What does it feel like to have a video camera shoved in your face at the end of your run when you’re sweaty? No one likes to be photographed or filmed looking like this, but that’s exactly what happened to me today after a long run in the park.
I was standing in front of the crosswalk at the entrance of the park, sweating heavily after an exhausting run, when I noticed a young man standing very close to me with a video camera in his hand. He was filming the street in front of us and slowly turning my way, panning his camera in my direction. Suddenly, to my surprise, he stopped right in front of my face, a few centimeters from my nose. I expected him to continue moving the video camera away from me, but the camera stood there for what seemed to be an eternity. It was just there literally in my face. He was filming me!
I raised my left hand, covered the lens and pushed it away. I asked, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think . . .” I did not let him finish. I said, “It’s really rude to take close up photos or videos of people without asking first.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was bothering you.”
Where is this guy from? Mars? Was he raised in a barn with farm animals for companions?
If he had asked to film me, I would have gladly obliged. But he didn’t even ask. It was a gross invasion of my privacy. And the fact that he did not even realize it is even more bothersome.
Earlier this week, on a morning run along one of the canals, I saw a tourist approach a window at street level and put his camera against it. Then he began taking photos of the interior of an office. One of the secretaries ran outside and wagged her finger, telling him to stop taking photos.
It’s okay to take photos of the exteriors of office buildings and houses, but to creep up to a window, stick your camera against the glass and click away, is completely uncivilized.
Respect for privacy
It’s impossible to live in a city, side by side with so many people, where many houses are at street level, with their interiors within easy view of the walking public, unless people respect each other’s privacy. That means if you see a window and the curtains are not drawn (allowing you to look inside), you may look, but at a distance. You do not creep up and start taking photos of the interior and the people inside.
Here in Amsterdam, residents give each other a lot of privacy. There is distinction between public and private life. That is how people live together harmoniously without getting into each others’ faces. Just because we can now photograph and video one another with wild abandon, does not mean we should.
The same can be said about the plague of loud irritating mobile phone calls in trains and other public spaces. Although we have devices that allow us to talk to anyone from anywhere, it does not mean we should conduct those conversations as if we were alone in a room. And if we do, we should try as much as possible to lower our voices and limit the amount of time we spend on the phone.
Unfortunately the opposite occurs. On trains, it does not matter if you are in first class or second class. First class seems even worse because there are a lot of businessmen talking very loudly on the phone, some of whom discuss what are clearly confidential business deals. The same can’t be said of professional women who seem to be more discreet and quiet in their phone conversations.
Call for restraint
There are so many wonderful gadgets today that allow us to do a lot of things we couldn’t have imagined ten years ago. They have so many features and uses, we are tempted to try them all. I am a gadget freak and love new technology. But there are instances where the indiscriminate use of technology makes life hell for everyone. It’s time to exercise restraint.
