I have had two incidences while taking photos for gas station audits where someone has approached me, one angrily and one extra strange, to ask what I was doing. As if it isn't obvious that I'm there in a professional capacity. I make sure that I'm dressed in business casual, carry a clipboard and try not to hover near the last pump so I can get the shot before the next car pulls up. Some have asked in a nicer way about the what and why of my presence and I gladly tell them.
The first time, after waiting to get the last pump shot, the woman raced up to me in her car and asked why I took the photo of the pump she used. As if I could glean personal information from photographing the pump. The second time, a woman told me I scared her because I had a camera and asked my name and what I was doing. I provided a fake name, said it was an audit and I asked if she was law enforcement because she got my hackles up. Of course, she wasn't and I walked away without another word. She had a very weird vibe.
I don't know if I'm easy to approach like this because I'm female and look 15 years younger than my actual age. I'm concerned, particularly for the overall photo, that someone will get angry about being in the photo. I try, but it isn't always feasible to wait for the pumps to clear.
I want to understand that people are concerned about privacy. But there are security cameras everywhere and we don't know where the footage goes. Do they ever demand to know that? Doubt it. People use public wi-fi, run around with trackable cell phones in their pockets, put their lives on social media. Is there an easy way to explain that when in public we're not entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy?
Has anyone had a similar experience? How did you deal with it?