Locals snapping pictures of my children?

[erina320]

What is up with the locals snapping pictures of my children everywhere we go? At first I thought it was just a quirky cultural thing, but they scatter if you try and take a picture of them or even shake their heads no. And on our flight back from Vietnam, a guy a few rows up from us took pictures of my daughter all through the flight. To the point that even she was creeped out by it and she's only 3.

I'm baffeled! I would never take a picture of someone else's kids, or even see the use of it! And with signs all over the pools and playgrounds saying "No Photography" you would think they would be more sensitive to it...So how do I tell them NOT to take pictures of my daughters with out offending them?

 

[jvn]

Some people take pictures of Everything. I've seen people taking pictures of postboxes and walls so in that context it's not surprising that they want to take photos of our kids.

As she's old enough to express her own opinions I would ask her if she wants her picture taken and if she says no then say to the person, sorry she doesn't want it taken, that's what I do with The Boy and sometimes he says ok but mostly he says no.

Often you can take the child out of the situation if people continue to take photos but that's a bit hard on a plane. Places like Disneyland it's pretty much impossible so you just have to know that is a side effect of going there.

 

[carang]

i've had some ask to take photos. i've always left it up to my kids to decide.

i have found, though, that it's not locals who are taking the photos, but mainlanders.

 

[KeHK]

The weirdest thing happened to us a few days ago. Hubby and I were in the MTR with our baby next to us in the stroller and as usual, we were surrounded by people checking their iphones, when coincidentally hubby discovered our baby's picture on one of the screens. Before he could even react, the woman had already uploaded the picture onto her Facebook page!!! We then told her to delete the picture again and to remove it from her page, which she did, but it still bothered me a lot.
It's one thing to take a random picture of a baby, but to upload it to Facebook without asking for permission is a totally different story. Or how would you react?

 

[Frenchy]

When we arrived in HK, having a new born, I just didn't know how to react. I was proud of my son and of all this interest... till they started to pick him up straight from my arms to take pictures !! Now I see red immediately and it's a "no no". I just learned how to say it in Mandarin, and they generally get it very quickly ! I never cared about being offensive, as they didn't care being intrusive !

 

[erina320]

Well put Frenchy. I'll just have to put my foot down and be a little rude if necessary.

I'm concerned with what these people, often times grown men, intend to do with these pictures of my little girls, especially that guy on the plane!

 

[carang]

i don't think there is any need to assign perversions to these people. it is more likely that:
1) they don't often get to see little white kids where they come from
2) your child is cute
3) they are the kind that take photos of everyone and everything

if you are uncomfortable, then definitely put your foot down. but really, it is a cultural thing and just because they like to take photos of your child does NOT mean they are paedophiles.

 

[erina320]

Carang- I'm not saying that all of them are pedophiles. Nor do I think that they are just because they snap a picture of my kids, but I'm also not naive enough to think that just because I'm in another country my children are immune to perverts either.

 

[lesliefu]

would agree- think it is mostly mainlanders and they take pictures of ANYTHING! not great but what my friends have done is just to pick up the baby and leave...they get the picture! it really isn't meant to be offensive in nature, just a cultural thing i believe because they rarely see western babies - particularly blue eyed blonde ones....unfortunately...

 

[Sarah_Lotus]

I will second that they will take photos of anything. At Christmas my niece was stopped on the MTR platform and asked if she could be photographed. They told her it was because she was so beautiful. (This is easy to believe she is a lovely looking young woman.)

So when my best friend and I (two 50 year olds) where stopped to be photographed on Repluse Bay Beach we assumed it was because we too were so beautiful!