Yes, people are getting more and more sensitive about photos.
I try to follow two cardinal rules:
1) Take the photos when people have cleared the immediate area. (Sometimes I have to wait a while on busy days!)
2) Avoid using the flash setting on my camera.
(If you are in a well-lighted area, most any good modern camera will not need the flash to take a good photo)
By following these rules, I have only been challenged once in the past 5 years during which time I have taken close to 200 Christmas photos, many of them indoors.
OK, some more at Crabtree Mall:
This one is a composit of one of the displays, to give you a feel for its height.
Close-up of a hanging display.
Player piano in the food court, set to play Chrismtas music, of course!
(This is the area where the school chorus and orchestras perform Christmas presentations during the holiday season.)