So how many people out there have suffered from discrimination? I’d take at guess at most of the population in one way or another… Personally, as a TransSexual, I have been the target of discrimination, ridicule and damn right rudeness for some time so I get more and more immune to it.

Today however, I write about a form of discrimination that all of us can be caught by. I’m off to a Rammstein concert on the 4th February 2010, at Wembley Arena. Now, I’m not all that much of a fan of Rammstein, don’t get me wrong though… I like the music, but my partner is the big fan and I’m taking her to see them as a treat for a devout follower of a band she has never had the chance to see live (not to mention the fact that I love her .)

Now the discrimination… Wembley Arena publish a “terms and conditions” list, which amongst other sensible things states (under “General Point 2″):

The Event Promoter may ask the Venue to prohibit the use of all, or certain types of cameras. In general, fixed lenses are acceptable, but please check with the Venue if in any doubt. Video/audio recordings are prohibited. Prohibited items may be confiscated.

Now knowing this, and and seeing on the Wembley Stadium site that they have a prohibited items list which includes:

• Professional cameras & recording devices (This applies to cameras that have interchangeable lenses)

…and that it is often quite difficult to distinguish professional cameras (mine regularly gets confused with a professional camera as I have a handle and battery pack which makes it look huge), and “Fixed lens cameras” would mean cameras without a zoom (ie all compact cameras). I emailed Wembley Stadium and Arena about clarification on what constitutes a “Professional Camera”. The reply I received was not very clear being:

Our standard policy is no professional cameras (ie anything with a 35mm+ lens), audio or video recording equipment. Small cameras are OK.

On some shows, the artiste requests a total ban on all cameras – this is not the case to date on this show but if things change, it will be listed on our website – www.wembleyarena.co.uk

Now that to me, means the person sending it doesn’t know what she’s talking about because I could therefore take a Nikon D3s with a lens of up to but not including 35mm into Wembley. Of course a Nikon D3s is their newest Professional use camera, and by the same vein it might ban my 11 year old niece’s Christmas present a Fuji FinePix s1500 (might ban because they did say detachable lens, where the Fuji Finepix s1500 has a built-in non-changable lens, however it sports a 300mm zoom lens and ISO6400.)

I replied with:

Caroline, thank you for your response to my partner, I only have my
Digital SLR camera, I don’t have another camera (not even a phone
camera.) My Camera quite a number of years old and has never been
considered professional as it is a ‘DX’ format sensor (FX was, and still
is considered the professional standard). In fact as I just recently
came into money I’m considering replacing it for a newer model that is
pretty indistinguishable from the professional cameras.

Back to your reply.. Are you suggesting that I can bring that if I use a
20mm lens on it… I consider that extremely restrictive as my 11 year
old niece has a Compact camera with a low light capabilities (so say
F2.8 equivalent according to Fuji) 300mm zoom lens which to get such a
lens for my ailing DSLR would cost me in excess of 2000 pounds. Further
my nieces camera, being brand new, has the ability to take 45 minutes of
high definition video (assuming enough storage space.) Needless to say
I haven’t got such a lens or video capability and considering the size
and weight of such a lens I’d not even consider bringing it to a concert.

I am disappointed and feeling some what discriminated against as others
are allowed to bring cameras which are better than mine just because 3
years ago I decided buy the best camera I could afford to replace the
one I had stolen. Maybe that was a bad choice on my part, but why
should it be? I am not a professional photographer, I bought it because
it is versatile and yet I am being discriminated against by being barred
from taking photos at concerts where others with better cameras are
permitted.

For information we will be in the upper tier seated area so it’s not
even as if I can use my 20mm lens to get wide angle low light shots that
any professional might get.

Best regards,

Michelle

Which I thought was fair, and on checking the specifications of my Niece’s camera for this article have realised an error. The FinePix s1500 lens is F2.8 in wideangle and F5.6 at 300mm. I received a short and curt response from “Caroline” as follows:

By all means bring the camera but if when inspecting it, it is considered to be a ‘professional’ camera, it will be confiscated.

Caroline

Somewhat incensed I wrote back with:

Confiscated? I’d like to see you (the company) or any private police
force you may hire try, that would be theft (a criminal act of which I
would ensure you (the company) would be prosecuted for and I would
ensure every newspaper in England was told of the case.)

