Photographing a public place and asked to stop

[Tailgunner]

So what is tis adobe place anyhow, is Adobe the name of a company or material used on an actual building? You got any pictures or address?

 

[Steve5D]

I do think way too many security guards and cops overreact when it comes to people taking photographs. I'm pretty laid back about it personally .. the only time I'd stop them is if they were trespassing, taking photos of restricted property or interfering with my job.

I had a couple once ask if they could take pictures of me and my cruiser.. I just shrugged and said sure. It doesn't bother me.

Some cops freak out about it though. Maybe they're just camera shy. lol

I had a female cop in Portland get all bent out of shape because I took a photo of her texting on her cell phone while she was uniform. I don't know if there's some rule against that, but her reaction suggested there might be.

I told her not to worry, that I wouldn't show it to anyone, since I felt the pink iPhone cover clashed harshly with the deep blue color of her uniform.

She then let up, smiled, and told me and my buddy to have a nice evening...

 

[kathyt]

Oh and I also act like I can't hear or speak any english. That usually works pretty well too.

 

[ShooterJ]

I do think way too many security guards and cops overreact when it comes to people taking photographs. I'm pretty laid back about it personally .. the only time I'd stop them is if they were trespassing, taking photos of restricted property or interfering with my job.

I had a couple once ask if they could take pictures of me and my cruiser.. I just shrugged and said sure. It doesn't bother me.

Some cops freak out about it though. Maybe they're just camera shy. lol

I had a female cop in Portland get all bent out of shape because I took a photo of her texting on her cell phone while she was uniform. I don't know if there's some rule against that, but her reaction suggested there might be.

I told her not to worry, that I wouldn't show it to anyone, since I felt the pink iPhone cover clashed harshly with the deep blue color of her uniform.

She then let up, smiled, and told me and my buddy to have a nice evening...

Lol.. nice. That's a good stance to take though.

People need to understand that a cop has a tense job and dealing with people can be dangerous for them. Being respectful and lightening the tension can go a long way.

When I deal with people, their reaction to me tells me something. If they're confrontational or nervous, what effect is that going to have on me? If they're friendly and easy going .. odds are I will be too.

Something for people to keep in mind when dealing with law enforcement. The officer doesn't know you.. it's the nature of their job to regard you as potentially dangerous.

Don't encourage that by being a confrontational douche.

 

[Indofred]

This sounds like a 'jobsworth' security guard and, unless you're on private property they're hired to patrol, they have no authority at all so, if polite doesn't work, the finger should.
I've read of horror stories where legitimate photographers have been arrested for doing nothing more than playing with their cameras.

I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! - UK photographers protest against increasing police harassment, Trafalgar Square, 23rd January 2010

 

[skieur]

There is a meeting inside adobe building I come regularly. I don't know is this public or private property. The security guy told me this building is to keep privacy. He thought I'm an architect that I might copy the building design.

The Satanna Row is a popular outdoor mall, and I need to pay a permit to shoot my DSLR.

The beach boardwalk nearby lets me use my DSLR, but tripod is prohibited. When I drive north to San Francisco, the Yerba buena gardens lets me use my DSLR, but to use tripod I have to pay the permit.

In nearby mall, one lady shoot her p&s camera with her kids, and a security guard told her to stop and get her name.

You don't even need to give your name to the police in the US or Canada, so why would you give it to a security guard?

 

[tecboy]

There is a meeting inside adobe building I come regularly. I don't know is this public or private property. The security guy told me this building is to keep privacy. He thought I'm an architect that I might copy the building design.

The Satanna Row is a popular outdoor mall, and I need to pay a permit to shoot my DSLR.

The beach boardwalk nearby lets me use my DSLR, but tripod is prohibited. When I drive north to San Francisco, the Yerba buena gardens lets me use my DSLR, but to use tripod I have to pay the permit.

In nearby mall, one lady shoot her p&s camera with her kids, and a security guard told her to stop and get her name.

You don't even need to give your name to the police in the US or Canada, so why would you give it to a security guard?

He asked nicely for my name. I just wanted to avoid any further problem. Beside I came there for a meeting and not worth it to have trouble before the meeting starts.

 

[skieur]

There is a meeting inside adobe building I come regularly. I don't know is this public or private property. The security guy told me this building is to keep privacy. He thought I'm an architect that I might copy the building design.

The Satanna Row is a popular outdoor mall, and I need to pay a permit to shoot my DSLR.

