WWYD nuisance photographer

[behiveandbuzzoff]

A random man wandered onto site at my work last week and started filming/photographing. When a colleague informed him it was private land he dispute this, the police were called in but ultimately nothing happened as the police were unsure of where the boundary to public land and our site begins.

My colleague asked him 'not to be a prick' during the encounter which enraged the man who then posted the video on YouTube. The video has gone viral in our area and my colleague is embarrassed and worried.

The mans YouTube channel is full of videos of him turning up in random places, acting shady, the police being called in and then ultimately nothing happening (except police time being wasted). That was until last week when he tried to film a local school and local prison and was finally arrested.

Now he's claiming he will keep returning to our work and it's got me nervous as I walk to work, often in the early hours. He seems unhinged in his video rants. WWYD? I don't have anyone to walk me to work and I fear my colleagues would laugh if I asked them to give me a lift when I live only a 2 minute walk away. Also I have DC in a nearby school which has got me paranoid for their safety.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

Taking photos in a public place is not illegal. The only time an offence is committed is if the photographs being taken are considered to be indecent. There is no law preventing people from taking photographs in public. ... If you are taking photographs from private land, you need to have the land owner's permission.

Please note: No one has the right to ask a photographer to stop, to ask for a copy of the photos or to force them to delete the photographs, unless the images that have been taken are indecent.

www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/advice/neighbourhood-and-community/taking-photographs-in-a-public-place/

[legalseagull]

If he deliberately comes to your work and causes you alarm, distress or fear on at least two occasions, he can be arrested for harassment. It doesn't matter whether he argues filming is legal - causing distress is not. It needs to be a course of behaviour (two or more times) so note times and dates and log each time with 101. I would also tell police he has told you his behaviour is deliberate. It's likely they will serve him with a harassment notice first, which is basically a warning not to come back, if he does, he's charged.

[CallipygianFancier]

Your colleague was clearly quite astute in his assessment of the guy as a prick.

[behiveandbuzzoff]

@PlainSpeakingStraightTalking

The arrest was for possession of a weapon according to police FB page.

The man admitted in his videos he's not filming/photographing for any project, he is doing it simply because he can.

He has no videos/photos of projects on his channel only videos of him baiting police/members of the colleague and then ranting about his human rights.

Who actually goes around doing this aside from extremely bored, confrontational, and unstable people? This is what worries me, but thanks for clarifying what photographers can do. I'm assume you'd be ok with creepy looking old man outside your kids school taking photos simply because they could?

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

Why do you think he is going to harrass you, as an individual and why do you think your children are at risk?

He will be well aware of the law surrounding urban photography.

www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-street-shooting.html

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty MP has commented on the current legal situation regarding privacy.

"There is no legal restriction on photography in public places, and there is no presumption of privacy for individuals in a public place."

[behiveandbuzzoff]

legalseagull

Thank you for the advice.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

I'm assume you'd be ok with creepy looking old man outside your kids school taking photos simply because they could?

Could you define 'creepy looking' and explain what age and gender has to do with it ?

I tend to operate within the confines of the law, I expect others to do the same. No laws relating to photography have been broken.

He very well may be mad as a box of frogs, in which case his medical and mental health needs should be addrressed. If he is , as you say, clearly a tad unstable, why on earth was your collegue baiting a person with an obvious mental health issue?

[hellenbackagen]

If he does indeed come back then I would consider this harassment and call the police.

There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Earlier advice was correct about a course of conduct but twice within 6 months would constitute this.

Your local force must love him . Not.

[behiveandbuzzoff]

Why do you think he is going to harrass you - because he was shouting at colleagues walking past in the video, asking if they worked there. Why does he need to know that?

why do you think your children are at risk? Because seriously what normal person goes around filming schools for no reason? Would you be happy for him to film your children? I doubt a pedo would march straight into a school and start assaulting a child there and then. Usually it's escalating behaviour beginning with acts of voyeurism like this.

I can see you're being arsey for the sake of it. But keep flying that flag for all the nutjobs of the world.

