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Policing The Public Gaze


Topaz

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This report, http://www.manifestoclub.com/photographyreport jolted my thoughts back to Saturday of last week. My daughter and her friend left me in the Villa Marina grounds while they went to collect their numbers for the end to end. Anticipating a long wait, I wandered over to a bench under a tree and settled down. It was a rare treat to watch the kids rolling down the grass slopes, play fighting on the grass, throwing balls and frisbee things, toddlers staggering about on little plump legs.

 

It is a long time since I have actualy sat in the Villa gardens , so I allowed myself a a few moments of nostalgia. You know the usual, singing in a nth grade group up on the bandstand (not there now). Falling in love under the trees * (heh!) Trying to walk down the steps pissed, throwing up in the flower bed. Back under the trees sobbing because I wasn't loved any more. ( again). ....Prize day, the guild,bringing my own kids there.

 

Then I began to feel a bit uncomfortable, being a woman, all by myself, watching the kids playing, and smiling a welcome at any that came near. The pleasure of the moment died for me and I got up and walked to the car to wait for my daughter.

I hadn't taken photographs, but even if I had wanted to, I would have felt very apprehensive..such a pity really.

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Strange you should feel that way too, I often do. When we were on holiday there were people taking pictures in the water park we were at, I didnt care but I was a bit nervous for them. Its quite terrible really, why shouldn't you watch the children play? I often feel awkward about taking photos of my own children in case someone thinks Im some kind of peado, the media hype, the rules brigade get in the way of normal life (nothing too new there)

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I don't think it is strange. Thoughts like that have occasionally crossed my mind in other circumstances. You kinda fear how you are perceived if you say or do certain things. Really big shame that things have got like this. I do think the media and popular reactions to paedophilia are largely to blame. But do you also not think that today there is more individualism when it comes to how we think and behave. I mean that people tend to think they are also being suspicious, for example, by watching kids because people wonder why someone ELSES kids are being watched or given attention.

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As Topaz and The Bees have said, normal actions now seem somehow questionable.

 

A couple of years ago, a young kid fell of his bike on the prom when cycling. The father who was acompanying him shouted for help so I went to his assistance. No problem there and I ended up guarding the bikes for about at most 15 minutes as they both went off in the ambulance and the mother came down in a car and collected the bikes.

No problem there.

But

This morning I saw a kid trying to cross the road to school in a very dangerous position - van parked obstructing her view of the road and arseholes at warp nine in cars. I thought to go and do something but then realised any action could be misconstrued. In the end, I just 'happened' to cross the road at the same time on the side of the traffic so I was between her and the idiots in their metal boxes. We both lived, she wasn't even aware of what I did and I just walked off the other way.

But it shows the state of affairs when you have to act like that in case.

 

T and TB are both girlies, it's ten times worse if you're male, you now have to consider every nuance of any involuntary/accidental intereaction with kids.

 

Indicative of the world these days I suppose. Not nice.

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I was at a local First Division match last year played between Adults, though a couple of the lads were about 17.

 

The auntie of one of the lads was taking photographs of the players, including her 17 year old nephew - suddenly the red-faced referee (you know who I mean) blasted his whistle, stopped the game and came pelting over to us on the line to tell the woman to stop taking photographs, and refused to start the game until she stopped.

 

He must have had some 'training' and being the Red Faced One, took it all too seriously. Auntie was furious, the rest of us became slack jawed. Those that already weren't that is.

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We covered this on Talking Heads today. John Wright said that anyone is entitled to take any picture they want in a public place - there is NO law against it, or requirement to have permission from people who end up in shot if I understood properly what he said.

 

Of course, taking pictures in a dirty raincoat at a children's swimming pool could well result in having to answer some robust questions - but if your intentions are legitimate, there's no legal reason you can't do it.

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Kevin Bishop had a sketch on his show a week or so back highlighting how innocent things now seem sinister....he parodied 3 Men and a Little Lady as an example.....I mean it seemed OK for 3 grown men in the 80s to take care of a little girl!!

 

The world has indeed gone mad as we increasingly legislate against common sense!

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Here is the official position from the UK Information Commissioner:

 

Snap away on Sports Day - says ICO

 

“We recognise that parents want to capture significant moments on camera and we want to reassure them and other family members that whatever they might be told data protection does not prevent them taking photographs of their children and friends at school events. Photographs taken for the family photo album are exempt from the Act and citing the Data Protection Act to stop people taking photos or filming their children at school is wrong.

 

Isle of Man Data Protection laws are virtually same. People need to chill out over urban myths like this or we will all end end up in the loony bin.

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