Flash photography !

[Deleted]

En route to a meeting this am - an oriental gentleman fired a flash on an incoming Heathrow train at Russel Square about 9.40 this morning.

Driver not impressed and raised the echoes on the whistle.

Self with righteous indignation - clearly pointed out the errors of his way so that said gentleman (who may not have understood plain Anglo Saxon) - got the message. Sorry didn't speak to driver - but be assured something was said.

We need to somehow get his message over - posters at tourist infested stations ?

[Deleted]

There were posters warning of no flash photography permitted at Covent Garden...

[Chris M]

I have seen posters around the system saying that flash photography is not permitted. I can't remember where though.

From what I can remember I've only seen flash used twice, once on the Bakerloo Line inside about the fourth or fifth car, when the train was between stations. The other time was at an outdoor Central Line station (I can't remember which), pointed towards the middle of a stationary train.

[Deleted]

Flash is used quite often taking pictures of trains I am driving (especially at Westminster), oriental tourists are often responsible, perhaps it is permitted in south asian locations?

What do I do ?

Smile for the camera of course !

I remain of the view this is a load of fuss over nothing by my collegues. Do they make a song and dance about pictures taken of them with flash down the pub or at a wedding evening, for example? The frequently observed arcing from passing trains pickup shoes in the dark of the tunnel environment has much more effect on the eyes and still not enough to be a H & S concern !

I wonder if the rationalle for baning of flash in fact harks back to the days where such flash was caused by a mini explosion of chemicals in a single use bulb, less desirable in an enclosed environment, rather than anything to do with effect on a drivers eyes !

[Colin]

Whilst I agree that we have to put up with trains arcing in tunnels etc - I do feel there is a difference when you are entering a station and are being put off by someone using a flash to take a picture of the train. So in a nut shell, I support the 'no flash photography' rule ;D

I would suspect this rule is more for the benefit of our 'deep tube' colleagues who experience much less of the arcing in tunnels thing - so a flash in the face after having to let your eyes adjust to the station lighting (compared to a darkish tunnel) probably is a bit much.

[District Dave]

I have to say I'm with Aspect on this - I can't even begin to guess at how many times I've had flash photos taken.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest; personally I reckon the particular condition was probably thought up in the days of old fashioned flash bulbs (for those of us old enough to remember them ) rather than the current 'strobe' style flash built into most cameras.

Also so many cameras automatically slect flash and the user can do nothing to override it.

And the flashes are certainly no worse than the arcing we see daily so, sorry colleagues, I think you're being over touchy. OK - strictly it's against the Conditions of Carraige, but so is holding the doors, being unfit to travel, blah, blah, blah......

[Deleted]

districtdave said:

Also so many cameras automatically slect flash and the user can do nothing to override it.

Just about every camera has an option to disable the flash. Whether the users know how to operate the option is another question....

[Phil]

You are lucky on the trains - what we have sometimes when we are driving an 'unusual' bus is photographers who step out into the middle of a bus station turning area (public not allowed obviously) with vehicles backing etc. and not a care as to the consequences. Never mind the flash - this is DANGEROUS!!

BTW I have colleagues who deliberately drive straight at them: since they are forbidden from being there it dosen't matter if they get out of the way in time or not (in their view). As for me, it depends on my mood as to how many fingers I raise to them.......

Which is different from when I'm driving trains - the flash effect is less dangerous since you can look away (or close eyes) momentarily which you dare not do on the road.

[Tubeboy]

I seem to play "no flash photography" pa's on a daily basis.

I remember once, I was observing the CCTV in the control room, the flash produced by a camera caused me to be temporarily blinded for a second or two.

[railtechnician]

rbruce1314 said:

You are lucky on the trains - what we have sometimes when we are driving an 'unusual' bus is photographers who step out into the middle of a bus station turning area (public not allowed obviously) with vehicles backing etc. and not a care as to the consequences. Never mind the flash - this is DANGEROUS!!

BTW I have colleagues who deliberately drive straight at them: since they are forbidden from being there it dosen't matter if they get out of the way in time or not (in their view). As for me, it depends on my mood as to how many fingers I raise to them.......

Which is different from when I'm driving trains - the flash effect is less dangerous since you can look away (or close eyes) momentarily which you dare not do on the road.

It doesn't have to be an unusual bus, as a bit of an anorak myself I will photograph any and all buses, commercials, cars and trains although I am more interested in street furniture, utilities and services.

I do agree that there are a lot of anoraks who are complete and utter t*ss*rs who will do anything for a picture including risking their own and others lives but quite honestly I don't blame them in today's Britain where law and order have broken down and respect is a word that means nothing to many.

Having said that bus drivers who deliberately drive at them, threaten or even stick two fingers up are not much better and the more responsible spotters amongst us have no compuction whatsover in reporting such behaviour to the appropriate authorities.

