Re: [NSW] Picture Taking at Stations (Part 2)

["Rod Gayford" <rjaygee@eisa.net.au>]

My view as a legally qualified person is that there is no law against taking
photos as long as you are not taking them from rail property.  There is no
law against taking photos of the general public in a public place as there
is no common law right to privacy.  As for taking photos from rail property
I am not sure that the possession of a valid rail ticket would cover you as
it only authorises you to travel by train and not necessarily engage in
activities that are not incidental to your travel.  Having said that, I
believe you would be extremely unlucky to be challenged if you kept your
photo session to a minimum and did not become a nuisance.  Nuisance has a
fairly wide interpretation and the station manager probably has a wide
degree of discretion in deciding if someone is a nuisance.  The manager may
wish to check your purposes to ensure that you are not a press or commercial
photographer to which different protocols exist.

You should probably click away but be diplomatic if challenged as it appears
you are a younger member of the community and may be more vulnerable than
someone like me who is over 6 foot and is likely to be left alone.  I am not
sure if station staff can order you to attend the manager office but you
could make it clear to the staff you are attending voluntarily.  Staff
should not try and restrain you or force you to attend the managers etc
office. This is assault and unlawful arrest.  Using your discretion to fit
the situation is probably the wisest course.
Cheers
Rod Gayford

"Erk" <erk@erkV69.au.com> wrote in message
3a72c482@news.iprimus.com.au">news:3a72c482@news.iprimus.com.au...
>
>
> <maikha_l@hotmail.com> wrote in message
94tulu$brf$1@nnrp1.deja.com">news:94tulu$brf$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> | To all aus.railers
> |
> | As my planned train travel I did today, Before my 10:32am to Central, I
> | tried to drop into the SM's office at Penrith to re-inquire about
> | Picture taking........no one there.
> |
>
> Mentally or physically?
>
>
> | Boarding my train to Sydney Terminal, and arriving there, I spent about
> | an hour or for the Muwillumbah XPT to arrive on Platform 4 (Yes 4) and
> | for a picture of it (which I got).
> | On two occasions I asked the station staff on Platform 4 if it was ok
> | ("No problem" he answered) and with the driver of the XPT that just
> | arrived ("go for it") and so I happily snapped away.
> |
> | I made my way to the Eastern Suburbs platform where on the occasion of
> | today, South Coast services would arrive (Platform 24) and depart here
> | (Platform 25).
> | My inquiry to the station master on the platforms
>
> Customer Service Attendant
>
> (Stupidly showing off
> | my new Minolta Dynax 300si) he had asked if I was taking the picture of
> | the train, Yes I was, "a general rule that is not permitted" he
> | answered "as long as no staff or people (?) are in it, and it is not
> | obvious" added on.
>
> I once took a shot when I first started at Penrith of a train going past
the
> signal box to the sidings and took a photo. The train guard came back to
the
> spot where I was and basically was worried about me taking a photo of him
(I
> said he wasn't visible and I didn't lie) then he lightened up and asked me
> about my camera blah blah. Many people (regardless of their job or who
they
> are) hate getting their photo taken, especially while they are working.
> (some bosses would and have used photo evidence of something to dispicline
> workers. That is where zoom lenses come in handy!
>
>
>
>
> |
> | Happily walking away from the platforms with a Dapto V-SET on Platform
> | 25, I made my way to the SM's office at Central.
> | A 15min wait in the nice lounge chair while a young man was complaining
> | about late trains from Cambeltown.....
> |
> | "I'm a railway enthusiast, and taking pictures of trains is a hobby.....
> | (Blah blah blah)"
> | "you mean a buff"
> | "Enthusiast is i'm use to, a gunzel?"
> | "good! well as long as it's it train you want to capture, not staff,
> | and you spend less than 20mins doing it, than I got no problems, other
> | than staying on the platform behind the line"
> |
> | A fair bit intimidated as he mentioned the photos to be restricted from
> | platform 1 to 3 (I don't know why!) I made my way out of Central to a
> | SETS meeting (long story that one)
> |
>
> Like I've said countless times here, you need a ticket to access the paid
> area @ Central (not p1-3) and he probably assumed that you walked in off
the
> street.
>
> |
> | I need comments (NICE ones, NOT OBSCENE BY EMAIL! as some thought so)
> | and also suggestions.
> |
> |
> | Thank you to all who reply in a mature manner (please, I've had enough
> | with junk sent to me!)
> | Maikha "V" Ly
> | http://www.geocities.com/microchip_689
> |
> |
> |
> | Sent via Deja.com
> | http://www.deja.com/
>
>
> --
> --
> Eric
>
> URL: http://www.erk.au.com
> Transport & TV
>
> Email: erkV69@iprimus.com.au (remove the V69)
>
> "And Bobo thought that I was a stooge
> getting a bullet proof hotbag!" -  Pauly, Pizza.(SBS-TV)
>
>
>
>