Confiscate:

–verb (used with object)
1. to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of
penalty, for public use.
2. to seize by or as if by authority; appropriate summarily: The border
guards confiscated our movie cameras.
–adjective
3. seized.

Define what classes as “professional” here in email so I can bring the
definition with me to ensure that whom ever inspects my camera is aware
of what is “professional” as per Wembley stadium/Live Nation (Music) UK Ltd.

If it is a camera with a detachable lens, then you are discriminating
against SLR users, as many SLRs (both digital and non-digital) are not
professional cameras by any stretch or twisting of the imagination.

Please note: a DX format digital SLR is not the Digital version of the
35mm camera, only a FX format digital SLR is.

Then on reflection, I wrote a more detailed, and level reply as follows:

Caroline,

Further to my last, something for you to review/consider (I’ll stick to
Nikon as I own Nikon myself):

A professional camera:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/nikon/d2x-slr/nikon-d2x-slr-review.html

Note the picture and wording reinforces “professional”:

Unlike most digital camera upgrades, the new D2X was four years in the
making – its sibling, the D1X SLR was released back in 2001. Unlike
other professional digital SLRs, the D2X has a split personality

Clearly citing the camera as a professional camera. The D3, D3s and D3x
are replacements for this camera as it went out of production in 2007.

The D700 a semi-pro camera that I would love to buy:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/nikon/d700-slr/nikon-d700-slr-review.html

MELVILLE, N.Y. (July 1, 2008) ? Nikon, Inc. today introduced the new
D700 digital SLR camera featuring a 12.1-effective megapixel Nikon
FX-format sensor that measures 23.9 x 36mm, which is nearly identical to
the size of 35mm film. Benefiting from Nikon?s legacy of imaging
technology innovation, the D700 offers both advanced and professional
photographers stunning image quality, accurate color reproduction and
revolutionary low light performance.

“Offers both advanced and professional photographers” … would suggest
it would fall into the pro category.

The D300 (the replacement model for mine):

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/nikon/d300-slr/nikon-d300-slr-review.html

Note unlike the D2X no mention of “professional” in the pictures.

Nikon has introduced their most advanced DX-format digital SLR camera to
date, the D300. Engineered with pro- level features and performance, the
12.3 effective megapixel D300 combines brand new technologies with
advanced features inherited from Nikon’s newly announced D3 professional
digital SLR to offer serious photographers remarkable performance
combined with agility. The D300 also employs a new self-cleaning sensor
unit. Four different resonance frequencies vibrate the optical low pass
filter in front of the image sensor to shake particles free and reduce
the appearance of dust.

Note the wording… serious photographers, not professional nor
advanced, nor ’semi-pro’ etc.. It also refers to the “newly announced D3
professional camera”….

Now onto my camera:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/nikon/d200-slr/nikon-d200-slr-review.html

Again the photos do not refer to it as a pro camera, and the first part
of the text:

The Nikon D200 is a high performance digital SLR camera designed to
satisfy the requirements of demanding photographers. It combines brand
new technologies with advanced features inherited from the D2X
professional digital SLR camera. The D200 employs a newly developed
10.2-megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor, a sophisticated 1005-pixel 3D
Color Matrix Metering II system and an advanced Nikon image processing
engine to render images with superb clarity and smooth color gradations.
With an all new 11-area Autofocus system, robust control of Nikon’s
i-TTL Creative Lighting System and advanced Wi-Fi image transmission
options it’s a natural choice for wedding, event and action photographers.

Mentions it as a “high performance digital SLR” for “demanding
photographers” … no mention at all of it being professional or even
semi professional. In fact this camera went out of production in August
2007 … I know this because the discontinuation was announced the day
after I bought mine.

Now, just to add to the affray, I contacted the promoters of the
Australian Elton John tour, about the same issue, and they said, “No
problem, just no large flashes and no tripods, if you can hold it you
can bring it.” This I found a fair and just policy. I went to the Bon
Jovi concert in Melbourne a couple of years ago and was allowed in with
the camera providing, no tripods, no big flashes and that it was not on
their pro-camera list (which included the Nikon D1, D2, D2x, D2s Cannon
1D (all models) and Cannon 5D plus some other non mainstream and film
cameras.)

