Cameras in public swimming pools

Segnosaur

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Segnosaur
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Canada, eh?
I heard this on a phone-in show on the radio today...

Here in Ottawa, the city has banned all cameras from public swimming pools. Many people feel that its a very heavy-handed tactic, since it will prevent parents (or other relatives) from taking pictures of their own kids. The argument for the ban is that it will prevent pedofiles from taking "soft-pr0n" pics of other people's kids.

Of course, most people would be happy with a rule that allows a person to take pics of their own kids only; the problem I can see with that is that it forces the life-guards and other pool staff to become "policemen".

So, what is your optinion? Is the city going too far? And is your opinion affected by you having kids yourself?
 
If the parents believe the pool is infested with pedophiles, why are they taking their children there?
 
Segnosaur said:
I heard this on a phone-in show on the radio today...

Here in Ottawa, the city has banned all cameras from public swimming pools. Many people feel that its a very heavy-handed tactic, since it will prevent parents (or other relatives) from taking pictures of their own kids. The argument for the ban is that it will prevent pedofiles from taking "soft-pr0n" pics of other people's kids.
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:roll: :roll: :roll:
Is that a serious argument? What about all those 'soft-porn' underwear ads in the flyers that get dropped in the letterbox? Maybe the people who deliver them should be given a copy of the paedo register.

What about all those kids wearing slutty clothes on summer days? Maybe we should put a big scarlet letter on the paedos so the parents know when to whip about a blanket and protect their precious children.

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
 
Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

TragicMonkey[/i] [B] If the parents believe the pool is infested with pedophiles said:
:roll: :roll: :roll:
Is that a serious argument? What about all those 'soft-porn' underwear ads in the flyers that get dropped in the letterbox?
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I'm assuming its a privacy issue. For example, I don't mind if other people look at pictures of naked guys, but I don't want my picture to be taken without my permission (for example, in a locker room) and published in playgirl. (Yah, I know that woudn't really happen anyways... maybe in "national geographic".)

Similarly, people may not mind that there are pics of kids in bathingsuits in catalogs, they just don't want their kids pictures to be taken and used as fantasy material.

Mr Manifesto said:

What about all those kids wearing slutty clothes on summer days?
Click to expand...

The standards of clothing are different when swimming than on the street. If a parent lets their kids wear "slutty clothes" on the street, the parents should know the risk. But even "modest" parents (and kids) will wear bathing suits when swimming.

I don't necessarily agree with the ban (it goes too far)... I'm just pointing out the arguments for it.
 
Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

Segnosaur said:
Maybe because they don't think the pool is 'infested' with pedophiles, but they don't want to take a chance. (And lets face it, with the number of couch potatatoes around, any exercise kids get is probably a good thing.)



I'm assuming its a privacy issue. For example, I don't mind if other people look at pictures of naked guys, but I don't want my picture to be taken without my permission (for example, in a locker room) and published in playgirl. (Yah, I know that woudn't really happen anyways... maybe in "national geographic".)

Similarly, people may not mind that there are pics of kids in bathingsuits in catalogs, they just don't want their kids pictures to be taken and used as fantasy material.



The standards of clothing are different when swimming than on the street. If a parent lets their kids wear "slutty clothes" on the street, the parents should know the risk. But even "modest" parents (and kids) will wear bathing suits when swimming.

I don't necessarily agree with the ban (it goes too far)... I'm just pointing out the arguments for it.
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Fair enough. Put that way, it makes a bit more sense. It does seem to be a bit unfair on those who want to use cameras in public swimming pools for legitimate reasons. Historical photographers like to take photos of people in public pools, among other places. It makes for quite an interesting photo-record, if you're into that sort of thing. So I'm told.
 
Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

Segnosaur said:
Similarly, people may not mind that there are pics of kids in bathingsuits in catalogs, they just don't want their kids pictures to be taken and used as fantasy material.
Click to expand...

Well, as disgusting as it is to be the object of someone else's fantasy (unless you're an adult and the fantasizer is really hot), you can't really stop it. Can you really outlaw something on the basis of what a small percentage (we hope) of the population might be using it for? And banning pictures won't stop a pedophile from staring at their kid.

I'm reminded of MSN shutting down all its chat rooms, because it's possible that pedophiles might have been using them.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

TragicMonkey said:
Well, as disgusting as it is to be the object of someone else's fantasy (unless you're an adult and the fantasizer is really hot), you can't really stop it. Can you really outlaw something on the basis of what a small percentage (we hope) of the population might be using it for? And banning pictures won't stop a pedophile from staring at their kid.

I'm reminded of MSN shutting down all its chat rooms, because it's possible that pedophiles might have been using them.
Click to expand...


