & centre we'll wake up one morning to find everythings banned.

 

[XmisterIS]

OP - you forgot to mention that these are the same parents that take little Johnny to school in a Jeep Cherokee, a Range Rover Sport or a Hummer H4 ... with just a driver and one passenger.