Glasgow Winterfest 2009 Doesn't Like Photographers

[DogHeadGod]

I got stopped from taking photographs tonight while visiting Glasgow City's Winterfest festival. I have written a letter of complaint to Glasgow City Council, posted below for you to read if you are so inclined. I'll post their response if I get one.

"
Dear Sirs,

I felt I should write to you to express both my own disappointment, and that of my partner, when we visited George Square earlier this evening, Saturday 28th November


We are both hobbyist photographers, and visited the Square to take some photographs of the attractions. After being on and around the Square for about an hour taking images we were approached by two members of your security staff and asked for our “accreditation”. Having neither accreditation or any idea that we needed any, we were told “because there are lots of children around, and because the council has designated the square as private property” we could no longer take photographs on the site.


At this point I will stress that the member of your security staff we spoke to was polite and professional, and we have no issue with him.


Firstly, I do not appreciate the implication that anybody with a camera must have sinister motives.


Secondly, having now read through the websites for Winterfest and Culture & Sport, I see no obvious indication of rules or regulations stating accreditation must be sought by anyone wishing to take photographs at the square. Indeed there were many others taking photographs on both cameras and cellphones ...adults and children alike. While I appreciate neither of our cameras are small point-and-shoot type, it ultimately performs the same function and we should therefore not be subject to discrimination simply based on our choice of consumer electronics. Furthermore, a search for the words “Photograph” or “Photographer” on your website returns no relevant results implying there is no requirement for a member of the public to require such a licence at all.


Thirdly, the law states that there is no restriction to photography in a public place, nor a right to privacy for anyone in a public area. The security person we spoke to, as mentioned above, stated “the council has designated the square as private property”. My understanding, and please correct me if this is not the case, is that while the council can make such orders and close areas off to members of the public, the council has an obligation to make the citizens aware of such changes by means of notices displayed prominently and publicly. Since I both live and work in the city centre and did not see a notice to this effect I can only assume the notice failed to meet one or both of these requirements. Finally, there was also no restriction to entry of the area, either physically or monetary which gives me serious doubts about whether or not the area was private at all and whether security, at the council's bidding, had the right to stop us taking images.


I look forward to receiving a full explanation of the council's standpoint on the matter, and also confirmation of the status of George Square as “private property” on the date in question.


Yours faithfully,"

DHG

[AndCity]

You didn't sign it DHG, did you?

But seriously now, all these pc restrictions are pathetic! Did you see anyone else stopped for taking pictures? Ok. I can understand it if you take your camera into a swimming pool but into a public place at a public event is just ... ! I dare say if you had asked anyone there, they would have said they didn't mind. I look forward to seeing their reply to you.

On a side note, they probably picked you out because you looked so good at what you were doing...

[DogHeadGod]

Originally Posted by AndCity

You didn't sign it DHG, did you?

But seriously now, all these pc restrictions are pathetic! Did you see anyone else stopped for taking pictures? Ok. I can understand it if you take your camera into a swimming pool but into a public place at a public event is just ... ! I dare say if you had asked anyone there, they would have said they didn't mind. I look forward to seeing their reply to you.

On a side note, they probably picked you out because you looked so good at what you were doing...

I didn't see anyone else getting approached, but there were plenty of people with cameras. I explained to the guy they weren't commercial shots... just a hobby. But I didn't argue with him, he was polite and just doing what the bosses told him.

We'll see what they say.

I didn't sign it DHG, I went for the more formal "Dog Head God the First Esq."

[Sime]

Security guards "protecting the rest of us"

I'm sorry, you know how I feel about security guards with no clue of how the law works. Sad. (If you don't I expressed it in one of my 4k+ posts)

We will never change this. Good luck getting a reply!

Sime

[DogHeadGod]

Originally Posted by Sime™

Security guards "protecting the rest of us"

I'm sorry, you know how I feel about security guards with no clue of how the law works. Sad. (If you don't I expressed it in one of my 4k+ posts)

We will never change this. Good luck getting a reply!

Sime

The guy was honestly ok, he didn't have an attitude, and wasn't condescending at all. Fair play to him. I'm more interested in the council's viewpoint.

[Sime]

For the council to advise a security company to say "there's lots of children around" would be cutting their own throats... (What's the difference from going to a circus / show) I'd almost bet money that the security guard / company made it up him / themselves - he may have been nice, but he still told you something that was not true and correct and, as a result, you didn't get to do what you're legally entitled to do.

Sime

[daft_biker]

They do the same in Edinburgh.....someone suddenly decides a bit of a public park is private property and you're not allowed to take pics

You're not allowed to take pics in part of Princes Street Gardens just now I believe.....crazy!

[DogHeadGod]

Here's one I managed to get beforehand...

[AndCity]

Originally Posted by DogHeadGod

Here's one I managed to get beforehand...

Oh yeah, now I can see why they wanted you to stop photographing - NOT!

Utterly shameless shot!

[DogHeadGod]

Update:

Having had no reply yet, not even a "We received your e-mail and are currently looking into it" type response, I have phoned the council and spoken with somebody from the complaints department.

I have now sent a copy of the original e-mail to a named contact and he will chase up the complaint for me.