Photography Issues at London Bridge, but its fine if you are dressed up like Batman.

[rg177]

Only once have I ever been stopped taking photos and that was when I got off a 387 at Luton, took a photo of it leaving then crossed the platform and awaited a St Pancras bound 222.

A member of station staff took huge issue with this, labelling me a security risk, telling me that I need written permission and that under no circumstances can you just turn up and take photos.

The same member of staff went on to shrug at an old woman who asked for help carrying a suitcase up the stairs. Someone had his priorities very wrong. I eventually batted him off by saying I was getting on the next service to St Pancras and then my presence wouldn't cause him so much grief.

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[Robin Edwards]

Thanks you DeepGreen - a good response that I would concur with.

I would also add that since I was last into railway enthusiasm in the 70s and 80s , the UK seems to have moved to an era where people cannot be trusted to manage risk to their own well-being let alone seemingly to take a photograph without risk of disembowelling themselves, or worse.
We are part of the EU as things stand and yet the UK nanny-approach to H&S is not mirrored across other nations of the EU where their citizens are any more miss or well-informed about the dangers of doing stupid things than we are. Yet, the best industry to have been involved with over past 30 years is surely that of erecting security fencing (you thought I was going to say digital cameras didn't you?) - I wish I had foreseen this and invested more wisely at the time.

I like to think that I am grown up enough to take responsibility for my own stupidity and if I chose to step into the road into the path of a hurtling juggernaut, then I would pay the price yet we treat railway premises with sealed perimeters to prevent those who know not what they do from harm. Is it me or has the UK gone unnecessarily mad? Is the UK really a far safer and safty-conscious place than it was now that railway enthusiasts are keep sealed behind fencing?

 

[Deepgreen]

Thanks you DeepGreen - a good response that I would concur with.

I would also add that since I was last into railway enthusiasm in the 70s and 80s , the UK seems to have moved to an era where people cannot be trusted to manage risk to their own well-being let alone seemingly to take a photograph without risk of disembowelling themselves, or worse.
We are part of the EU as things stand and yet the UK nanny-approach to H&S is not mirrored across other nations of the EU where their citizens are any more miss or well-informed about the dangers of doing stupid things than we are. Yet, the best industry to have been involved with over past 30 years is surely that of erecting security fencing (you thought I was going to say digital cameras didn't you?) - I wish I had foreseen this and invested more wisely at the time.

I like to think that I am grown up enough to take responsibility for my own stupidity and if I chose to step into the road into the path of a hurtling juggernaut, then I would pay the price yet we treat railway premises with sealed perimeters to prevent those who know not what they do from harm. Is it me or has the UK gone unnecessarily mad? Is the UK really a far safer and safty-conscious place than it was now that railway enthusiasts are keep sealed behind fencing?

I have no problem with fencing but to challenge photographers, etc., on stations is pointless. Too many people today use 'security' as a catch-all to challenge harmless behaviours that they don't want to understand or tolerate.

Railway fencing may be more prevalent here than many other countries but we have inherited the regime from history, being the first nation to build railways (and killing someone on the first day of operation!).

 

[Deepgreen]

Only once have I ever been stopped taking photos and that was when I got off a 387 at Luton, took a photo of it leaving then crossed the platform and awaited a St Pancras bound 222.

A member of station staff took huge issue with this, labelling me a security risk, telling me that I need written permission and that under no circumstances can you just turn up and take photos.

The same member of staff went on to shrug at an old woman who asked for help carrying a suitcase up the stairs. Someone had his priorities very wrong. I eventually batted him off by saying I was getting on the next service to St Pancras and then my presence wouldn't cause him so much grief.

Sent from my LG-K350 using Tapatalk

Tell him to call the police, close the station and suspend the service to deal with the security risk you pose, then. Or, throw back at him that he is perpetrating a hate crime against you - fight stupidity with stupidity!

 

[rg177]

Tell him to call the police, close the station and suspend the service to deal with the security risk you pose, then. Or, throw back at him that he is perpetrating a hate crime against you - fight stupidity with stupidity!

I attempted an argument with "that's not a rule and it's never been a rule, I can even bring up the guidelines if you want" but his argument was "well I said so" over and over and honestly I got so bored of talking to a wall and needed to catch that next service so I decided he was a lost cause. Should I ever grace Luton station with my presence again then I'll see if he's still going on in the same way.

 

[shredder1]

Update, apologies I`ve been away.

I`m reliably informed by a professional railway journalist Quote "This matter made it's way up to Network Rail's head of media (via a couple of sources). He's asked that staff at London Bridge are re-briefed on the NR guidelines and confirmed that photography is allowed".

So hopefully members should have no similar issues at London Bridge, many thanks for reading and the input.

 

[matt]

Update, apologies I`ve been away.

I`m reliably informed by a professional railway journalist Quote "This matter made it's way up to Network Rail's head of media (via a couple of sources). He's asked that staff at London Bridge are re-briefed on the NR guidelines and confirmed that photography is allowed".

So hopefully members should have no similar issues at London Bridge, many thanks for reading and the input.

Did you not see post #5 above from the head of media?

 

[shredder1]

Did you not see post #5 above from the head of media?

Haha yes brilliant Matt

 

[03_179]

I was at Paddington yesterday and not once was I challenged about taking photos. In fact two members of staff doing their walk up of the platforms said "Hi".

The only difficult was a member of staff at a barrier who was chatting away with her friend and was rather unhappy about being disturbed.