An interesting thing happened to me on Sunday.
I was at a train station with my food shopping.
I took a few pictures of train tracks for my next submission into “Monochrome Madness” using my phone (as my camera is in the shop once again, or still, if I have mentioned anything about it since the start of March).
I first had one station agent come up to me telling me that I could not cross the yellow line.
I was crouching down and leaning slightly forward, but my centre of gravity was lower as I was not leaning too far forward.
He warned me that a train could come along and it was a safety concern.
Whilst he was correct, I told him I was fine and was just taking a picture of the tracks.
Besides which, at the station I was doing this, there was not going to be a train on that side of the platform for another ten to fifteen minutes and non-stopping trains don’t pass through there either.
Well, to be fair, it would be better for me to say that I’ve ever seen any non-stopping trains pass through there.
Anyway, another station agent came up and told me that I was not allowed to take photos on the platform as it was illegal due to security reasons.
I said that it was public property and there was nothing wrong with what I was doing.
He told me that it was illegal due to security reasons.
I said that there was nothing wrong with what I was doing.
I told him I was just taking a picture of the section of track that was directly in front of me.
He told me that it was illegal due to security reasons and if I continued he would call the police.
I told him I wasn’t going to blow up the station and that there was nothing wrong with what I was doing.
I tried to show him the picture I took to show him how harmless it was but he wouldn’t look.
He again told me that if I continued he would call the police.
I had stopped taking picture before the first time.
After a bit more back-and-forth, he repeated the “continue… police” bit again.
I was walking away by this point.
Now, it turns out that it is not actually illegal to take photos at a train station.
You need to ask for permission first and you’ll either be told you can and given a tag (perhaps with a form to fill out as well), or refused.
I found out on the internet and confirmed it at Town Hall station when I arrived there to change to a bus to head home and also talk to the station attendant there.
I have no problem with asking for permission, but I do take offense to having police action used as a threat or warning, because it’s a rather extreme reaction considering what I was doing.
The time it took to write five-hundred words: 10:48:73
A bit slower, but that’s because I have been fairly quiet here.
Oh well.
Now, with all of this being said, I have to point out that the tone of the guy was also pretty unpleasant.
He also didn’t advise me of permission being required.
I was fairly calm throughout the whole thing, so I’m happy about that.
Also, what I wrote isn’t verbatim, but it’s pretty close.
Written from my”new” desk at home.
