Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Brit cops delete photos, fight terrorism
Two Austrian tourists ran afoul of local police when they took pictures of the city's famous double-decker buses. Klaus Matzka and his son, Loris, were clicking away on the streets of London while on vacation. Shots of a bus station in Walthamstow (in east London), however, got the cops interested.
The tourists were told by local police that they were not allowed to photograph anything related to transportation. They were thanked not only with deleted photos but with the collection of their passport numbers, hotel addresses and other personal deals.
After all, taking pictures of buses and bus stations could be a sign of terrorist activity.
London's Metropolitan Police Authority says it has no knowledge related to a ban on transportation pictures in the city. Matzka observes, "Google Street View is allowed to show details of our cities on the web, but a father and his son are not allowed to take pictures of London landmarks."
Filed under: Activism, Europe, United Kingdom, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kent Wien Apr 19th 2009 6:11AM
I was stopped recently by security in St. Thomas. I had been taking a picture of the sign that said "Welcome to St. Thomas" by a burly 'lady' on the ramp.
"You should know better, you're a crewmember," she said.
No, in fact, I hadn't read the memo that you can't take a single picture at the airport. Silly me.
The pendulum has swung way too far.