So again I am asking for confirmation as to whether my camera is allowed
or not. My camera is the Nikon D200 high performance non-professional
out dated (by 3 years) Digitial SLR camera. I will be attach a cheap
zoom lens that came with the camera and expect to hold it throughout the
concert. I will not be bringing any high powered flashes because from
my seating position I’d need to use a 15A mains outlet or portable
generator to create enough of a flash to light a performer. I will not
be bringing a tripod to get long exposure pictures either…

Thank you,

Michelle

This morning, after resending requesting an answer I received the following response:

Sorry for the delay in responding but I had forwarded your comments to
venue management and below is their reply:-

If deemed to be ‘professional’, i.e. with a detachable lens, you will be
asked to leave the camera behind reception for the duration of the
performance and collect it at the end of the performance. If you do not
wish to leave the camera at reception but insist on bringing it to the
performance then we as a venue do reserve the right of admission and we
may not allow you into the venue.

The decision to restrict the use of detachable lenses is two-fold.
Firstly it allows for a definitive line to be drawn between those
cameras that are acceptable and those that are not. Secondly there is
the potential risk to public health should the lens become detached and
used as a missile. I apologise if you see this as discrimination but we
have to draw the line somewhere and this classification has proved to be
the most acceptable to both promoters, whose intellectual property could
be at risk of infringement, and to the majority of our customers.
Without such a guideline we would potentially be forced to prevent any
cameras from coming into the venue at all which we would prefer not to
have to resort to.

Caroline

So it appears that a camera with a detachable lens is deemed ‘professional’ and their decision to restrict detachable lens cameras is based on the potential risk I might detach a lens that is worth several hundred pounds and use it as a missile….! How ludicrous! How absolutely laughable! If I wanted to throw something, I’d be taking a couple of pockets full of batteries and throwing them. Further if they were limiting the number of batteries anyone could take, I’d be buying cheap digital cameras (you can get a cheap one for around 29 pounds) and throw that.

The line is imaginary, it is to discriminate against those who don’t have the luxury of multiple cameras, against those who in pursuit of their hobby spent the money on the best they could afford some years previous, and have not got the money to waste on buying a compact camera.

Perhaps as I have a bit of money, instead of upgrading my camera as planned tomorrow, I’ll buy the new Fuji Finepix HS10/HS11 as it has a x30 zoom (that’s a 720mm zome lens!), it can also record in full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) at 30 frames per second and it’ll shoot RAW mode.. BUT … it has a non-detachable lens so it doesn’t cross the line of “professional camera”… Olympus also do a similar camera (to be released in March 2010) with the Olympus SP-800UZ and the Olympus SP-600UZ which retail for less than the cost of a cheap lens for any SLR owner at £369.99 and £259.99 respectively.

Of course both of these look like detachable lens cameras so my betting is they’ll ban those stating they look professional so I’ll probably opt for the much more handy Fuji FinePix F80EXR which is equipped with a F5.6, 270mm lens and has a sensitivity at 12 megapixels of ISO12800 (meaning it can virtually shoot in the dark)… It can also shoot 82 minutes of HD movie (720p) with two 8M SDHC cards (yes it takes 2 cards so you don’t need to change them.) What’s more, apart from the fact it will out perform a lot of ‘professional cameras’ it looks like an ordinary compact camera and retails for $299.00!

What more can I say except… NICE!

Wembley Arena management, feel free to contact me on +356 79 543115 if you have a problem with this idea, this blog, or want to change policy, especially as I’d much rather take my old Nikon D200 (or the upgrade to the D300s/D700) rather than waste money and the Earth’s resources on a compact camera. However, please do expect my experience and this blog to hit every news agency I can find a link to in the next couple of days, one hopes that one or two will republish this blog or expose Wembley Stadium’s clearly discriminatory policy.

A camera is a camera and there is very little difference between professional and non-professional these days, either allow them or do not allow them, and make your policy clear on the tickets as our tickets show no reference to prohibiting any type of camera. I’m sure many readers will have already picked up the last sentence, “Without such a guideline we would potentially be forced to prevent any cameras from coming into the venue at all which we would prefer not to have to resort to.” Which can be translated to, “Without such a guideline we would be forced to prevent all cameras and our multi-million pound profits would be impacted forcing smaller bonuses for our senior executives.”

Best regards,

Michelle

Bootnote: It took me 2 years of hard work and saving to get my Nikon D200 camera and it’s underwater housing, and another 3 years to get a couple of lenses and attachments that make it useful, and as my compact camera got stolen on my birthday last year, I have little desire to purchase a camera that would only get used for such things as concerts.