Basically I have little time for idiots on either side of the fence though I do understand the frustrations of a professional having to do a job on a daily basis and being harassed by flashers!

Brian

[Phil]

railtechnician said:

and the more responsible spotters amongst us

Key words - nobody has any problem with them

[North End]

rbruce1314 said:

BTW I have colleagues who deliberately drive straight at them: since they are forbidden from being there it dosen't matter if they get out of the way in time or not (in their view).

Shocking.

The difference is that bus drivers are paid, and are legally bound, to put safety before any other issue.

Any bus driver who even considers deliberately driving at anyone or anything should be out of the job IMMEDIATELY, no questions asked. Likewise, anyone who even begins to sympathise with such an attitude does not have the maturity to be allowed anywhere near a potential weapon of mass killing.

[Deleted]

As I drive buses as well, and ones of historical interest if i get the chance. My position is to be as helpfull as possible, within reason. I will slow or even stop the bus to facilitate picture taking if I can reasonably do so (having regard to traffic, passengers, timetable etc). Perhaps I am more sympathetic to such things as I take odd pictures of tubes and buses ! I had a number of photographers specifically thank me for this when driving on the recent heritage route running day on routes 9 & 15 (TfL) the other sunday.

It is another area, where officaldom gets ludicrously hot under the collar ! Numerous times I have seen a yellow hi-vis at Stratford Bus station go charging after someone in the bus station, who is on the "staff" pavements between the bus rows to order them out, whilst ignoring the general public walking / scateboarding in the roadway as a cut through ! Soft targets you see. One guy at Harrow asked me to leave the bus station as I took a picture of the bus I was driving, I asked him if he'd like me to take the bus with me, at which point he told me to be carefull and scuttled off sharpish !

rbruce1314 said:

As for me, it depends on my mood as to how many fingers I raise to them.......

Most unwise, you provide perfect undisputable evidence that will get sent straight to your managing director ! Current Bus Enthusiast policy is to send such pictures off and the feedback seems to be most, not quiet all, will act on it. If it's a TfL route, they can also be copied to TfL, who then require the bus company's report on what they have done about the complaint.

Naturally I am sure you are merely raising one or two fingers to indicate how late you are running ??

[Phil]

Ah - a hornet's nest!!! Should be in another board but never mind.

Comments about 'they shouldnot be driving buses' is relevant: the one or two concerned shouldn't be IMHO, but that's another story.......*

OTOH when you are pulling out of a busy 'pull forwards' (not 'parallel park') bus station (private property) watching carefully the other stands incase something else starts reversing, and some fool without any hivis steps straight in front of the bus without warning and then just stands there EXPECTING you to stop......I can see why those colleagues do it, even though I would never dream of it.

Next, if you read carefully, you will realize the number of fingers I personally raise at them is almost always zero.........( those who know me know how rare is is for me to have anything but a smile and a good mood). Unfortunately there is no smilie for 'tongue-firmly-in-cheek'

Not TfL here, and our primitives are a LOT more primitive than in the city - and if such a photo were to be sent to our MD (himself a bus enthusiast) thankfully his first reaction would be to take action to deal with the photographer for being in an unauthorized place.

Oh, and as for officials at bus stations, how we wish we could EVER see one, especially when there are problems..........

And I'm totally with Aspect: being photographed from any safe position doesn't bother me in the slightest - they can take as many as they like, as one guy did one Saturday morning. 3 hours in the same spot taking us (and the new Optare Solos) in and out on every round trip (45 mins).

But fortunately photography now works both ways. My most recent altercation with a motorist was with one who had driven the wrong way down a bus lane and had parked 'just for a couple of minutes' blocking the main bus route into Gloucester city. When he bad-mouthed me and told me to p*ss off I politely asked him how many points he already had on his licence - THEN pointed out the CCTV camera on the outside of the bus which had recorded him, his position and his vehicle number, not to mention his gesturing at me ( we don't do sound yet).

*Oh, and if the company name is 'Stagecoach' is it not entirely reasonable that at least some of the buses should be driven by cowboys.........??

[Deleted]

sydneynick said:

districtdave said:

Also so many cameras automatically slect flash and the user can do nothing to override it.

Just about every camera has an option to disable the flash. Whether the users know how to operate the option is another question....

You've hit the nail on the head there. There is almost always a flash "on", "off", and "auto" function on even the cheapest camera.

I always laugh at idiots using flash to take photos through glass!

[Dmitri]

stephenk said:

I always laugh at idiots using flash to take photos through glass!

It happened to me recently - I told the person trying to take photos through the bus window to turn the flash off THREE times in a row. She did not listen to me and got nothing except a huge glare (and I've got that and that).