Being filmed by another diner in a fancy restaurant

[Changedmymindtoday22]

Here is the scenario.
I went to a very fancy restaurant this week.
A couple at the next table were very keen on filming every move they made on their phones, fine.
Next thing… they whip it out a tripod in the restaurant and place their phone to film themselves enjoying their meal.
The camera is also pointing at me.

They take the camera and I can see that I am also (unnecessarily captured) by the angle they were shooting.
They proceeded to do this 3 times, for a couple of minutes at a time.

WWYD in this situation?

A. Say nothing?
B. Ask couple to stop?
C. complain to fancy restaurant staff?

I did one of the 3, but am genuinely torn about what the best thing to do in this rather bizarre situation that made me quite uncomfortable.

I will share what happened next once I gauge opinions.

I would have accidentally knocked the tripod over.

they're miles away!!! I thought from what you said they were like 3ft away from you. I was feeling bad for you until this photo 😂

I am with you except for the bit that folks use social media to make others feel shit about their lives. I really do not think that’s the objective for the majority and I feel their must be something else going on with you you’d feel that.

Yeah, I'm confused by that too.

If that's the distance, and that's how much it has to be zoomed in by, I wouldn't mind and would wonder how she can even see the screen to see if she's in frame or not!

I would absolutely follow up with a written complaint.

At that type of resturant I would expect the Management to know how to behave appropriately, and discreetly, and that just wasn't it!

I'd actually have expected the staff to stop it the moment it started with the view that it would spoil the experience for others. No one is going to feel comfortable regardless of 'we're only filming ourselves. It's simply not appropriate. If you want to film yourself eating a whole meal do it at fucking home.

I thought that too. Seems odd.

I’d have made wanker hand gestures in the background to ruin their shot and make sure I was edited out

They are not miles away. The people you can see are over the other side of what looks like a bar and not them - if I'm right op?

Looks like op has cut the culprits out but if you look the phone filming is much closer and pointing directly at op

For all those saying they're far away: it's the tripod and phone in the picture, not the people in the background.
I would have hated that.

But it’s clearly not pointed at the op, it’s pointed at their table in the opposite direction?

So rude and naff of them. You were right to complain!

The manager should have done C discreetly, if they were happy to have the restaurant and staff filmed, move them to somewhere else.

It's a miracle! 8 pages about unwanted photography and no one has come out with crap about data protection.

OP, I think any of the options is defensible. I'd probably have ignored it. But trying to do something about it either directly or via the staff would be perfectly understandable.

They are immediately behind my partner (female was back
to back with him). The camera was actually placed behind them facing our direction as there were other diners immediately across from them which wouldn’t have given them a wide enough angle. So they had to angle it which included my fruitcake self

You were right in your reaction and the staff were unprofessional and indiscreet. One of the reasons you pay extra to eat in top restaurants is the dignified service. The idea he marched up to the table and called you out in front the whole restaurant is cringe. Write an email so they can discuss how they will react to complaints in the future.

They need a portable green screen to go with their tripod so they can edit in generic crowd and restaurant hubbub later. Either that or you need to be paid as an extra.

Quick diagram. 😂

Also I had to lower the quality of that image and crop it to make it fit with the upload guideline. So it may appear further. But rest assured I saw myself as muppet 2 reviewed the footage while still on the tripod.

Apologies op, I misunderstood what the photo was showing.

You are 100% right in your feelings

Is Betty's painted pink with lots of flowers these days. ?? But no not Betty's.

while I undergo the complaints procedure I won’t name and shame, yet anyways! Next the Daily Mail will be contacting them
😂

@Changedmymindtoday22 I think the restaurant handled it really badly, they should have told the couple to put the tripod away immediately without you having to complain. Ridiculous people filming themselves eating, what is wrong with people. A quick photo of your own plate is fine (don’t do it myself) anything more than that is vanity, self absorption, showing off and just stupid. I would have been furious.