Update: Someone (not Wembley Stadium/Arena staff) messaged me and reminded me that they also ban recording devices (my understanding is ‘professional recording devices’). However, if this is the case, I’d like to point out that every compact camera on the current market has the ability to record video and most sound as well.. meaning that all cameras and mobile phones have to be banned under that policy…. they’ve already stated they allow them, so really they should get their house in order and provide clarity about whether they discriminate or not.

Recently there was an article covered by many news agencies about the introduction of full body scanners in the UK airports. The Register covered the story in this article. I added my thoughts to the comments which were about the statement that the anyone selected for scanning would be scanned by someone of the same sex, wondering where they would find intersexed and transsexual people from to scan some of the people I know and myself….?

Reading through the rest of the comments today I remembered something from my past which reinforced Bruce Schneier’s view and mine that our governments are actually promoting terrorism and causing more terror than the actual terrorists.

Way back in my youth there was an organisation called the IRA (Irish Republican Army) who spent an inordinate amount of time trying to blow people up. They succeeded on occasion and I remember as a child hearing about people dead and getting worried about getting blown up myself. I remember hearing that Lord Mountbatten had been blown up and killed by the same army. I remember many news reports in London of people being killed, but as I grew older I realised that these people were operating 100+ miles from my sleepy village of Ormesby St Margaret.

Around the age of 17 I moved out of home and started living on my own, and eventually around 1998 I ended up moving into London, by this time the IRA was pretty much defunct and various ceasefires had been called etc… I was not afraid of London or being part of some terrorist attack.

One morning I awoke in my flat at Norwood Green to the sound of a police radio. I poked my head out the window to see that the road was very quiet and there was “police line” tape all around and a copper standing directly below me. I shouted down to him, “Oi, what’s going on?” to which he replied, get in, an stay away from the windows. I asked why and was told there was a suspicious package in the middle of the green that could be a bomb.

Now, what did I do at this point? Did I run around screaming, and panicing? Did I follow police instruction? Did I go to the loo…? No I didn’t do any of these things….

The first thing I did was go to the lounge door and take a peek into the green, and there was a big can in the middle of the grass with a couple of wires on show etc.. I thought, “Cool, doesn’t look like a bomb, but you never know…”

Second thing I did was pick up my phone, and call my boss…

“John”, I said, “I’m sorry I will be a bit late in work this morning…”
John asked why, and I continued with, “well there seems to be a bomb outside of my house.”
He asked if I was joking, I said, “No” and he said, “Ok, well get in when you can.”

The conversation was quite comical on reflection, John was a little startled at first, but when hearing that I wasn’t joking or bothered, neither was he, and it was more like me calling in sick than being involved in a bomb scare.

THIS IS WHAT LONDON IS LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE LIVED THERE!!! You get on with it, you don’t panic, you don’t run around screaming etc..

When the not so recent bombs went off in the Tube stations and buses, the Metropolitan Police closed the transport system in London. From all the reports I heard from friends that were visiting or living in London, the biggest issue was not the bombs going off, not the likelihood that someone next to them could be carrying a bomb, but the fact they couldn’t move. Some had to walk 30+ miles across London to get home, some couldn’t get to work..

London was paralysed…

This is EXACTLY what the terrorists wanted, it hit the world wide news. It was front page for days, it was world wide, “London terrorised!” People couldn’t go to work, people couldn’t even drive their cars because if they lived in London you were grounded. Terrorism caused mass panic and inconvenience, governments called emergency sessions, new laws were dreamed up, and we have restrictions on our civil liberties that prevents our free movement.

What did the people of London think at the time, well all those I spoke to were shocked and sad, but they were more upset that the powers that be in London decided to stop London from operating. They wanted to get back to work, to get on with daily life. People cope with terror and disaster by going back to their daily routine, and what did the wonderful people in power do? They shut everything down and said, “Sit at home and brood about terrorist attacks because it could be YOU next time!”

The war on terrorism is not a war on terrorism, its promoting terrorism for no good reason. It’s headline news, it’s new laws and reduction in civil liberties.

Rant over, please think, you the public, post this blog where ever you can, get the word out that the governments must stop this scare mongering, lets get back to a world of living in peace. In the years since the second world war the number of people killed because of terrorism (in total) is less than the number of people killed in car accidents in 2009! Why are people killed in car accidents not front page news?

