Originally Posted by
fransknorge
Once more time, a fascinating trip report, Romanianflyer
What is the problem with taking pictures in the metro ? This is hardly a state secret or a technological one. Does the local police is afraid people are gathering intelligence about the stations layout to plan an attack ?
Thanks fransknorge!
The answer was already given by diburning - there is just a sensitivity in some countries when it comes to anything which in some ways can be considered as military installation or key national transport object. What the logic is behind it - I don't know in these days of satellite coverage/spying and these locations being hardly a secret. I guess old habits just die very hard!
Originally Posted by
diburning
Up until the middle of last year, photos were banned on the metro because they also doubled as bomb shelters, which made them military installations. This has since been relaxed, but I'm sure RomanianFlyer didn't want to attract the attention of the police which may want to harass a foreigner who they would presume didn't know any better.
Thanks for the explanation as indeed I did not know the formal laws whether photographing in the metro was allowed or not - so that's why I just took precautions. It was the same situation when I visited Baku in Azerbaijan last year - which also had one or two beautiful stations (although as a whole it's decidedly less pretty than Tashkent). You just don't want an overzealous cop on your tail or worse, some intent on getting some bribes out of you.