Photography legal question

[Buzz84]

Not sure if this should be here or SP&L, so sorry if it's in the wrong place

Have recently flown out on our holiday and Mrs Buzz went to take a photo out of the terminal of the plane we were traveling on (as I'be seen a lot of people do!).
We were then approached by a member of staff and told what she had done is illegal, he then threatened that he would have us taken off our flight unless she deleted them.

Two questions really and I hope someone will know:

1.
Is it's illegal on the UK to take photos in an airport airside? Specifically Gatwick in this case. (I've never seen any signs or heard this)

2.
Can someone force/demand you to delete photos?

Of course links/proof either way would be great too as we will be complaining to the companies involved as even if he were right he was extremely rude and aggressive to us leaving Mrs Buzz in tears.

Ps. We had no issues getting on (turns out he doesnt work for that airline and never spoke with them at all) and we are enjoying our first day on holiday

[Simpo Two]

As I understand it, if it's private property then they make the rules. So they can ask you not to take photos - but whether they can force you to delete them I'm not sure. Making you lose your flight because you took a photo seems pretty silly to me; the press would have a field day.

Sounds like a petty jobsworth to me (have you seen the Golden Wonder video?)

So did you have to delete the photos to be able to board?

Remember that deleted photos are quite easy to recover if you don't use the card until recovery. So you can 'delete' them in front of bkbrains and go away quite happy that you still have them.

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 13th June 11:18

[jurbie]

The only place in an airport where photography is not allowed is the security check. Anywhere else will likely be fine as long as it's for personal use and you're not setting up a tripod or do anything that might cause a hazard/inconvenience anyone.

A good bit of info here:
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/14/photo...

In your case:

Article said:

Airports are private property, so restrictions apply. Generally, only photos for personal use can be taken in the terminal lounges. Most civil airports have viewing areas outside the boundaries, from where you can shoot aircraft.

and

Article said:

Security guards can…

Ask you to stop taking photographs if you’re standing on private land without permission or a permit.
Use ‘reasonable force’ to remove you from private property if necessary.

Security guards can’t…

Prevent you taking pictures 
of private property if you’re standing on public land.
Take your camera equipment.
Look at your photographs.
Delete, or force you to delete, any of your shots.

As ever Google is your friend https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=photography... so go forth and rip them a new one.

[shed driver]

If the security guard says it's "illegal" and he wants you to delete the images, isn't this tampering or destruction of evidence?

I'd love to know if anyone has ever had this tested in court?

SD.

[Dr Jekyll]

shed driver said:

If the security guard says it's "illegal" and he wants you to delete the images, isn't this tampering or destruction of evidence?

Yes.

Either the pictures are legal and none of his business, or illegal and therefore evidence.

Again if it's private property they can make their own rules but this doesn't make anything they disapprove of illegal nor give them the right to delete pictures.

[DIW35]

A court order is required before anyone can demand you delete photos. As has already been stated above, if what you are doing is legal there is no basis to demand that you delete them. On the other hand, if you are doing something illegal the images would be classed as evidence and deleting them would carry the same penalties as the destruction of any other type of evidence required to bring a criminal case.

[brman]

I agree with the comments on legality but don't forget he will probably have no problem delaying you until you miss your flight if he wants to so the legality isn't really the point....

[anonymous-user]

jurbie said:

The only place in an airport where photography is not allowed is the security check. Anywhere else will likely be fine as long as it's for personal use and you're not setting up a tripod or do anything that might cause a hazard/inconvenience anyone.

I thought that the only reason they tried to stop you taking pictures was to stop their general incompetence being shown.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greate...

[Simpo Two]

brman said:

I agree with the comments on legality but don't forget he will probably have no problem delaying you until you miss your flight if he wants to...

Surely you could just walk away - if he/she grabs you it's assault...

[Jonsv8]

Simpo Two said:

Surely you could just walk away - if he/she grabs you it's assault...

And they just follow you, tell the pilot you've been uncooperative and you'll not be going anywhere. Possibly never going anywhere with that airline from then on.


I'd also not try taking pictures in foreign airports. Didn't Turkey have a sense of humour failure with a couple of Brits recently?

[brman]

Jonsv8 said:

And they just follow you, tell the pilot you've been uncooperative and you'll not be going anywhere. Possibly never going anywhere with that airline from then on.


I'd also not try taking pictures in foreign airports. Didn't Turkey have a sense of humour failure with a couple of Brits recently?

Exactly, and if you happen to need to go through customs you really do not want to be upsetting anyone unless you have a rubber glove fetish

[TheRainMaker]

Jonsv8 said:

And they just follow you, tell the pilot you've been uncooperative and you'll not be going anywhere. Possibly never going anywhere with that airline from then on.

Pilot wouldn't give a monkeys TBH, Most Pilots are not stupid

The conversation would go something like this.

SG - We have a problem with a passenger.
P - OK what's happened?
SG - He was taking pictures of your plane with his family by the window.
P - Oh, OK
SG - I've told him it's illegal and he won't delete them.
P - Oh..... Looks at co-pilot.

[Simpo Two]

Jonsv8 said:

And they just follow you, tell the pilot you've been uncooperative and you'll not be going anywhere. Possibly never going anywhere with that airline from then on.

I'd hope that the pilot has better things to do than hear tales from a failed traffic warden. 'But he took a photo, waah'.

[Jonsv8]

Simpo Two said:

Jonsv8 said:

And they just follow you, tell the pilot you've been uncooperative and you'll not be going anywhere. Possibly never going anywhere with that airline from then on.

I'd hope that the pilot has better things to do than hear tales from a failed traffic warden. 'But he took a photo, waah'.

I strongly encourage you to test your theory and report back.

[Simpo Two]

Jonsv8 said:

I strongly encourage you to test your theory and report back.

Do you know something we don't?

We could pose the question in the 'Boats, Trains and Planes' forum and find out what a pilot would really do.

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 14th June 10:19

[Jonsv8]

Simpo Two said:

Jonsv8 said:

I strongly encourage you to test your theory and report back.

Do you know something we don't?

We could pose the question in the 'Boats, Trains and Planes' forum and find out what a pilot would really do.

You think taking a picture is trivial and its a jobsworth. That might be true, but you're not 100% sure of the rules in an airport, you're just applying what you think is reasonable.

On the other hand a security official engages with you and you ignore them and walk off and you think a pilot when told will see that as trivial and he'd just laugh and let them fly.

Airlines and airports have a zero tolerance attitude. Ask Kate Moss.

[Simpo Two]

One would hope the pilot would be informed of the nature of the issue, and thus be able to make a logical and correct decision - something that pilots do more times in a minute than security men do in a a lifetime, because they have many times the brainpower so they decide what goes on in their aeroplane.

I don't know the rules of an airport - but what is your claim to them?

[Dr Jekyll]

Simpo Two said:

One would hope the pilot would be informed of the nature of the issue, and thus be able to make a logical and correct decision - something that pilots do more times in a minute than security men do in a a lifetime, because they have many times the brainpower so they decide what goes on in their aeroplane.

I don't know the rules of an airport - but what is your claim to them?

The thickest pilot is almost certainly significantly brighter than the thickest security guard, but I wouldn't want to generalise any more than that.