Although this was a the beginning of the year, they may still have extra security procedures in place ..... or are just plain angsthäsen and still paranoid.
But in a public area, I assume that even if you are a security person, there's no law against you asking to see pictures or videos. Or asking people to stop taking shots. Or even telling them (untruthfully) that they're not allowed to photograph there.
There appear to have been a number of ad-hoc imaginary laws that security guards can inspect and delete photographs. I have seen plenty of cases of abuse myself. It is worth standing up to the bullying as they usually back down when somebody knows the law better than they do. Quite a lot of security guards are quite decent people who don't want unecessary confrontation and don't want to be bullies, but sadly there is a minority that gives the profession a bad name,
I'd store pictures of schematics, chemicals, guns and whatnot on the phone, then go by again tomorrow. When she asks, just make sure you scroll through them to get to the bank photo at the end.
NO, she is RIGHT. Photography outside buildings IS legal, with the exception of buildings of the armed forces. To photograph outside banks not only is allowed but quite common
here the CS to the right and the UBS in the background, and this is Paradeplatz.
and here the Bürkliplatz. The sizeable building in the centre (slightly to the right) is the SNB
and here what people who arrive in downtown see first, the SNB
and one of the larger fleamarkets each Saturday takes place in front and around the SNB
In Switzerland are entitled to privacy which means entitled to take photos of all important buildings. And banks will rather show you the best point to take a good photo. The bank mentioned most likely is a US-American bank. There some years ago was even a legal conflict. Migros Bank had bought a nice building. They were not aware that their neighbour was a US bank. M encouraged people not only to take photos but even made a kind of public quizz about the best photos. The US-bankers got into a rage and even attacked people on the road. M took the pack to court, and as a result that US-bank got out of the building.
There over the decades were hundreds of interviews etc on Paradeplatz and no single banker is on the records to got running to any interviewer. You may have seen the demos right in front of CS where you could even get free beer and free eating.
No, it was definitely a US bank ! You can take photos of all RaiffeisenBank premises freely. If one of the RaiffeisenBank chaps comes out, he will rather tell you to change to the other side with better light, and not to forget this or that feature.
the one above is at Morgenthal in Wollishofen
while this is on Limmatquai in a prominent location between river and old city
and this is in Schaffhausen just opposite the rail-station and on the entrance to the old city, photographed thousands of times per week
If you stood on public ground, it should not be an issue at all and it would probably almost have been interesting to hear what the police, if called, would have said. If you stood on their ground, that might be different.
Outside the bank is not the property of the bank-unlees of course they own the footpath which i dont think they do.You should have just taken a photo of her and put it in utube.
I know in the US you can be prevented from photographing a building due to copyright issues! If more than 5 buildings are in the shot there is nothing they can do.
I would not be surprised if the push came to the shove they would claim ownership of the photos & could be entitled to damages.