Kidnappers often use vehicles, like vans, to transport their victims. Should car dealers stop selling cars?

Duct tape can be used for restraint. Should hardware stores stop selling duct tape?

Boy, you can take this down the slope pretty quick.
 
Thinking about swimwear, if you don't wany 'dirty' pictures taken of your children, give them non-revealing swimwear to wear at public pools.

Swimming trunks look a lot like short pants. Are you afraid for your little boy to be seen in shorts without a shirt?

For little girls thorugh young women, think about providing the one-piece bathing suit, rather than a thong/bikini outfit, for instance.

I'm certain there will always be something matching your own sensibilities that you can outfit your children in. At least until they develop their own personalities, rebel, and wear whatever they darned well please.

Hopefully by then you will have instilled values and a little 'modesty'... but get real.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

pgwenthold said:
Kidnappers often use vehicles, like vans, to transport their victims. Should car dealers stop selling cars?

Duct tape can be used for restraint. Should hardware stores stop selling duct tape?

Boy, you can take this down the slope pretty quick.
Click to expand...

I'm reminded of a letter to Viz magazine which said something along the lines of, "So the EU have decided to limit the amount of paracetomal sold to twelve per packet in a bid to keep Suicidal Syds from topping themselves. Next they'll be requiring that rope can only be sold in three foot lengths."
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

Mr Manifesto said:
I'm reminded of a letter to Viz magazine which said something along the lines of, "So the EU have decided to limit the amount of paracetomal sold to twelve per packet in a bid to keep Suicidal Syds from topping themselves. Next they'll be requiring that rope can only be sold in three foot lengths."
Click to expand...

I was a little slow on the uptake, but I finally did get the joke. OTOH, you have to cut me some slack because I don't do so well with this English jargon.
 
I wonder how patrons of nude beaches feel about it.

This sounds to me like another case where paranoia begins infringing on the quality of life. Can you imagine the effect of suggesting such a ban, and the reasons behind it, would have been twenty years ago? They'd have assumed you were crazy, or perverted yourself for thinking such a thing.

But I have to admit, if I had kids, I'd probably be paranoid myself.

The fact is, there are nasty and evil things in life. Sometimes we have to confront demons. But we should confront them when they show up, not anticipate their possible arrival and get upset over potential horrors.

(Of course, this is in direct contrast to a successful strategy in surviving 'Doom 3'. Fire wildly in all directions on entering a room, and at random intervals thereafter.)

I don't think pedophilia is anything new. It's just that modern technology makes it easier to pursue, and modern media makes it less likely to go unnoticed.
 
Hastening to add, I'm not suggesting a completely care-free approach to life, especially when your children are concerned. There's a fine balance, though, between letting little Johnny sit on strangers' laps and giving little Johnny a taser and whistle and instructions on what to do if he gets attacked.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

pgwenthold said:
Kidnappers often use vehicles, like vans, to transport their victims. Should car dealers stop selling cars?

Duct tape can be used for restraint. Should hardware stores stop selling duct tape?

Boy, you can take this down the slope pretty quick.
Click to expand...

Fun game let me try.

VHS cassettes can be used to record kiddy-porn so we shouldn't sell those.

Candy can be used to lure kids away, so that should be illegal too.

Kidnappers can also talk to kids so we should make speaking illegal as well.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

Don't forget, cars directly contribute to arounf 50,000 deaths and over a million hospitalizations a year.

Those evil cars actually bring the majority of those kids and pedophiles to the same pools, too!
 
c0rbin said:
If I were worried about it, I would keep a camera and snap pictures of people taking pictures of my children.

Then start a web page.

www.undercover-pedos.com
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I don't know if you were being serious or not... But I can see a problem with doing that.

Lets say someone was taking pictures for innocent reasons (someone mentioned historical interest before...) Then taking a pic of them and posting it on such a website will unfortunately taint them as being a pedophile when they are not.

Basically it removes the "innocent until proven guilty" concept.
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cameras in public swimming pools

pgwenthold said:

Boy, you can take this down the slope pretty quick.
Click to expand...

I'd be careful when using the 'slipery slope' argument, since it can (in theory) lead to some pretty ridiculous arguments...

"Why should drivers be liscenced, because the government could use drivers liscence information to develop a database of people they want to eliminate".

In cases like this, the risks and benefits should be weighed on their own merits... the benefits (allowing parents to have pictures of their own kids) must be weighed against the risks (that some random sicko will use pics of them for fantasy material).

The other "slipery slope" examples made in this thread (such as banning vehicles or duct tape) don't really fit, because there are obvious benefits to the use of vehicles and duct tape.
 
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