Please remove your helmet....

Usual request, this time in Blockbuster. From a young female droid I've
not seen before.

OK, so it's a polite request, and you comply. And innocently asked:
"Why?"

"Safety reasons..."

Now maybe I'm getting over-irritatred by our H&S Looney atb work, bt I
asked for more details.

"Well, we've ot lots of children in here....."

'Yes. And?'

"Well, it's safety."

'You have CCTV here, right?'

"Yes."

'So the real reason is that you want to film me.'

She acknowledged that this was so. I then pointed out I had no problem
with removing my helmet if asked, but I *did* object to being
bullshitted and (effectively) lied to.

And she got all arsey.

Oh well, I'll have my cash back and dig out a film from my own
collection tonight.

OK, perhaps I'm being petty. It's not the action I object to, but the
lies fed to me in order to make me comply.

Am I right in thinking that under the DPA, I can ask for a copy of the
CCTV footage?

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, The Older Gentleman amazed us all with this pearl
of wisdom:

I used to hate it when I went into places and they'd ask (tell) you to
take it off.

"For security reasons", yeah right.

You could probably get a couple.

 

"Sorry love, I can't. Witness Protection Scheme" worked for me once.

 

message

Yes, but you have to have it back within two nights or they'll charge you
extra.

 

I agree. I was asked to remove my helmet at the local petrol station (at
work) last year, was told it was because youths on scooters have a habit
of leaving without paying. Says her to a 40 year old on a 1200cc tourer.

I wouldn't have minded, but I popped across a week or so later (for some
sarnies), and saw two youths on a scooter, and they got served without
being asked to remove their helmets.

I never filled up there again.

That could be the case. I'll bet you find they didn't record that
particular visit, or the tape was defective. That would be in keeping
with their level of bull-shit anyway.

 

I think you are correct [1]. There should even be a nice notice advising
you of that fact. We've just had to put them in all tube stations or
else we were not compliant with the act.

[1] certainly applies to tube stations which you can term public places
I suppose. Not entirely sure about a shop which is private property.
This page seems appropriate

http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=5739

 

LOL! You would get away with that.

 

lol, just what our transport services need, queues of grumpy old
pedants demanding any video fortage of them captured on CCTV.

 

That's good.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

Once upon an age ago I quite literally beat the **** out of a soldier
who'd shagged my ex while I was living with her. I did the heinous deed
on the forecourt of a large BP petrol station on the outskirts of
Bedford, a forecourt that I quite regularly filled my van at and which
was covered by CCTV. I knew the regular staff there very well as I
filled up almost every day.

I went back the next day to ask for a copy of the tape using the DPA as
an excuse. The regular evening shift girl said that there wasn't a tape
available because when the soldier had gone inside for help and to get
cleaned up he was questioned why I'd gone so medieval on his donkey. He
told them straight what he'd been up to with my ex and that was why he'd
got a kicking, and they instantly felt sorry for me as I'd always been
very pleasant to them, so they erased the tape of all evidence.

It pays to be nice to folk, not nice to fucking soldiers though.

 

Yeah, can you imagine some gum chewing 'Vicky Pollard' type staring
blankly at TOG and saying.

"I ain't bovvered, I can stand 'ere all day and still get paid. The
people behind you in the queue on the uver 'and are looking a bit
fucked off"

 

<snip>

I recently went in to my localish filling station [1] and they did ask
me to take my lid off. Now I have been going there for years, have never
robbed them, but was told 'it's policy now, but we'll let you off, 'cos
we can see your face and we know you...
Just as well, 'cos the Asda and Sainsbury's up the road DGAF about lids
on.
It particularly pisses me of 'cos I wear specs, and juggling
helmet/gloves/specs/money in a queue is a pain in the arse.

 

I always remove my (full-face) lid before going into any
shop/bank/off-licence/petrol-station. It's basic good manners as far as
I'm concerned.

 

Had the weird request to remove the bloomin' jacket [1] at a pub [2] a few weeks
ago. I'd literally just walked in, found the table where my chums [3] were and
was in the process of positioning a chair so's I could (a) put the jacket on the
back, and (b) stick me lid underneath when a member of staff wandered over and
told me that I'd have to take the jacket off.

When I queried this with the manager, I got a bit of a spiel about how it's
company policy etc etc. Highly odd, if you ask me. Discrimination against
40+yr old burds on bikes. I shall write a letter to the W.I. advising the
ladies of the biking section to avoid this establishment )

[1] Helmet was already off, jacket's a textile Scott jacket, all black and no
leery patches etc.
[2} The Elusive Camel, Victoria
[3] All non bike riding girlies from various offices, and dressed in normal
office type attire.

 

Something very similar happened to me a few years ago. The manager was
impressed when the 12-or-so of us walked out en masse.

 

I must admit, if I'm going into a shop I'll normally take the thing off,
if only not to get too hot. Getting fuel is a different matter, IMHO.
Next time I get asked though, I shall attempt to take as long as I need
to remove and refit all the garments I have.

 

I'm not trolling, just genuinely interested.

Why beat him up? What did he do** that any*** man wouldn't do?

If you don't want to answer fair enough, but this question always
gascinates me, and I always assume the real answer is "because blaming
her is going to be too complicated and messy"

** he, after all, never made any promises of fidelity to you

*** any = some large percentage, say 95%, whether we will admit it in
public or not.

 

"Sorry love, I can't; armed robbery in progress", usually works too.

 

**** that, I always keep it on, even if it says on the door.

 

The Older Gentleman fumbled, fiddled and fingered:

<snip>

My bank has "remove your helmet" stickers on the doors, does'nt seem to
apply to the security guards delivering/collecting cash though.

"Safety reasons..." I guess


--
Steve Parry
K100RS SE & F650
and a 520i SE Touring for comfort

(not forgetting the SK90PY)

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk