Agreed this winds me up a treat, mainly (without wishing to open up a can of something here) because taking pictures in public has nothing to do with national security in the grand scheme of things, if you can see it with your eyes, what difference does a photo make? If you have a photographic memory should you be locked up as a national security threat incase the CIA created and funded Al-CIAda, sorry Al-queda get a hold of you and brainwash you and ask you to take visual notes of a public space?
I would often ask people last summer, when the whole '42 day lockup without trial' whatsit was steamrollered through the commons, how they would feel if it were to happen to them and the main responce would be 'its for the terrorists!'. I would then advise them to swot up on their history (thrid reich etc.) and then look at America now where its all set up already, under the patriot act, any criminal act that endangers human life is a terrorist act and one can be witheld without charge indefinately.
Sorry for the rant too but the main reason is i had many similar experinces when i were an art student, looking back i cant believe some of the things i was permitted to photograph.