Yes my friends my Facebook account is finally gone.

Sorry to those that contacted me there, and those that use my photos on their profiles, but the FaceBook account takes too much time and causes too many arguments so I have permanently deleted it.

My email address -at- isux.com currently does not work as the server that hosts it is permanently offline. If you wish to contact me my phone number is +356 79 543115 and I will give you my working email address. (Sorry won’t post it here because of idiot spammers and a few people I don’t want having it.)

Take care all,

Shells
xx

You know there is nothing like a girls afternoon having coffee or wine and a natter.

This afternoon I met up with my friends Paige and Anna and we spent some time on Park Rd in Milton at one of the cafe bars. The idea was to have a coffee and a cake to say goodbye, however just like Sex in the City, it turned into an afternoon of wine, chat, and fun. Anna who had never met Paige before knew nothing of her, but I suspected that Anna and Paige would get on like a house on fire, and for a change I was right.

Paige was her usual beautiful self and Anna was sprightly and full of mischief. Both agreed that we should do it again and soon.. I’m hoping as I’m not going to be around that Paige and Anna keep in touch and have more similar afternoons, as both are lovely people and neither have “had it easy” in life.

Why the “Sex in the City” reference.. well spotting hot waiters and other patrons of the restaurant seemed to be a large part of the agenda for Anna and Paige. This caused many gifts of hilarity when it became apparent that we had had enough wine that non of us could be quiet enough not to be heard.

So who was who you might ask? Well it was generally agreed that Paige was Miranda, Anna had many Carrie qualities so that left me being who? .. Well the closest was Samantha, because I’m old and I am open to talking about sex and other stuff in a very open and blunt way. Of course I’m not sex mad so can I really be Samantha…? Who cares I say, it was lots of fun and I would so love to do it again.

My little message to Paige and Anna: Guys I am really going to miss you, but now you know each other, please do have more afternoons together, and I’ll see you both in just under a year hopefully.

Goodbye 2009! So was it good or bad for you? Here’s a summary of what it brought for me…

• I moved back to Brisbane.
• I was dump by Melissa when the extra money ran out meaning she would have to work rather than sitting on her fat arse which was getting fatter for w**king all day and not working…
• I found out the hard way that men are men and hormone replacement therapy for men who say they are women doesn’t make them anything but gay men with tits.
• I found that pre-op transgender people are the most mentally unstable people I have ever met, and as a consequence I would never consider dating another one again. (I’d also recommend to the tranny chasers out there to stay well clear even if they look stable because they might be upping their dosages with or without their doctors knowledge and that is a time bomb waiting to happen.)
• I started committing suicide (started because I chose a method that takes some time, however I was given a reason to stop before I went all the way, which is why I’m here now.)
• I got fired for the first time in 20 years (is not completing your probationary period being fired? Some think it is, some think not.)
• I became a ‘Psycho He-She Ex’.. which is funny because I seem to be the third [at least] “Psycho Ex” of Melissa… First was Melissa’s wife, Charmaine. Second was the indian girl that I forget her name, and now me… That’s not to forget all the psycho’s that Melissa dated [had coffee with].. One has to wonder whether Melissa attracts psycho’s or whether the ex’s are not actually psycho’s and there is something wrong with her, one refers to the previous point about mental stability of transsexual people…
• I started playing music again, keyboard and sax. I also bought a base guitar and drum kit both of which I am learning.
• I met a beautiful young girl called Katie, whom I love dearly.
• I lost a couple of special friends to Melissa and was accused of splitting the trans-community in two. Another amusing comment as it was Melissa herself that persuaded me to stop taking part in TrannyRadio etc by saying they were all nothing but crossdressers with no understanding of real transsexuals.
• I gained 100’s of friends.. that’s people who message me and say “how are you doing? We’re all missing you!” – you know real friends, not those that hang about because you might be able to do something for them.
• I sold my hobby called “SORBS” for a lot of money (not what was reported, that was fiction from Jed Smith based on pure conjecture, but enough to pay my mortgage and credit card in full after all taxes paid.)
• I moved to Malta and made 100’s more friends.
• I started a new hobby-come-business in photography.
• I got my UK passport with “Female” on it.
• I had Christmas with my mum and son for the first time in 10 years.
• I returned to Brisbane to say goodbye, and promptly had a plane quarantined…! What a way to go eh?

So there you have it 2009 in a nutshell! Roll on 2010!