Coffee, Castle and Confrontation

Did you know that before you can take a photograph in Princes Street and there happens to be a shop window in the shot, you have to get permission from the shop owner first?

And that if you don't one of their security people will tell you to stop and that he can ask you to delete any images?

And that if there are any people in them then that breaches the Data Protection Act too?

Of course you didn't! Because it's all rubbish.

But it didn't stop the man from the Zara store trying it on. He even went to pretend to call the Police, when I didn't agree with him. I mean did he really expect every tourist in Edinburgh to get written permission from every shop owner before they went snap-happy on our nation's most famous street?

As it was, it all turned out fine. He seemed to calm down after his "phone call" and tried to explain that it was just company policy, nothing personal mate.

Obviously then their company policy stinks. Not only that they are putting their employees in a very difficult position - in that they expect them to go out onto the street and challenge members of the public going about their lawful business but they do so without the proper training in how to speak to people or without a basic grasp of what is and what is not allowed.

As it was I much preferred this shot anyway.