How do u react if someone's wants to whack u even though u nvr take his photo?

[seiji87]

erm, title a bit brief, so i post here..

My question is, how do u react if someone threaten u with body harm and keeps confronting you even though u already showed them proof that u didnt take their photos whne u take street photography?

(imagine u just panning on the street for photographs, but didnt take any photos, but someone comes up to u and confronts u in angry tone, and keeps confronting u and threatens body harm even if you have showed them proof that u didnt take his/her photos.)

this is posted, so as to let fellow photographers share their experiences in encountering these situations and to let other fellow photographers like myself know how they diffuse the situation.. As i havent encountered this sort of situation but saw and heard for myself. If there is old thread like this, i apologize..

*Thanks to Rashkae and rphotograhy for their inputs in the "do u get scolded on the street doing street photog.

what Rashkae wrote: Smile and ignore him. If he touches me, I subdue him. Then I call the cops and have him arrested

What Rphotography wrote: i never liked violence. but if tat guy turns violent, first instinct is to protect my cam. zhao if i hv to. lastly hoot him back if he manages to land a punch. then i wldnt be charged ba?

please do give ur valuable inputs!! Thanks!

 

[denniskee]

i suggestion, smile and walk away. if need be, shout for help or police. if still cant improve the situation, time to really call 999 liao.

 

[henrii88tay]

best way is point and shot:bsmilie:

 

[ManWearPants]

Some bloke tried to run me down once. But that was because I took his photo without caring if he approves or not. There will always be arseholes and madman around. You'll wouldn't know when they'll bite. As a first reaction, always try to walk away or risk damaging your gears. If all else fails, all I can say is if you are NS trained, always be operational ready.

 

[Kit]

You are the one holding the cam (read weapon), go figure...

 

[ShadowWarrior]

Happened to me twice. One was at fort canning a few years ago and the second was somewhere last year. But the one at fort canning almost turn violent since I stand my ground as I've done nothing wrong and my first instinct was to use the camera as a defensive tool. To think back about that incident, I should had just run like the wind and avoid a confrontation since the guys were quite a few distance away from me.

And for last year incident, A guy approached me and asked me what I'm doing taking photos and for what. I just told him that I'm simply taking photos just for fun and then I asked him back..."Why?...anything wrong?". He said.."nothing" and walk away and me too walk away from the area since I don't want the guy to come back with a few of his kaki's. Just to be safe.

But the best remedy to this kind of sticky situation is just to walk away but while doing that, just watch your back or you can simply call the cops immediately if you think that it could turn ugly.. If it turns ugly and you got punched with just minor bruises and cuts, the police aren't able to arrest the assailant since it's considered as voluntarily causing hurt which is a non-seizable offence.

 

[Legoz]

One of the main contributing cause must be STOMP.
Everyone is paranoid that they would get onto STOMP for the wrong reason.

In any case, most situations can be diffused if everyone keeps a level head. =)

 

[seiji87]

I suppose, since i started the thread.. i have to share also.

A few years back, i was doing street photog. somewhere (but i cannot remember the place) there was this guy also doing street photog infront of me too. I took a break from panning for photos and i looked at him. He was panning for photos, turning his camera here and there looking for a nice photo, when this guy walks up to him and confronts him.

The guy was shouting angryily at him while hurling obscenties. the photog immediately, as i saw, walked up to him and apologize while showing the guy his camera. I believe the photog was trying to tell him he didnt take his photos and asking him politely to check.

photog guy: "i didnt take ur photos.. here i showed u"
and the photog guy showed him,
but the guy said, "i dun care, how would i know if u change the memory card?"
and the photog guy apologize, but the guy started and kept threatening body harm and shouting, until another guy came into the picture and diffuse the situation..

the guy before he walked off, turned to the photog and shouted at him loudly, "next time watch where you're pointing the camera, and i dun care if u got take or not, coz even if u show me, i will personally break ur fingers or limbs if i see u again, for taking my photos."

And thats the reason why i started this thread, coz the photog guy was really polite and didnt raise his voice, keeping his voice level, but the other guy was like ;(.. And thats the reason why this thread is started, to know how others diffuse the situation like the guy who managed to do it between the photog guy and the ;( man..

