Paedophiles, Paranoia and Hysteria

I have almost completed a full 30 days of Blipping so it was inevitable that I should come up against some irritatingly stupid hysteria and paranoia at some point. I just wasn't quite ready to be called a paedophile before I had even got my camera out of my bag.

Today we visited the Soft Play at Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool, which after 2 years of Refurbishment and £37 Million is a major disappointment (indecently this is something I had decided on before the incident I now describe). My wife and I had been playing with Toddler E in the soft play for a while and he was loving it, having seen the look on his face and already missed a few good Blip opportunities I decided to go to the car and get my camera.

I had read the notice on the table, that said it was fine to take photos, but check with staff, I had also witnessed several mothers taking photos with their phones, so could see no issue. Proceeding to the gate, car key in hand, I said to the young girl standing guard, That I was just nipping out to the car to get my Camera to take some photos of my son.

Well if looks could kill, I stood there for what felt that 10 minutes, while she looked me up and down, "Is there someone else with your child?" she snapped, "emm, yes my wife is looking after him." another 30 seconds of staring, later, "emm well" and the gate opens, "you can only take photos in the little section at the end were we can see you and only if there is no other children anywhere near it." She is pointing out a small section in in older children's play area containing wobble board, which is infested with children.

I'm sorry I only want to take some photos of my child playing, is there a problem with that. Apparently there is "other people do not want photos taken of there kids", Indeed and I don't want to take photos of their kids only my own son, so long as your sensible I dont see why that's an issue? "Well they could be in the background", I mention depth of field but don't bother to waist my breath explaining it as it is clear she is not in the lest bit interested, in fact it is clear that she views me as a piece of scum not worthy of her attention.

She repeats that I can take a photo in this small inappropriate section and only there if there are no other children near as this is the only area they can supervise (and I need supervised to take a photo). As I reiterate that I find that ridiculous she says the most unbelievable things:

"Well, there are Paedophiles don't you know"

I reply "Indeed there are, are you calling me a Paedophile?"

"Well no, but you just dont know, do you"

"So you are saying that I can not take photos of my own son because I might be a Paedophile?"

"Well you might ........ Look the policy is you can only take photos over there that's it."

At this point I walk away before I explode, I have stayed very calm and professional until know and I don't want to wreck my wife and sons day, despite the feeling of seething rage and sadness that I am not able to record my own son having fun because of some jumped up little X$%%$£ and some overly paranoid "policy".

It is worth noting that I am not even in possession of my camera at this point. As I sit and breath deeply watching my wife and son play I count 5 parents taking photos of kids, (appearing to pay no attention to other peoples kids in the background) with Camera Phones.

Before we leave my wife takes toddler E to change his nappie, whilst she is doing this most of the other parents form our one hour session have left. The only people remaining are from a private party. One mother produces a Nikon DLSR from her bag and starts taking photos of the kids at this party who are continuing to play in the soft play. At first she was completely unchallenged and I watched with interest, the same member of staff, stood and watched the woman taking photos, it was only when she looked over and saw me, realising that I was still in the facility that she ran over and stopped the woman.

When I spoke to the woman after she was also more than a little angry at how she had just been spoken to and the fact that she was being prevented for taking photos at her own child's party, when I asked if she too had been called a Paedophile for wanting to take photos of her child her response was "yes pretty much" We chatted for a few minutes about how ridiculous it was and how impolite the staff member had been, before she too went off to calm down

So despite what they say one their own website here http://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/detail-140 and to the press here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5918526/Grandmother-banned-from-taking-photos-of-her-grandchildren.html it seams Edinburgh Leisure have decided that photography of children IS Paedophilia and that only Paedophiles take photos of their OWN kids.

I am temped to write to them about this and the catering (also poor) but feel a public rant well likely do as much good.