Calming down by maggiemae

Calming down

with this sweet statue, one of many in Barcelona seen from a bus. Later we were sitting at a pavement cafe eating tapas and I put my camera up to take a picture of the crescent moon. There was a n English guy sitting over yonder who gestured to me. I gestured back and then he strode over to me and grabbed my camera and deleted 6 photos I had taken!! I said you can't do that - you are in a public place and I can take photos. He replied,'"no you can't, I'm a photographer" I then said so am I to which he replied - 'you can't be a photographer with a camera like that!"! Wild - thats me - and astounded!

Three good things:
1. Saw him later down the street canoodling with the girl he had with him and John marched up to him and said, "Don't you EVER tamper with my wife's camera again!" My hero!
2. The girlfriend was apologising all the time
3. Tapas on a warm summery evening.
Oh, my God, the nerve!!! I would have headed straight for the groin with my knee! What a jerk!! Yes, my policy is that if you are doing something in a public place you cannot complain about being in anyone's picture, AND, you have absolutely NO right to touch somebody else's property! I hope you pointed the camera straight to his face, and snapped!
Oh, and with an attitude like that the girlfriend will not last....and, she will not be the first or the last one!
August 30th, 2014  
Oh what a tosser, good for you and Johns for sticking up for your selves..
August 30th, 2014  
@panthora Actually, I did just that - but unfortunately being night and not a still camera, it didn't come out - he wouldn't know that!
August 30th, 2014  
a tosser indeed - I love this statue
August 30th, 2014  
nothing wrong with this
August 30th, 2014  
A dropkick! However I can imagine how made that made you. I hope you enjoyed your tapas.
August 30th, 2014  
incredible! Poor girlfriend.
August 30th, 2014  
No accounting for some people! Hope you enjoyed the rest of your evening.
August 30th, 2014  
what a loser.
August 30th, 2014  
Fabulous shot here ! That guy had unbelievable nerve!
August 30th, 2014  
@grammyn Nice to see your comment Katy! Hope you are all calmed down optically now!
August 30th, 2014  
What a creep - appalling behavior. Love the shot, and especially the splash of water.
August 30th, 2014  
Cheeky sod I'd of been horrified. Nice shot though, nice detail in the water
August 30th, 2014  
@jantan I think he would only be about 23years old, Jan - John told him to stop acting like a child!
August 30th, 2014  
@wearing0 I normally wear the camera strap around my neck, Debi - that would have stopped him - or throttled me!
August 30th, 2014  
Oh wow! That's awful! Great shot though
August 30th, 2014  
Great splash! Too bad about your encounter with the mad photographer.
August 30th, 2014  
Bloody cheek he had not all us Brit's behave like that ,wonder what he had to hide ?
I do like this statue and water shot .
August 30th, 2014  
Nicely composed! Pretty statue! I like how the water sprays around it.
August 30th, 2014  
@philcameron59 Do you think he had a wife stashed away and was scared I would post this on FB!!
August 30th, 2014  
Oh my goodness - I hope she dumps him! What a nerve - I'd have been furious too. Love your photo - very calming!!
August 30th, 2014  
What an arse! Lovely shot
August 30th, 2014  
bloody hell! i would go beserk if someone takes my camera and deletes my photos! he is probably playing the girl along with others, and yes, afraid his photo gets posted on fb. what a creep! glad you're okay though. and still got a pretty pic.
August 30th, 2014  
@claireuk I love all these words, ...arse...tosser...sod..jerk...yes, all them!
August 30th, 2014  
@summerfield Thanks Vikki - the statue looks so peaceful as if she is thinking upon the sad state of society but really doesn't know how to handle it - no brains, probably!
August 30th, 2014  
wow, I would be shaken, were you? How dare! I hope no one will delete this motionless lady.
August 30th, 2014  
I am so shocked!!!! He grabbed your camera and deleted the pics? What a jerk! And that snobby camera comment! Oh my... Was he in a clandestine meeting with a mistress ?
August 30th, 2014  
@espyetta Exactly as I thought, MaryBeth! 'snobby camera comment" I thought afterwards I could say, "I can do more with my camera than you can do with your small boy bits"!
August 30th, 2014  
@yaorenliu She's been here for centuries probably Yao! No worries about photographers taking photos of her wonderful figure!
August 30th, 2014  
What a horrible bully !! -- makes you wonder if he was canoodling with someone else's wife or something !!!!! A lovely statue image !
August 30th, 2014  
@beryl She didn't look old enough to be anyone's wife, Beryl. I suspect it was he who had a wife!
August 30th, 2014  