If i have a chance, i want to meet the guy who diffused the situation and learn from him how he did it.:bsmilie:

(I remember the exact convo between the two guys and the ;( man's face, coz after that incident, i stopped doing street photog and all types of photography for at least a year coz i was only like sec 1 or 2, damn small size..) anyway, i hope the mad man didnt see me.. or else i jia lak.. even though i wasnt involved..

 

[coinfucious888]

Here is an "untested" solution to diffuse this sort of an ugly confrontation.

Make a few bogus name cards on your puter that identifies you as talent scout/agent.

When confronted, maintain your cool and calmly explain you are commissioned to look for an ideal street setting for a big budget movie and in your opinion the neighbourhood you are now looking at may fit the bill.

Tell him you are also looking for local "extras" to give the movie authencity and would he be interested.

When he has swallowed it hook,line & sinker......RUN

 

[adamadam]

The guy whack me, I just kept walking.
I was only holding my camera in my hand, and shooting film (so can't "prove" that I didn't photo him).

most likely not the reason why he whack me..

But I think he'll get constipation tonight.

 

[rgy1993]

i think being 6ft 1 and "bulky" helps hahah
ive had a few instances of people giving me funny looks but then i just smile and usually they go away...

 

[Sham K]

I don't think that one has to prove to anyone that he/she did not take a shot of the latter. However, for the sake of avoiding a confrontation, one can choose to show the shots that he/she has taken. In spite of that, if a member of the public is hurling threats and abuses at the photographer, don't argue (arguing never really helps in such cases) just whip out your mobile and call 999 because threatening with bodily harm is an offence under the Penal Code and let the law take its course.

 

[Fallenphoenix]

I don't think that one has to prove to anyone that he/she did not take a shot of the latter. However, for the sake of avoiding a confrontation, one can choose to show the shots that he/she has taken. In spite of that, if a member of the public is hurling threats and abuses at the photographer, don't argue (arguing never really helps in such cases) just whip out your mobile and call 999 because threatening with bodily harm is an offence under the Penal Code and let the law take its course.

I agree....just ask him to hold on and tell him that u're calling the police to settle his unhappiness (as long u're not shooting in private property, u're find.). I think I'll do that in future too~

I encountered several cases...It helps if u gym up abit~~ I'm small but bodybuilder built. There were several similar instances that people confronted me... I looked pissed when they became hostile, and they walked away after that. Nonetheless, I guess any troublemakers will go away at the instance that u're consulting the police...if u're not doing anything illegal.

 

[airforce1]

Best is to leave the place. Sometimes trying to prove your point does not work in angry situation. An angry man cannot see the picture clearly because his main focus is to attack you verbally.

 

[aspenx]

Calling the police is the best idea.

But I voted for "dont do anything! run like crazy with ur equipment!!". Don't want to waste my time with unreasonable people. So far, I have yet to end up in such a situation.

 

[kingfishers]

Don't even border and walk away

 

[denniskee]

I agree....just ask him to hold on and tell him that u're calling the police to settle his unhappiness (as long u're not shooting in private property, u're find.). I think I'll do that in future too~

?? police dont handle assualt happened in private property??:bigeyes::bigeyes:

 

[seng44]

?? police dont handle assualt happened in private property??:bigeyes::bigeyes:

What he meant is that if you are shooting in private property. Cause you are wrong in the first place, shooting without permission.

 

[kkenji]

i wouldnt wanna use my cam as a defensive tool..i'll prob get a heart attack seeing the body being smashed up or what..

i dont know about you guys, but i put the safety of my cam above myself..

if such a situation do happens and things cant be resolved in a civilized manner and it starts to turn violent, only thing i can think of........RUNNNNNNNNNNNN...

lets say if he does hit, depending on my mood, may not retaliate, just call the cops and in the meantime try to snap a pic of his face with the phone or something just in case he scoots last minute.

if im not wrong if one gets hits 1st without any provocation or retaliation, the person who assulted you can be hualed to court right ?

 

[Interception7]

interesting topic here.

i havent kena before, but if i do, i rather call the police. no point wasting time arguing abt it. and if he ever held his touch on myself, i would just stand my ground, and wait for the police and shout for help..

i think the reason why this people think you are taking their picture, is because they see things differently. i mean like, i give you an example.

you are in the bus, then you felt uneasy because the driver kept staring at you via the rear view mirror.. then you go confront the driver(i knw, sounds ridiculous).. but if you yourself look at the mirror, the driver was looking at the back instead of you.. so i guess this is the reason?