FROM THE GUARDIAN
Here's a few of my experiences -
* Standing outside South Quay station, a security guard walked out of the building on the other side of the road claimed they owned Marsh Wall (they don't, I checked the plan). He was really apologetic about it apparently and said he hated his job!
* Taking photos of the London Eye next to it on public land. Guards threatened to call the police and they could barely speak English and were upset I was taking photographs of it look up through the cables not that they knew that word. I had to tell them "these are called cables". I just ignored them, carried on, and then left once I'd finished.
* Merely looking at my camera in Kings Cross Station a security guard told me it was prohibited to use photography equipment or they'd call the police over.
* Tate Modern. They own the copyright to all your photos apparently and I am violating the copyright of a sculpture by taking a photograph of it with a camera phone to send to my girlfriend. A rather unique interpretation of the law.
* Canary Wharf. Oddly the security guard went for me, no-one else despite amateur photography being explicitly allowed there. I wasn't even taking pictures of the estate but rather from it, a single picture whilst walking along. Every single person with a camera phone, I counted three at Westferry Circus who were left alone whilst I was being told I couldn't take photographs.
"See these security cameras? We're watching you. If you take any more we will remove you from the estate". I particularly liked how a plain clothes guard stood behind me to block me from leaving.
* New Providence Wharf. Supposedly open and public Thames pathway... you can't take pictures of the river. Security guards followed me around all over the place, I have pictures of one following me down side streets around the area.
* I got stopped and searched by police for taking photos of Tower42 at night because it has floodlighting on its crown. I mentioned this to the officers in question, that I was using a tripod and that during the day time I would be committing an offence by obstructing a busy pavement but it was somehow considered to be suspicious to do it at night when there's no one around even though its then you're not breaking the law and cannot photograph floodlights in daylight. They agreed it was stupid too but they don't make the rules.
* Near the Broadgate Centre. There was no marking that it was even a private road or that the road was blocked off and yet a security guard came out and told us to leave, it was a private road and we were a security risk.
You will note almost all of these are private security guards and they are actually committing the crime of obstruction.
FROM THE GUARDIAN
Here's a few of my experiences -
* Standing outside South Quay station, a security guard walked out of the building on the other side of the road claimed they owned Marsh Wall (they don't, I checked the plan). He was really apologetic about it apparently and said he hated his job!
* Taking photos of the London Eye next to it on public land. Guards threatened to call the police and they could barely speak English and were upset I was taking photographs of it look up through the cables not that they knew that word. I had to tell them "these are called cables". I just ignored them, carried on, and then left once I'd finished.
* Merely looking at my camera in Kings Cross Station a security guard told me it was prohibited to use photography equipment or they'd call the police over.
* Tate Modern. They own the copyright to all your photos apparently and I am violating the copyright of a sculpture by taking a photograph of it with a camera phone to send to my girlfriend. A rather unique interpretation of the law.
* Canary Wharf. Oddly the security guard went for me, no-one else despite amateur photography being explicitly allowed there. I wasn't even taking pictures of the estate but rather from it, a single picture whilst walking along. Every single person with a camera phone, I counted three at Westferry Circus who were left alone whilst I was being told I couldn't take photographs.
"See these security cameras? We're watching you. If you take any more we will remove you from the estate". I particularly liked how a plain clothes guard stood behind me to block me from leaving.
* New Providence Wharf. Supposedly open and public Thames pathway... you can't take pictures of the river. Security guards followed me around all over the place, I have pictures of one following me down side streets around the area.
* I got stopped and searched by police for taking photos of Tower42 at night because it has floodlighting on its crown. I mentioned this to the officers in question, that I was using a tripod and that during the day time I would be committing an offence by obstructing a busy pavement but it was somehow considered to be suspicious to do it at night when there's no one around even though its then you're not breaking the law and cannot photograph floodlights in daylight. They agreed it was stupid too but they don't make the rules.
* Near the Broadgate Centre. There was no marking that it was even a private road or that the road was blocked off and yet a security guard came out and told us to leave, it was a private road and we were a security risk.
You will note almost all of these are private security guards and they are actually committing the crime of obstruction.