Further to recent discussions about people taking an interest in buses,
trains, etc. getting "hassle" from the authorities, yesterday evening I
had an interesting, non-transport-related variant which I hope will
nonetheless be of interest to people on utl and ur.

I was getting ready for a guided walk for a private group around St.
Pancras and Camden, starting at Mornington Crescent tube. Whenever I
get the chance, I always walk the route shortly before actually "doing"
the tour, just to make sure nothing untoward has "developed" since my
last visit, refresh my memory and so on.

Now one of the places I go to is the former burial ground of Saint
Martin-in-the-Fields which is perversely just South of Camden Town tube,
between Camden Street and Baynham Street. The burial ground has long
since been converted to a (rather charming and well-used) local park and
was pretty busy when I walked through at about 4.30pm. As I was
leaving, I was stopped by two PCSOs and asked what my business there
was. Surprised at being asked, I was staggered when they said that
their grounds for suspicion was that I was carrying.......an umbrella!

Now it's a bit of a trademark of the walking tours I do that I always
have a brolly. Sometimes in crowded places or with biggish groups it
can be a good marker and it's become a bit of a "prop" I suppose. With
hindsight, I suppose it did look a bit odd in yesterday's lovely sunny
weather but I still can't really see that carrying it could in any way
be construed as "suspicious behaviour". One other rather baffling remark
from the female PCSO when I expressed surprise about this was that " a
lot of children use this park". Evidently carrying an umbrella in warm
weather and being in possession of a London Tourist Board Blue Badge
must be a sure sign of paedophilia. I would stress that they were
polite and happy to accept my given explanation of what I was doing
there; but I dread to think what they'd have made of me if I'd had a
camera!


An interesting footnote to this is that later on while waiting to meet
the group in front of Mornington Crescent tube, one Ken Livingstone
emerged and turned off towards Camden High Street and the statue of
Richard Cobden!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk