Is it forbidden to take pictures OUTSIDE of the bank?

Complaints Corner
1
I just walked along the street with my phone in my hand and talked with my friend through the skype. I also was showing him how nice there are in the town through the video chat.

Suddenly some woman came out of some bank and said me that it is not allowed to take pictures or videos OUTSIDE the bank and I NEED TO SHOW HER MY FOLDER FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS, and if there are something about their bank she will call the police.

I could understand the claim not to take pictures when I am INSIDE of some building, which is not mine, but this...

Was this woman really right?

2
No, of course not.

3
I suspect your wrong, bank security have always come running if you tried to do an interview outside a bank.

In Switzerland people are entitled to privacy. You don't get a lot of Paparazzi here.

4
She watches too much movies. Ocean Eleven team has better things to do.

5
I can understand why someone working in a bank might not like you casing the joint

I don't know the law, but I doubt very much if the was right. You'd think there would be notices and things (like there are at customs and security in the airport).

I doubt even more whether she has any right at all to demand to inspect the contents of your phone or camera. Even the police would need a reason for that.

You should have called her bluff and told her she was free to call the police. Could she bring you a cup of tea while you wait?

6
Never heard of such things happening here, the UK yes, but not here.

I would have simply called her bluff and asked her to call the police and said that I would comply with any requests the police make. The woman has absolutely no authority to view the pictures, or ask for any to be deleted.

Despite being a bit of a photographer here, I really don't know how the law lies in cases other than "recht am eigene Bild" (right to your own image), and know more about UK law in such matters.

It'd be helpful if someone who is a pro photographer/flimmaker could clarify the law in Switzerland

7

In Fribourg? Which bank, out of interest?

If it's the UBS, everyone knows the best way in is through the Wall St. Inst. upstairs anyway .

8
Ever heard of the swiss bank secret ?

9
Slow news Monday folks?

10
If it was the Seamen's Institute Sperm bank, they may be worried about paternity suits.

11
Thank you a lot for your answers.

especially I want to thank k_and_e, Nil, mirfield and Slaphead for cheering up. I really became to feel like in prison after this incident.

Yeah, it was in Fribourg near a Raiffeissen bank

12
There was trouble with police who thought people could not record certain things in public places, but most cases it turned out the police officer/security guard was in the wrong.

Met Pol policy of photography in public places .

Other website on the matter

13
yeah, probably in this case I would have understood them

14
a few years ago I had the pleasure of watching from my office window as police cordoned off the intersection, and then waited as the nice little police robot was called in to investigate a suspicious package(briefcase) left on the corner outside a branch of the UBS.

eventually they blew the thing up... papers and the poor guys lunch flying everywhere... I hope he didn't have to give a presentation that day.

so ya, bank security, especially round this neck of the woods, is pretty tight.

15
Imagine if that would have been 100 dollar bills flying?

16
People would have laughed, as that stuff isn't worth very much these days...

17
I worked a security personal for the Jewish community in Zürich between 2007 - 2009 and we had instructions to question every men or woman who took pictures or video of the building. This was only to show the intelligence gatherer that someone was watching him as well. The Jewish community building was not manned 24h a day so at any time the building was closed people could photograph the building without disturbance. Off course we, as security personal, had no right to demand or see pictures that were taken in the street, that's public area and people can do whatever they want there...

The woman was bluffing and was full of it.... Next time someone does some kind of trick on you call the police and file an harassment complaint against who ever is bugging you.

18
Is that the place on Löwenstrasse? I can imagine a lot of tourists take pictures of it as it's an unusual building.

19
My wife works in the same building complex/quadrant as the SNB, where the countries gold reserve is held, in Bern.

I had to drive through security gates into the inner courtyard, one time, to pick up something big and heavy for her ...... it was probably quite shrewd of me NOT to get my phone out, as there were cameras everywhere - and I was only through the first level.

20
The Synagogue is situated on Löwenstrasse, the community building is on Lavaterstrasse...