Harrassed by Garda taking a photo

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716679#Comment_119716679

What do you think of the OP claiming they were harassed by the Garda?

Does that make them a snowflake?

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716688#Comment_119716688

Yeah completly and utterly actually.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716679#Comment_119716679

Hiding behind the “it’s legal” is nonsense. He was being a nuisance and being antagonistic.. and then he comes on moaning about it

El Tarangu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119712788#Comment_119712788

If you took a photo of friends/family in public park (for example), and I happened to be wandering around in the vicinity, would you accede to my request to demand to see your phone so that the photos could be deleted, or would you tell me to go and swivel?

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716712#Comment_119716712

He wasnt being antagonistic. He has a right to take a photo of anybody in a PUBLIC place. Legality aside. Common sense. PUBLIC place vs right to privacy. Hmm. I do agree about the moaning though , in no way was he harrased.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716717#Comment_119716717

It’s the complete opposite of common sense, as well as a lack of manners to be taking photos of people in public places the way he was.

some stranger takes a deliberate foto of me, or my children in a public place and he/she is being challenged, and go t fcuk with any legal gick

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716725#Comment_119716725

Hard man eh?

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716737#Comment_119716737

No. Not a hard man. What a stupid response.

I’m walking in a public place and a stranger comes up to me and takes my foto, and I challenge him on this. And you come back with your gick

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716739#Comment_119716739

How you going to challenge him? He has the law on his side. You have nothing on yours.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716748#Comment_119716748

Another incredibly stupid response.

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716754#Comment_119716754

Ah yes I think when you have nothing to say you have lost the argument. Well done.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716757#Comment_119716757

You lost the argument with your “hard man” crap.

triddles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716762#Comment_119716762

You were the one acting the hard man. Let it be known publicly for all to see , you had no answer to "How you going to challenge him? He has the law on his side. You have nothing on yours." I bid you adieu.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716771#Comment_119716771

You’re on a roll of stupidness!

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716713#Comment_119716713

If someone has their DSLR out and it's fairly obvious they are trying to take a posed photo of family/friends it's abit of a d!CK move to be prancing around in the background so in that instance I wouldn't no.

However if you spotted me taking a picture of you as the sole subject of the photo and you challenged me then yes I would.

Though tbh I've never taken pictures of any strangers in public. Whether I have the legal right to or not.

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058266414/harrassed-by-garda-taking-a-photo

That's what you call "being harassed" .

If that experience left you very intimidated, I bet there are ways how to get help...and don't forget to record all of it.

Public "have a right" to know all of it.

riffmongous

Interesting how little comment there is on the fact the Guard directly lied to the OP twice (you can't even pretend he did it unknowingly since he didn't challenge the OP at all on it).

tayto lover

If I was on the street and some complete stranger pulled out his phone/camera whatever and took my photo I certainly wouldn’t like it and he’d be lucky to have it intact when he got home. It’s a scummy thing to do.

chewed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717209#Comment_119717209

It's hard to believe this thread is part of the Photography forum. Has no one here ever looked at street photography photos? Or taken a photo with strangers in it (maybe not intentionally)? Many of them are candid shots of people going about their business. Using the word "scummy" is way over the top here.

I didn't come on here to moan. I was lied to twice by a Gard and asked 2 simple questions to ensure I was right in my answers back to him.

The DayDream

Friend of mine did the exact same thing when walking home, because the gardai were slamming the drunk/homeless man up and down on the footpath.

The gardai approached him similarly, he put his phone away but was rugby tackled and handcuffed. Brought to the station where they dragged him along the ground and slammed him up and down on the floor while handcuffed. Left him in the cell for the night and then charged with public order offense in the morning. He fought it in court, the judge took the gardai's side and fined him 300 euro.

So I wouldn't be crying over a few dirty looks. They absolutely hate being photographed or video'd though IMO should all have to wear body cams anyway.

And while it's true they should have zero expectation of privacy in public, if they decide to act in the manner in OP or in the case above, good luck fighting it. They get away with a lot.