[EyeOfTheTigger]

Sounds like he's an attention seeker who is doing this purely to get a reaction so that he can film it and put it on You Tube. Best thing would be to completely ignore him (assuming your company has nothing to hide) and when he doesn't get the desired response he'll give up and bother someone else.

[HaventGotAllDay]

So your colleague abused someone who, as confirmed by the police and the law, was doing nothing wrong? And is now whining that his verbal abuse has been uploaded?

A friend of mine takes photos 24/7. He's a photography nut. He puts some of them online. Because it's not illegal.

Your ageism though, one day, hopefully will be. But in the meantime do remember the "creepy old man" outside your kid's school is statistically about 99.9% less likely to abuse them than their own father/uncle is.

[behiveandbuzzoff]

I tend to operate within the confines of the law, I expect others to do the same.

That's a weird mantra to have. How else do we try to be vigilant for potential crimes if not by looking out for suspicious behaviour.

I guess if a man abandoned a large black bag in the middle of a crowded train station, then sprinted away, and failed to return after half an hour you would just shrug your shoulders and say 'well there's no law against leaving your luggage?

[HaventGotAllDay]

Do you mean "people with mental health issues" when you say "nutjobs"?

[Qcumber]

Don't know why some posters are pretending they wouldn't be slightly concerned about an odd man clearly looking for a fight everywhere he goes.
OP if you do see him again I'd just completely ignore, keep walking to the nearest building. Then call the police and explain about the last video at your work and the fact he has clearly targeted your building. I'd also say that you're concerned because you believe he's been arrested recently for carrying a weapon. Sounds like he enjoys making people uncomfortable as well as the confrontation.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

I doubt a pedo would march straight into a school and start assaulting a child there and then

Watch out, OP there's one behind every lampost Your children are more at danger in their own home than they are outside of it

[Nesssie]

Well as you now know who he is and that he isn't a danger, I would just ignore him. If he doesn't get any reaction, he has nothing to film.

[Sicario]

Mace is quite effective.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

@bbehiveandbuzzoff well there are wall posters and announcements regarding luggage.

But keep flying that flag for all the nutjobs of the world. Not sounding particualarly rational yourself are you ?

Don't know why some posters are pretending they wouldn't be slightly concerned about an odd man clearly looking for a fight everywhere he goes.

There is a difference between genuine concern and squaring up for a stand off, like the OPs colleague. If you really think someone has a tenuous grip on their mental capacity, I'd suggest a 999 call is in order, and not engaging in a confrontational way and indulging in the sport of name calling. .

All I've gained so far from the OP is

• old men with cameras are apparently 'pedo's'
  
• it's acceptable to fight with people with MH isues.
  
• its acceptable to name call and perpetuate stigma.

[Juells]

Could you define 'creepy looking' and explain what age and gender has to do with it ?

Age and sex. Gender is social, sex is biological.

[behiveandbuzzoff]

Do you mean "people with mental health issues" when you say "nutjobs"?

I mean people who repeatedly act suspicious in order to draw out a police presence, so they can then lecture the officers that their behaving lawfully upload the juicy contents online.

Nutjobs who might be acting lawfully but in reality are acting immorally by knowingly wasting police time, and potentially denying someone in real need of assistance. Those nutjobs.

[Jellylegss]

We have a guy like this fairly locally.. he is a registered violent sex offender, claims the camera is for his protection. It’s bloody weird and definitely puts hairs up as well if he’s recording any time he walks through a residential area we’ve not a clue what hes recording/doing with hours of footage and it’s all apparently legal.
He definitely goes looking for reactions and is known for having conveniently lost parts of his footage/audio when it comes to incidents and reactions.

[minionsrule]

I would be tempted to shout get a life or a job you loser and carry on walking.

[WaddesdonWanderer]

GDPR? Harassment? Restraining order? I’m with you OP, I’d feel very uneasy about this. Can someone grab his camera and smash it? Or - what is your site? Does it have cement mixers on it?

[SileneOliveira]

"Pedos" and "nutjobs".

Righty-o.