Great Western Coffee Shop

My day out riding the rails a couple of days ago was clouded somewhat by unwanted interactions with agency security staff at London Waterloo.

On arrival I went up onto the mezzanine to grab a coffee. Opposite the cafe there is a great stained glass window flanked by friezes, with the London & South Western Railway crest. That'll be a nice photo I thought.

While composing my shot, checking settings and waiting for a cleaner to move from the window, I was approached by a security officer from SES Group. Her opening gambit was, "You can't take photos here."

"Why not?" I asked.
"It's against the law."
"What law?"

She couldn't really articulate an answer to that, except to say it was for security reasons. I suggested she call BTP if she had a reasonable belief I was a security threat. At this point two PCSOs happened to be approaching so I went up to them to ask if I was breaking the law by taking photos of an architectural feature of the station. After a little to and fro with them mentioning irrelevant things such as photographing CCTV (I wasn't), voyeurism(!), and photographing people without their consent (incidentally, not illegal in public), they agreed I was doing nothing wrong. I asked them to tell the security officer she was wrong to say what I was doing was illegal. To their credit they apologised to me. She didn't.

After my coffee, and with time to spare before my train from Waterloo East to Abbey Wood, I went for a stroll along the concourse. Up by the former International platforms is a new statue, commemorating the 'Windrush Generation'. Out comes my phone again to take some pictures. Another SES Group officer approaches and tells me I can't take pictures on the station. A similar conversation ensues about security and the law.

Once again I'm forced to explain I'm doing nothing illegal. There is no statute law or railway byelaw that prevents me taking photos on a station. At worst, Network Rail would like you to make your presence known at the large stations they manage, but that's only a courtesy, and doesn't really apply in this case as I was merely passing time between trains. Different to being there for the express purpose of photography.

I ask this second jobsworth why he's asked me to stop taking pictures and not the half dozen other folk around the statue snapping away with their phones. He decides to loudly ask everyone to stop! Unbelievable behaviour.

I see the same two PCSOs in the distance and return to them to tell pf this latest interaction with the security goons. All they can suggest is I complain to Network Rail.

So, off I went to the station reception. Again, some needless 'justification' from the NR Supervisor about terrorism. But I eventually have him agreeing that snaps of architecture and statues while passing through are neither a security risk nor require 'signing in' with NR.

Formal complaints made in writing to Network Rail and SES Group. One ill-informed security officer is bad enough. Two shows at best a lack of training, or at worst incorrect training.

My 'illegal' pictures:
(https://i.ibb.co/DRrQTH9/IMG-20220708-082421.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/bFzRQZM/IMG-20220708-082700.jpg)

Absolutely unforgivable behaviour on my part. Lock me up. Throw away the key!  :o ::)

I'd like to see them try to stop photography at Kings Cross!  The luggage trolley disappearing into the wall on "platform 9 3/4" is deliberately set up for that very purpose.

This could be a grave threat to our favourite "where was I today quizzes" ........

Where was I today?

A. Wormwood Scrubs

B. Belmarsh

C. Dartmoor

In future suggest they read the Network Rail Guidelines on Photography https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/guidelines-for-taking-photos-at-stations/

Even perhaps have the webpage saved in your phone

This all to common nowadays, apart from on the railway; Swindon outlet, Reading Oracle, Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays spring to mind.

Glad I read that, thanks for linking. The point about flash photography is obvious once made but I probably wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.

I have mirrored the page at http://www.passenger.chat/photos - which is dated 2022

In case of panic, the URL also works for "photo", "photograph","photographs" and "photography" and is case insensitive!

Ill informed, or clueless security personnel are a menace.  Time spent arguing with you could have been much better spent, I'm sure.  Give some people a teeny bit of authority, and watch them take a mile

Best bet is to inform them, politely, that you are acting within the Law and carry on........................see what they do then ! Any physical attempt to interfere with what you are doing is common assault. IF they do call a real (Police) "Officer" - he would undoubtedly explain the Law to them  :)

I would not count on even proper police officers correctly applying the law.
I have observed several cases of police officers "over interpreting" the law.
 

This might be of interest:

A barrister discusses - Can You Take Photographs In Public? Can You Film In Public?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ5d7TVNYUs&t=301s&ab_channel=BlackBeltBarrister

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/guidelines-for-taking-photos-at-stations/ (https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/railway-enthusiasts/guidelines-for-taking-photos-at-stations/)

When I worked as a producer for a UK Broadcaster we always had to get a permit to film at the station which was normally turned down by the press office. It use to be why you saw so many interviews by the entrance. I was never sure what bylaw I was breaking but as an inexperienced producer the first few times I told the camera crew ( in the days before it was one person) that we were entitled to film and they just quietly sighed, probably made a note to avoid any future items I was setting up, and waited for the police to eject us.

Anti terrorism was the most often mentioned reason for not allowing filming although I suspect it was Railtrack being paranoid about the media.