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Further to my original post, I have received the following reply to my emailed complaint to Arriva about the Cannock bus station incident:-

"I am writing following the incident which occurred recently with a local bus service.

Your comments were passed on to the manager of the Cannock depot who has informed me that the driver has been identified.  He has been spoken to by senior management with regards to this incident and appropriate action has been taken.  He has also been re- advised with regards to the policy in reference photography of buses etc. and has been reminded of the standards of service we expect.


Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and please accept our sincere apologies for the upset and inconvenience caused.  Do not hesitate to contact the Customer Service Team if you require any further assistance".

At Cotteridge last week I had a TWM driver (first time ever for this company) shield his face with his hand as I was taking a shot, and likewise (again a first for this comapny) a Diamond driver.
At the other end of the scale, last Friday at 'Old Square' roundabout in Birmingham, I had switched my camera off and was holding it down at my side when an IGo driver stopped his Dart Pointer KU02YUK on the roundabout and gesticulated to me that HE WANTED his photo taken! He refused to move, holding up all the traffic coming from The Priory Queensway until I photographed him.
There is evidently a very wide range of feelings by drivers in regards to photography!!

If you take that bus drivers arguement to its logical conclusion, after asking his permission to photograph the bus, you would then have to board and enquire of all upper and lower deck passengers if they too would object. After all, passengers also sometimes end up being visible in the resultant photo.
Think of the delays!!
Today I actually asked a couple of beat bobbies if I was doing anything wrong and they said no. Indeed, and this REALLY surprised me, they said they often get members of the public filming them doing their rounds - and there's nothing they can say or do about it!
If you can photograph and video policemen on the beat then you can damn well do the same with buses.
So long as you are not causing a nuisance, or putting the camera right in a persons face, ALL photography in public places is totally legal .
As mentioned earlier in this conversation by somebody, there is a wealth of information on the internet about this topic, and all comprehensively agree that public photography is perfectly legal.
If it ever happens to me again, I shall be armed with this information and argue my case ............................ MOST FORCEABLY!

Yup, you're quite right, it was me and it was 3740 / YJ57AZT that I was photographing.

I'm an ex train driver and took it as part of my job that enthusiasts would want to photograph what I was driving. I'll warrant I've had my photograph taken more than he's had hot dinners!

Relatively new to buses so I'm still finding my feet.
I was at Worcester in January and whilst taking photograph's of buses exiting the bus station noticed the odd 'First' driver either covering their face with their hand or holding their clipboard up to their face. On enquiring about this activity to a driver back in the bus station he told me it was all to do with privacy and drivers can object to having their photograph's taken.
At Cannock a couple weeks ago I went to photograph an Arriva bus on the main road and got a right earful from the driver. He was spouting off about 'invasion of privacy' and that I should ask his permission first before taking his photograph - never mind it was the bus and NOT him I wanted! He went seriously volcanic (though stopped short of swearing).
Surely if I am in a public place, and a bus (being PUBLIC transport) is in a public place there is no law against photography ......................... is there?
I'm pleased to say that I get nothing but smiles and thumbs up from TWM drivers, as well as the minor independents in and around Birmingham.
Why the wide variety of reactions between companies?

In advanced middle age I have only just gotten an interest in buses within the past 6 weeks or so, and I am now on a very steep learning curve.
I have only registered with this site tonight in the hope of learning more
For the time being though I have a few questions regarding Pensnett's open day last Saturday.
It occurred to me on reviewing my photograph's that the 'dump' was all single deck buses. Why only single Decker's? Are double Decker's not being withdrawn?
Does anybody have a list of all the withdrawn stuff that was visible that day?
Is it possible at all to return in order to go round the withdrawn stuff? It was fenced off on the day, but are you allowed to wander round outside of 'special days'?
Do other garages have dumps and are we allowed to go round them?
I'd rather see as much old, withdrawn stuff ASAP before it is scrapped.
Thanks in advance for any replies.