Would you be paranoid about this man with a camera?

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

DH rides our DDs to school...it's 3 miles, they are 8 and 5. The route is along a rural cycle track...very picturesque. Towards the end of the journey today, he said there was a man on the track...with a dog and a camera.

As DH approached with DDs, the man said "I'm just taking picturs of the park" and as DH and DDs passed, DH said he thought the man took a photo of them.

Is that odd? Or is DH paranoid>? He feels he should have said something...but what? I just called him as I often do to see how the ride went...

[BrokenBanana]

I would have been a bit if it was a woman as well, I'm perfectly aware that not all paedos are male. I say he wasn't working for the council as a lot of my family work for the council and have had a lot of involvement with the squirty things, I asked them if any photos were taking place that day and they said no. Also he was taking them on a normal phone, no professional would do that.

Maybe he was just happy to see all the children having so much fun and wanted a reminder, who knows. I don't have a problem with people taking photos of children, we've also had quite a few Japanese tourists asking to take pictures of us. I just thought if you were randomly taking pictures of half naked children that are not yours you should really ask the parents permission, otherwise it's a bit weird. Don't you think?

[RunRabbit]

No words for such nonsense

[LtEveDallas]

They have banned parental recordings because we have a child who is on a child protection order so it needs to be confidential

Thats a good thing, sad for other parents, but it is the right thing for the school to do to protect a child.

It does annoy me when 'no cameras' are used in a blanket scenario though.

DD was in a dance show this weekend. I took a couple of photos of her with my phone, and started to take a video when she was doing her solo.

One of the theatre staff told me to stop. I asked why and she said that cameras and videos weren't allowed.

I asked why and she said "well isn't that obvious?" really sarcastically.

I said no, and asked who the woman at the front with the zoom lense was then, seeing as she had taken a number of shots of MY daughter.

She said she was a member of staff and that the shots were going to be used as promotional material and also sold to parents. She said that everyone taking part had given permission for photos to be taken.

So I just stood there smiling and waiting for the penny to drop....

Unfortunately by the time it did I was too late to film DD and the woman just hurried off after saying "thats different"

I dodn't really care that much - I've probably got hours of videos of DD dancing, but that woman did make me chuckle

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

BrokenBanana - He could have been taking pictures for an article, or brochure or anything really. Just out of interest - how do you know that he definitely wasn't from the council?

[DarkWinter]

PAEDOGEDDON!!!

[thetrackisback]

They have banned parental recordings because we have a child who is on a child protection order so it needs to be confidential. Unfortunately with social media the school can't protect anonimity. This does step up the paranoia though.

[WafflyVersatile]

I'd guess that with paedo fear being at fever pitch these days the man is a bit paranoid (and has possibly had people be aggressive to him before) so got in with his explanation before there was a question.

[thetrackisback]

We walked round Windsor with our twin girls! They were like celebs to the Japanese tourists must have had about five different people taking pictures of them. I think it's lovely but I am a baby bore!

[Eyesunderarock]

As has happened in many schools, no parental recording of events.

[cozietoesie]

Well you could always have a word with the police on a non-emergency basis, BrokenBanana but bear in mind not only that he probably had a perfectly legitimate reason for the activity but that such a report might easily lead to banning of cameras, followed by banning of phones, and then followed by closure of the facility by the powers that be - 'in case'.

If that's what you want.......

[Pennyacrossthehall]

BrokenBanana
On the beach front at a local town, they have some of those things were the water squirts out the ground.
So basically a tourist attraction?

Lots of children running round half naked and wet. There was a man there taking photos on his phone, didn't look as if he was with anyone in particular. Then he walked off on his own.
Sounds like a man on holiday? Who could have walked back to his family to show them what fun they could have back at the fountain. Or just wanted some photos of what he did on his holiday on his own. Or liked the "contre jour" effect of the sunlight on the water. (That one's a bit of a stretch given I wasn't there)

I think that your starting point should have been If it was a woman would I have asked the question?

[Floggingmolly]

Why did your dh think he took a photograph of your family??
The guy was quite openly photographing the scene before your dh even got there, nothing surreptitious about it. Did he hear the camera click behind him and just assume that his back view was the subject of the shot?
Paranoia in the extreme...

[Eyesunderarock]

A camera can't steal pieces of your children's souls.

[Eyesunderarock]

It's still not illegal to take photographs in a public place, so if he did want them for personal perving there is nothing you can do to stop him other than not allowing your children to play in public.
He might just have loved the combination of children and water and joy.
Or he could be accumulating evidence of how easy it is to take photographs of children.
Or he could be part of a campaign to ban all public nudity for all humans.

[BrokenBanana]

He definitely wasn't from the council!

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

My DS is 21 and an amatuer photographer, when he's walking our dog he often has his camera on him. It makes me very sad to think that anyone would be suspicious of him because he is male and has a camera while walking in the park. His photographs of wildlife and nature are just that, photos of wildlife and nature. Other photographers are good at taking shots of everyday life. It doesn't mean they are up to no good. YABU.

[cozietoesie]

Probably from the local council checking out a elf & safety complaint.

[BrokenBanana]

Can I hijack a little bit and ask what you would all think of this situation?
On the beach front at a local town, they have some of those things were the water squirts out the ground. Lots of children running round half naked and wet. There was a man there taking photos on his phone, didn't look as if he was with anyone in particular. Then he walked off on his own.

[Eyesunderarock]

So what was the problem your OH had with a man doing something perfectly legal OP?
What would he have said, and why?

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

Yes yabu. Can I suggest you go and have a look at some photo blogs? Start with humans of New York. Most have comments from the subject, some are just random snaps of human moments!

[HepsibarCrinkletoes]

Yes YABU

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

Canidae take a chill pill I did say I was happy to be told IABU.

[Eyesunderarock]

'Didn't realise I may be branded as a pervert!'

Are you female? Because that cuts the possibility of you being seen as a threat immensely.

[Pantone363]

And DD3 was NAKED