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[quote=Anonymous]Reading this is painful.  I'm a USS Official. And USS Safe Sport's photography policy has completely lost the thread.

It started as photography prohibited behind the blocks during a start.  Completely sensible.  But it's just as quickly morphed into a collection of uninformed weekend Barney Fifes shouting down parents for having cell phones at all behind the blocks (which is the new - completely incomprehensible - policy).

I've even seen self-important Barney Fifes shouting down parents for being at the complete opposite end of the start of a 50m pool.  Literally, the safest possible angle for Safe Sport concerns.  The reason?  There were unused "starting blocks" at the finish.

This is completely bananas. Everyone wants their kids protected, obviously.  But the underlying Safe Sport concern was the misuse of photography *when posted online.* If that's happening, it's already unlawful; prosecute to the fullest extent of the laws.

Seeing people categorically assume any spectator with a cell phone is a pedophile is just wrong. Like the other poster wrote, these are typically parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers there to support their swimmers.

Moreover, the current "no electronics behind the blocks" policy leads to even more perverse results. You only want people sitting behind the blocks who are creepily staring at every single heat - instead of playing Candy Crush between heats?  Really?  That's a better outcome?

And this pace, Safe Sport will soon ban all photography (and all electronics) from meets whatsoever.  After all, swimmers constantly have phones out on deck - how else are you passing those 4 hrs. sessions?  And the spectators on the sides of the pool might be able to photograph swimmers diving into the warm up pool (especially when it runs perpendicular to the competition pool).  Or maybe picking up a towel.  It's only another few seasons before we assume anyone with a cell phone who walks by a pool is a pedophile.

We need to find an equilibrium, and fast.  Banning all electronics behind the blocks is too far.  Assuming any spectators with cell phones are pedophiles is completely insane. [/quote]

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