Avoid Stockport!

Add Stockport station to the list of places not to go when you've got a camera. I was taking some photographs at the north end of platform 1/2 while waiting for a delayed connection to Doncaster.

Suddenly I was yelled at in an extremely aggressive and threatening manner by one of the ubiquitous security goons telling me to leave the far end of the platform.

Turned out there was a sign saying "Passengers must not cross the line", which I had assumed appies to railway tracks themselves (such signs appear at the end of most platforms). No, it seems this line refers to a painted line across the platform about 100 feet from the end of the platform. As to why the last 100 feet of the platform is out of bounds, all the security goon could come up with was some undefined "Safety" reason. (Probably some stupid and fatuous rule dreamed up by the Health and Safety Executive)

While photography isn't actually banned there yet, the combination of vaguely-worded signage and aggressive jobsworths make it an inhospitable place to practice the hobby.

Makes me wonder if it's time to hang up my camera except for the occasional foreign trip.

Update: Their other victim has this to say on Usenet. Remember Usenet? It was what people used in the days before egroups and blogs.