On May 8, 11:52 am, Ian Jelf wrote:

Now it's a bit of a trademark of the walking tours I do that I always
have a brolly. Sometimes in crowded places or with biggish groups it
can be a good marker and it's become a bit of a "prop" I suppose. With
hindsight, I suppose it did look a bit odd in yesterday's lovely sunny
weather but I still can't really see that carrying it could in any way
be construed as "suspicious behaviour".

I was at Grand Central Terminal yesterday morning, on my way to take a
trip up the Hudson Line to Poughkeepsie, when there was a woman
leading a walking tour on the main concourse; she was also holding one
up, so they seem to be a pretty standard marker, a bit like leading
the troops into battle behind the colours.

There were also lots of people taking photographs, and nobody seemed
to be objecting, though taking photographs of much transport
infrastructure is banned here. On PATH and the major bridges for
example. There were plans for a ban on both the Subway and NJ
Transit, but I don't think either has been introduced (yet).

One other rather baffling remark
from the female PCSO when I expressed surprise about this was that " a
lot of children use this park". Evidently carrying an umbrella in warm
weather and being in possession of a London Tourist Board Blue Badge
must be a sure sign of paedophilia. I would stress that they were
polite and happy to accept my given explanation of what I was doing
there; but I dread to think what they'd have made of me if I'd had a
camera!

Being anywhere near children is very suspicious these days; haven't
you seen the 'spot the difference' type police poster with two
pictures, both with some children, but one also has an adult man in
the background, quite some distance away. People are being told to
watch out for this sort of 'suspicious' behavior.

Who do you lead with by the way, is it London Walks, or one of the
other groups?