Oh how I'd love to get my hands on him. What a bullying ignoramus! Good for your heroic husband! Love this shot!
August 30th, 2014  
Love the photo, What a great husband.
August 30th, 2014  
This is such a great shot, love the detail!!
August 31st, 2014  
i would have wanted to slap him hard across the face. In Canada, and I think in other places too (but not sure about Spain) the law is that you can photograph anything or anyone you can see while you are standing on public property, even if what you are taking is not on public property. Good for John for standing up for you. Lovely picture by the way. But I am still fuming over your experience. What a complete jerk.
August 31st, 2014  
Wonderful photo with great composition. That man was terrible. I would have been really upset if someone had done that to me. I am glad he did not hurt your camera or you. I am also glad that your husband stood up for you.
August 31st, 2014  
Love the photo, hate the boor who accosted your camera. How dare him!
August 31st, 2014  
Bev
Great shot, Maggie. . . . That was so off the wall for that guy to do what he did. Very uncalled for. You should have shot a candid of him and posted it here to just to spite him. He shouldn't have even touched your camera. That's insane. Glad your hubby spoke up to him. Sounds like a jerk and bully.
August 31st, 2014  
Sounds like he had lost the plot a little - hope it didn't spoil your day too much. Such a beautiful statue - and fountain.
August 31st, 2014  
@sansjuan Love your words, Nita, thanks!
August 31st, 2014  
What a strange encounter! I can't say if he was right or wrong. Probably it depends on what sort of photos you were taking and in which place. Love your hero for his stand. A gorgeous capture of this lovely fountain.
August 31st, 2014  
This is a great shot, Maggiemae. Wow, I have never heard of something like that happening. The nerve of him to take your camera and delete photos you had taken. If he was that unhappy about it, he could have moved or told you so and asked you to delete them yourself. So glad that John stood up to him when you saw him later. Yum, sounds like you are having some very delicious food.
August 31st, 2014  
Oh my I missed this yesterday......what drama & what unspeakable behaviour..English too how shame making!! Love your your phrase ' small boy bits' that is exactly why these inadequate men shout off , the only way to show that they are in charge...the girl friend is in for a shock!
You should have asked to see hi photos, bet they weren't a patch on yours!!
Camera snobbery is the worst thing....twat!
That incident would have spoilt my whole day....similar to the Hoola Hoop incident with me!
John was a hero!
August 31st, 2014  
Btw forgot about your photo in my indignation, beautiful serene lady ..she could teach a few lessons to some!
August 31st, 2014  
@happypat Thanks Pat - your indignation is thankfully received!
August 31st, 2014  
@maggiemae another thought , I had my pictures deleted by a guy at Buckingham Palace once .......perfectly in order because you weren't allowed & I was taking them in secret. I still remember that encounter vividly & cringe every time I think of it. He was perfectly in order to do that but I was mortified !
August 31st, 2014  
@happypat Oh dear - I would cringe too! In Scotland we were told, no photos at the Munro Castle but John took a video from under his arm. Didn't turn out very well - most things had the top half missing!
August 31st, 2014  
Great capture of the water movement here. Can you believe that guy? What a cheek. I guess there are people like that everywhere.
August 31st, 2014  
Wow, some nerve and then to make such a comment. I would have taken a few more for sure
August 31st, 2014  
Well I know you appreciate that people don't swear on hear but what a !!!!!!!!!! Maybe he's married to somebody else - showed his true colours to his girlfriend though - I would be off like a shot if I were her. What an elegant photo here though.
August 31st, 2014  
@judithg In some cases, Judith, I wouldn't mind a swear word but then on reflection he was very young!
August 31st, 2014  
Oh heavens! What a horrible experience! Good for John!
August 31st, 2014  
Lovely image....and I LOVE your story!!!! So happy that it didn't end up on the headlines though. Good for John, BTW!! This will at least always be a great story for you to tell.
September 1st, 2014  
Wow- that's all I can say- wow! Oh, and Yay John!!
September 1st, 2014  
Wow, what nerve! Hope it didn't spoil your night. Sometimes it's hard to let these events go. Glad the camera and yourselves were not harmed.
September 4th, 2014  
@lesip Yes, it could have been worse! Mind you if he had thrown the camera on the ground or something like that, John would have thumped him!
September 5th, 2014  
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