The beach boardwalk nearby lets me use my DSLR, but tripod is prohibited. When I drive north to San Francisco, the Yerba buena gardens lets me use my DSLR, but to use tripod I have to pay the permit.

In nearby mall, one lady shoot her p&s camera with her kids, and a security guard told her to stop and get her name.

You don't even need to give your name to the police in the US or Canada, so why would you give it to a security guard?

He asked nicely for my name. I just wanted to avoid any further problem. Beside I came there for a meeting and not worth it to have trouble before the meeting starts.

The problem is how that information will be used. Will it be entered into a database with the implication that you are a person with a "background" of suspicious activity? Will this make your next encounter more difficult? One person in Canada filed a lawsuit against the police forcing them to take out any information from their database on his confrontation with police.

 

[tecboy]

You don't even need to give your name to the police in the US or Canada, so why would you give it to a security guard?

He asked nicely for my name. I just wanted to avoid any further problem. Beside I came there for a meeting and not worth it to have trouble before the meeting starts.

The problem is how that information will be used. Will it be entered into a database with the implication that you are a person with a "background" of suspicious activity? Will this make your next encounter more difficult? One person in Canada filed a lawsuit against the police forcing them to take out any information from their database on his confrontation with police.

I could lie about my name, and he doesn't know that. There is nothing harmful about that. If they don't want me to shoot their building than I have to respect that. I don't want everyone in the meeting knows what happened. That doesn't solve anything.

 

[skieur]

He asked nicely for my name. I just wanted to avoid any further problem. Beside I came there for a meeting and not worth it to have trouble before the meeting starts.

The problem is how that information will be used. Will it be entered into a database with the implication that you are a person with a "background" of suspicious activity? Will this make your next encounter more difficult? One person in Canada filed a lawsuit against the police forcing them to take out any information from their database on his confrontation with police.

I could lie about my name, and he doesn't know that. There is nothing harmful about that. If they don't want me to shoot their building than I have to respect that. I don't want everyone in the meeting knows what happened. That doesn't solve anything.

Sure and the officer could lay a nuisance charge of "obstructing police" because you did not tell the truth. The civil liberties groups in the US advise BE polite, BE respectful, BUT retain your rights.

 

[Gavjenks]

The problem is how that information will be used. Will it be entered into a database with the implication that you are a person with a "background" of suspicious activity? Will this make your next encounter more difficult? One person in Canada filed a lawsuit against the police forcing them to take out any information from their database on his confrontation with police.

I could lie about my name, and he doesn't know that. There is nothing harmful about that. If they don't want me to shoot their building than I have to respect that. I don't want everyone in the meeting knows what happened. That doesn't solve anything.

Sure and the officer could lay a nuisance charge of "obstructing police" because you did not tell the truth. The civil liberties groups in the US advise BE polite, BE respectful, BUT retain your rights.

I believe they were talking about a security guard not a cop. Its not illegal to lie to security guards unless you defraud them in doing so which wouldn't be the case here

 

[tecboy]

I have never had a conflict with the police. The security guard was doing his job, and he has authority. What you want me to do? Confront him, show him my rights? I'm not going to win. Being inside or near at Adobe building is a privilege, and I don't want it taken away just because I shoot a camera at the building.

 

[480sparky]

I have never had a conflict with the police. The security guard was doing his job, and he has authority. What you want me to do? Confront him, show him my rights? I'm not going to win. Being inside or near at Adobe building is a privilege, and I don't want it taken away just because I shoot a camera at the building.

Just because someone wears a security guard uniform does not mean he has any authority. Many Rent-A-Cops are over-zealous and under-trained.

 

[Steve5D]

Just because someone wears a security guard uniform does not mean he has any authority. Many Rent-A-Cops are over-zealous and under-trained.

And, conversely, it would be ill-advised to believe that all security guards fall into that category.

The reality is that someone working as a security guard does have some level of authority. The question to that is how much, and where. I've seen idiots face off with mall security guards and they end up getting detained until the police arrive, whereupon they're arrested and transported to the local lock-up.

All because they believed that security guards had no authority...

 

[Steve5D]

One person in Canada filed a lawsuit against the police forcing them to take out any information from their database on his confrontation with police.

So what?

Idiotic, ridiculous lawsuits get filed every day.

I'm of the mindset that, if you lock horns with the police, you're on a fool's errand, and deserving of all the bad things which will befall you...