Ok, so we were out at Vancouver Aquarium today (which had some really sweet exhibits by the way such as the dolphins and the beluga whales) and something strange happened whilst we were queueing to get in. Part of the queueing process involves standing in front of a backdrop of Vancouver aquarium and having your photo taken by a photographer. We were told this was a ‘bit of fun’ and that we could view the photo and buy it if we wanted on the way out.
Of course, I declined. I had my own camera, was capable of taking my own pictures and I’m sure we could find people in the aquarium who’d be more than willing to take our picture together for free. The response was one of pure bewilderment.
Why wouldn’t you want your photo taken whilst queueing so we can sell it to you later? It’s just for fun after all? Well, here’s why:
- I’m a miserable, cranky pedant
- I don’t want my picture to be used in promotional material regardless of whether or not I buy it
- I don’t know what you’re going to do with the picture after I’m gone. After all, you could submit it to Worth1000 or Fark and then I’d be in trouble.
- I have my own camera, thanks but no thanks
- If your definition of fun extends to taking b grade pictures of people against a dull backdrop then charging them for copies of it, you really should seek professional help.
Still, the woman didn’t understand when I said that I just don’t want my photo taken and held us back whilst she let the people behind us jump the queue to have their picture taken. The only thing is after seeing our reaction, they decided they didn’t want their picture taken either. There was clearly no process for what happens when people don’t want their picture taken. I get the sneaky feeling we may have been the first and second (closely followed by third and fourth) people to object.
In an attempt to illustrate this, I took a picture of the camerawoman taking a picture of some people. Incidentally, the woman in the red top with her back to the camera is the one that wanted to take our picture. The camerawoman didn’t look too pleased that I took her picture, but by then it was too late. It may seem somewhat hypocritical that I’ve published the picture here, but that’s because hypocrisy is one of my finer virtues. If you want to submit the picture to Fark or Worth1000 then go ahead, I personally can’t be bothered.
Incidentally, in another prime example of customer-gouging at the ticket desk I was asked if I’d like to donate two dollars (Canadian, so it’s not like it’s real money;) to their animal welfare efforts. I declined, not because I’m a tight-arse (which I am, but that’s another story) but because I thought I already donated $35 to their animal welfare efforts by buying two tickets. Oz made up for it by buying a few bits and bobs in the gift shop.
Still, it could’ve been worse, they could’ve told me that my photo was being taken for national security purposes, but then again when you’re north of the border that’s less likely to happen. Of course I’m aware that my picture was probably on countless frames of CCTV footage, but I’m from the UK, where we’re used to that kind of thing.
I live in Vancouver and getting stoned then watching the jellyfish at the Aquarium is one of my favorite things.
I’ve always smiled and walked past that picture bullshit with a polite “no thanks” and it’s never been a problem. You’re definately not the first person to decline, but you may have been this first to inexcplicably cop attitude at the suggestion.
People have different ways of having fun. Some like to buy overpriced dull pictures of themselves and some like to complain about people who do. Niether needs professional help.
As for the extra two bucks I generally pay it. What’s two bucks in Canadian monopoly money (although I DO get paid in them thank you) for a good cause. It’s not like you’re donating to the Relocate Nike Factories to an Even Lower GNP Nation Fund.
p.s. If you want to build a community here, may I suggest to get rid of the misogynist and disgusting adds in the sidebar. “Bang a hottie tonight”. Nice.
Maybe if you weren’t stoned when you go to the aquarium you’d see why I inexcplicably copped attitude at the suggestion. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order. From TFA:
Still, the woman didn’t understand when I said that I just don’t want my photo taken and held us back whilst she let the people behind us jump the queue to have their picture taken. The only thing is after seeing our reaction, they decided they didn’t want their picture taken either. There was clearly no process for what happens when people don’t want their picture taken.
We tried a polite “no thanks”, which didn’t work. That’s why I posted it here.
