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Old 7th November 2021, 06:13 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,797
Default Run in with a 'Security Guard' today...

Well, it was a sunny afternoon here in the UK, which is good to see in November. I had wanted to get to the seafront, which is just a mile or so from my house, for a number of weeks now, but the weather hadn't been so good. I wanted to specifically get to the 'Adventure Park' on the seafront, which is only open at weekends at the moment, to shoot some new pictures for this months Print Exchange. I had taken lots of pictures there before, but they had either been digital or on colour film. For this trip, I loaded up my Fuji GA645Zi with a roll of HP5+ and made sure the batteries were fully charged.

I parked up as close as I could in a 'Pay and Display' parking area and got my mobility buggy and walking sticks out of the car and set off to the park. I spent about the next half an hour taking some shots and taking in some fresh air. I was then approached by a burly Security Guard, dressed head to toe in black and wearing a stab vest.

No pleasantries or 'Hello, how you today?' came, but 'Can I ask what you are taking pictures of?'. 'Just bits and bobs', I replied. 'Can I see what you've taken then?' he asked. 'Not really', I replied, taking the camera out of my buggy's basket, to show him. 'I'm taking some pictures on a black and white film,' I said. 'Well you can't take any more pictures because you are using a 'professional' camera', he said. 'But loads of other people are taking pictures with big digital cameras and phones, all which take 'professional quality' pictures', I replied. 'Yes, but I'm telling you that you can't take any more.' 'But what are the parks rules about taking pictures?', I asked. 'It doesn't matter what they say, I'm telling you that you can't, okay?!' This changed the conversation totally and I was going to stand my ground, even though he now came across as quite intimidating and other people may have backed down at this point.

I looked at him straight in the face now and asked, 'What is the company's policy about photography in the park?' 'It's nothing to do with them, I'm telling you not to take any more photographs', he replied. 'Well I'll speak to a manager to find out then,' I said. 'There's no point in doing that, as they'll only tell you what I'm telling you right now!' he replied. 'Well, I'll speak to them anyway as I want to make a formal complaint', I told him. He then defensively asked if I knew where 'Customer Services' were, to which I told him that 'I would find them.' His final words were, 'Well, don't let me see you taking any more pictures today, otherwise I will have you ejected from the park and banned from entering in future!' I could have and wanted to say something unpleasant back but I stopped myself from doing so.

Eventually finding the correct window, I spoke to a young and polite young lady, who asked me what I was taking pictures of, to which I told her mostly the structures and buildings in the park. She explained that privacy rules work in the park, to which I again mentioned the numerous people who were also taking photographs in the park. 'But they are not using professional equipment', she replied, looking at my camera. By now I was getting the same spiel as before, but at least she and I were engaging in a polite conversation. I told her that I understood the rules (but still thinking how ridiculous they are) and finally pointed out the intimidating behaviour of one of the companies security guards, towards me. She apologised on his behalf and said that she would have a 'word with the team'.

I continued to go around the park, but with my camera now back in a bag. When I eventually left the park, the guard was just entering (presumably) a tea room, which was near the exit of the park. Seeing him out of the corner of my eyes, I turned my head and he gave me a rather sarcastic wave, whilst saying 'Bye, bye!'

Once out of the park, I went along the perimeter fence, on a public path. Through the fence one gets a view over the majority of the park and sticking my camera lens through the fence, I was able to take one last picture, which finished off my film. 'Up yours!', I mumbled, feeling that I had had the last word.

I'm feeling a bit better after writing this but I will be writing a complaining email to 'Customer Care', at the park.

I know not all security guards are like this, but I still find rules that were quoted to me today to be ridiculous, when, as stated, so many others are taking maybe hundreds of pictures, whilst I only took twelve.

Lets hope that there's at least one good one on the roll of film.
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