See also:
- Law in Action
- Omnibuses2.0’s Guide to Safer Photography
For some while, this innocent activity has been vilified—by onlookers, by jobsworths and by the police. The disgraceful attitude shown by the police towards Austrian enthusiasts in London resulted in MPs seeking clarification from the metropolitan police. London’s police now have new guidelines and we’ve updated our Guide to Safer Photography accordingly.
Elsewhere in next month’s issue, Buses reproduces a Stagecoach North East staff notice warning drivers they may face disciplinary action if caught making rude gestures at photographers. The notice points out that such photography is not against the law. Enthusiasts are doing no harm, the notice concludes.Indeed, we’d suggest there is a serious reason why the industry should keep enthusiasts on side.
For those who indulge their hobby by taking photographs, it seems common sense may yet prevail, rather than the threat of arrest or worse.
2 comments:
Going back to your posting from Oct 2005, about 'cultivating' enthusiasts, one point strikes me as worthy of note, and perhaps amendment! It's the comment, quoted from routeONE, saying that operators should '..welcome them (enthusiasts), because they bring with them much intelligence about competitors’ plans, purchases and contracts.'
I would suggest that is one road that enthusiasts should not go down - whilst they might be welcomed by one operator, they will definitely not be so warmly received by the competitors! This sort of information might be commercially sensitive, so such activities could soon get enthusiasts in general a bad name.
Eek! The everage enthusiast loathes the profit motive of today, I would contend. You never hear a good word said about First and grudgingly about Stagecoach at best, so I wouldn't think they'd fancy being used to sell out competitors and so on.
The pictures taken the other day of some daft woman having a wander down the main line were taken by what the papers called a 'train spotter'; arguably without him to raise the alarm, the woman would be splattered all over the place.
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