Point taken on the ads, the adult stuff should be gone tomorrow. I’m currently playing around with the ads (hence the volume of them) but to be honest you sound like you could do with banging a hottie tonight instead of rolling another fat one if you’ll pardon the pun.
Good post. However, as I have to play my patriotic part, the Canadian dollar is worth > 90¢ USD. It has been set to continue rising this year, and several analysts are calling for the loonie to reach parity with its U.S. counterpart by 2007.
The loonie’s been flying in large part because the U.S. economy has been struggling to get off the ground. Washington is facing budget and trade deficits that have never been higher. In 2005, the U.S. bought $723.6 billion more in foreign goods and services than it sold, registering yet another record annual trade deficit.
Canadian baiting: they *always* go for it.
I don’t see it as Canadian baiting to be perfectly honest. It was a specific isolated incident involving a small group of Canadians (versus the population as a whole). On the whole I thought Vancouver was a fantastic city and that Canada is a great country. Quite frankly the Canadian Dollar (the real monopoly money is down south where they print it freely without worrying about how much they’re printing due to the oil and currency pegging) deserves to overtake its American counterpart given the USD’s slide under the current administration.
It’s called tourism, sir. People go to far off distant lands to spend their money, and see some things they havent seen before. Sometimes you get suckered into buying city based tshirts such as the ever so popular “I heart NY” or a tiny figurine of “the worlds largest…”. My point, don’t gripe about someone at a tourist destination trying to attempt to sell you a tourist style item. They are just doing their job and trying to make ends meet themselves, so perhaps one day they will be able to go somewhere else away from their job to enjoy a little bit more that life has to offer. It truly is silly how you published this photo with your attitude an all about people publishing images without permission. If you know anything about copyright laws, organizations in canada can not publish photos for any commercial reason whether for profit or not, without the expressed consent of the subject. With that in consideration, yes, they would have liked to sell you a photo. But no it wouldn’t have been used for commercial gain as you so assume, so don’t flatter yourself. If it was, you would probably have a nice lawsuit on your hands, as potentially the Vancouver Aquarium definitely does against you. Did those people in the background deny the aquarium photographers as well? Well…you definitely screwed them didn’t you? Feel proud? And slagging the Canadian dollar? Are you for real? You travel to Canada to, I assume, make your UK currency go a little further, and you slag Canada? You, sir, are out of line in more ways than one. A two dollar donation…..? Your 35 went to overhead. Wages, animal food, electricity, phones, that sort of thing. Its a business. The $2 would have gone to animal welfare organizations. Ones that help wild or domestic animals such as my mothers dog which may die by the end of the summer if he does not get a $2000 operation, which she can not afford. Thanks for the help!
Hi Nathan. Please feel free to point out where I slag off the Canadian dollar, or Canada. I think you’re confusing the poster with the commenters, but I could be wrong. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Canada is a great place. Vancouver is a great place. The aquarium was a lot of fun. The aquarium was a tourist trap. I didn’t have a problem with this. I didn’t have a problem with the photo booth. I had a problem with being kept behind at the photo booth because we didn’t want our picture taken (if we’re not going to buy it what’s the point) whilst people went ahead.
I never travelled to Canada to make my UK currency go further. I travelled to Canada because I’d never been, was going to a conference there and needed a holiday. We went to Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Niagara and had a great time everywhere we went meeting some great people along the way. Is it so hard to believe that someone might want to visit Canada because it’s an interesting place to go?
You contradict yourself in your own comments “Yes they would have liked to sell you a photo. But no it wouldn’t have been used for commercial gain.” – Err, isn’t selling it to me commercial gain?
“It’s a business. The $2 would have gone to animal welfare organizations.” Sorry, I don’t believe that the $35 and profits from money spent in the shop wouldn’t have gone to animal welfare projects and that the whole of the $2 would have gone there. That’s just nuts. I’ve worked with and in charities before and believe me when I say they do make a profit, they have to because ultimately without it they cease to exist, and not all of your money goes towards aiding people.