One last thing: his card was marked after that they stopped him several times afterwards walking home at night to harass him.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717222#Comment_119717222

I would never dream of taking out my camera/phone and pointing it at a complete stranger doing their job without asking them first. These people were working, not entertaining on the street. Totally scummy thing to do.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717222#Comment_119717222

You weren’t innocently taking street fotos, or were you?

I interpreted it that you went out of your way to target gardai by deliberately photographing them in the course of their duty.

They reacted, as pretty much most people would, yet you’re throwing out the “I did nothing illegal” nonsense, so this means they had to just grin and bear it? Utter nonsense. You were being a nuisance here, and as well as that, any persons could well have viewed your actions as deliberately hostile and intimidatory; so your nothing illegal angle here is bull.

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717196#Comment_119717196

It could be just because any muppet these days is gonna take a shot or a video of you, post it online without any context of to what you were actually doing, than add up some bs on the top of it and before you know you'll be all over the News...

Well that's the way I see it.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119716580#Comment_119716580

What is 'suspicious' about taking photographs or video of a public incident like this please?

cnocbui

An expectation of a right to privacy in a public place - only in Ireland...

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717333#Comment_119717333

This is exactly the obtuse nonsense view here. Trying to lump in all examples as being the same. The OP here was being a nuisance. It’s not even about anyone’s right to privacy.

It’s about common courtesy, decency and respect. Most people don’t go around targeting others to video or photograph in order to satisfy whatever agenda is going on in their heads.

And the vast majority people would absolutely not want themselves being deliberately videoed or photographed by strangers. And hiding behind the stranger “is doing nothing illegal” only highlights an ignorance of the bigger picture, pardon the pun.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717333#Comment_119717333

An expectation that the Gardai would leave a busybody unobserved after he (or she) is seen behaving in a suspicious manner - only in Ireland!

Tell you what, bozo, next time you're strolling on the public highway past a halting site, or sauntering down the Boardwalk watching the druggies, just whip out your camera and take a few snaps Then come back here and let us know what happens next. (Probably worth making sure that your medical insurance is up to date first. And probably advisable to wear a pair of tight jocks in order to ensure that your camera isn't inserted somewhere uncomfortable!)

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119712814#Comment_119712814

That's different, a Garda or any public servant going about their job in a public place can and should expect interaction with the public that the majority of people wouldn't have to, Garda should be more up to date on the laws regarding photography in public places, I expect the guard knew this but chanced his arm anyway

pgj2015

The laws should be changed so that you cant take photos of people doing their jobs in public or of people who aren't doing anything illegal.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717222#Comment_119717222

Many people take photographs. The take generic photographs of a crowd scene at a match or of people listening to a busker on the street

If you take a direct photograph of an individual for no reason, whether it's the fat lady walking the dog or the lad stumbling after a few pints then there is an invasion of privacy.

I have a huge issue with the thinking that people are entitled to take photographs of people who have to work.in a public place whether it's a parking warden, a TV licience inspector, a clamper or a Garda etc.

Most people taking these photos are doing so with phones and I tend to publish on social media. These people have rights that there jobs will not follow them around when they are not working

If you intended to use those photos on social media, the Garda had every right to challenge you over it. He just used the wrong terminology . He should have warned you that you had personal data belong to him and he did not want it posted on social media.

Most idiots think they have no responsibility after taking a photo, they are not in charge of data and are responsible for what happens to that data.

The question is why did you take the photograph and what was your plan to do with it.

Was it to sell it to a newspaper fair enough and if the published it then it's there responsibility

Was it to make a complaint to the Garda ombudsman or a senior Garda officer?

Or was you intention to publish on social media?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717329#Comment_119717329

This is becoming more and more of an issue. People post the picture of the fat lady with a comment or the person a bit tipsy. It was Nomai Campbell I think that won damages against a newspaper because they photographed her entering a drink/ drugs rehabilitation meeting.

No worker carrying out there job should be photographed where the dole intention is to intimidate them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717333#Comment_119717333

There is right to privacy and not to be harassed or intimidated especially if you are going about your job