London: No Smooching, Snapping

AP Photo

LONDON (AP) - Stop smooching.

That's the message of a new sign that went up outside a train station in northern England on Monday.

The goal is to stop departing passengers from pulling up in their cars at a crowded drop-off point and pausing to kiss each other farewell. The sign shows a profile of a couple kissing, with a diagonal red line across their image.

Virgin Rail says it installed the sign while refurbishing the station after a local business networking group said the place had to become more efficient. But profit margins may have been a factor, too. Virgin Rail says that if passengers want to share an embrace before they part company, they should pay to park their cars nearby where they can kiss all they want.

Could this photo I took of Buckingham Palace guards during my
2005 London escapade be deemed illegal?

LONDON (AP) - Tourists better think twice now before snapping pictures of the iconic British bobby.

A new British anti-terrorism law went into effect Monday that could effectively bar photographers from taking pictures of police or military personnel -- a move that prompted some 200 photographers to protest outside of Scotland Yard's headquarters.

Although the measure aims to prevent terrorists from taking reconnaissance shots, photographers say it could be misused at a whim to stop any pictures from being taken -- especially images involving police abuse and demonstrations.