Taking a picture? You must be a terrorist...

Puscas · Jul 17, 2008

I've had one semi-professional security guard in NYC telling me to stop taking pictures (that was on the steps of the Supreme Court building). I didn't want to cause a scene so walked on.
But otherwise, no problems here. Even takings pics of armed officers is usually not a problem.

btw: those guys in Mallard's pic are called Hercules-teams. They are anti-terrorist brigades that pop up all over town. It's usually two men and the (bomb sniffing) dog. Recently extra teams have been stationed at busy subway stations.

pascal

hamster · Jul 17, 2008

mallard said:
you know, thats hard to do. I got a couple new cameras (well, new to me) and all I could think of to shoot was my tomato plant and Dreamgirl. This weekend im getting up before dawn and hiking down the beach to the state park to see what the sound looks like at daybreak....the best light is real early or real late.

yall still got that cuda?

mallard · Jul 17, 2008

hamster said:

bah....blocked at work. I'll check it out when i get home.

i hope you got a shot of it with your yashica sitting out in the desert with the Hale-Bopp comet drifting silently overhead.....hehe

christopher walrath · Jul 17, 2008

SILENCE! I CLICK YOU!!!!!! I NEED SOME FREAKING NEGATIVES! I saw a blue Holga.

usayit · Jul 17, 2008

you ok there Chris?

hahaha :lol:

mallard · Jul 18, 2008

hamster said:

man that is sweet.....i bet the g-force slams you into the seat when you floor it

RMThompson · Jul 18, 2008

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

THORHAMMER · Jul 18, 2008

Lately Ive been getting along well with police, they just want to talk to you and make sure your cool, I dont have a big issue with them although the laws may technically protect me from talking to them at length, id rather have them on my side all things considered.

Security guards on the other hand are worse. 90% of the ones I've talked to just dont know the law, and they make up laws on the spot.

Since the art that I love to make involves industrial areas at night I have to take precautions, and I can see their curiousness, but they are neither detectives nor police officers and I am not going to ever surrender to the requests of guards while on public property, they can make note on a clipboard, thats their job. NOT walking out on the sidewalk and harrasing someone 300 feet from their post.

I've made up a set of rules for myself.

1.Talk to Cops
2. Dont talk to Security Guards
3. Port Guards - Give an explanation, but then ignore and continue to work
4. if they dont leave you after 5 mintues and you still need to shoot there, call the police and tell them whats going on

I've tried to reason, explain, even shown them the law in print. 99% They dont understand/care/want to/ever ever ever..... Its ALWAYS a crapshoot to try to talk to security guards. Last time I took the time to show them what I was doing and my portfolio I ended up surrounded by 8 guards on a public sidewalk being accused of working for bin laden.

I was a little worried, but pulled out the 800000 v taser and dry fired once.
lets just say it works well to disperse a crowd.

Now, I just tell them im taking picture, put my headphones on and keep shooting. If they get in my face I show them my taser, and take off my headphones.

I looked up the law regarding to security guards and pure public property, ie sidewalks, streets, greenbelts, alleyways etc...
Open to the public is still the same laws, but they have more reason or right to talk to you or to be scared of you if your inside a structure taking pictures, I can see from their point of view to talk to you, but not to try to delete your pictures...

thought you guys would like to know the info....

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Someone touching your property or yourself while giving you verbal threats is guilty of a barrage of things, dont awnser back, back up and defend yourself.

Him touching your equipment is coercion, harrasment for sure. possibly also battery, also you could be reasonably scared he will try to steal your equipment, or cause you bodily harm , so its theft, coercion, and harrasment just by him reaching to touch your lens.
(Not block your lens, but touch)

Furthermore, any verbal threats he makes might be terrorist threats of violence which might be a felony if hes talking about hurting you. Its a real law here in california. Also false kidnapping, coercion, and false arrest/detainment if he doesnt allow you leave.
Also when it goes from coercion to actual touching then thats battery, and possibly assualt depending on what happens next.

Someone trying to even silently grab your camera is at the least guilty of attempted theft

Someone using their body to block the camera but they are not grabbing at it with their hands, you should try to out manuever them, if its not possible and they are not escalating, thats a good sign, just call the cops its harrasment but your not in danger probably.

But when a hand comes out to grab a lens , or if its to block the shot but they come within one inch of the lens, im using the taser, im in fear for my saftey and my equipment at that point. Looks like they might steal something, hey they are in your face advancing and making movements towards your gear. Your in the right.

Warn them verbally they are illegally threatening you and your equipment from theft or damage, And if they make any moves for your gear or yourself that you will defend yourself.

Taser their ass and call the cops
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Most of the time though they just sit in their trucks and call their boss, some of the time they call the cops, and prob 10% of the time they get in your face. its those 10% that I carry the taser for.

Bifurcator · Jul 18, 2008

I think it's intelligent advice to talk with the police whenever possible! They are just people like us and many of them hold the same opinions about these things as we do. Many are also waking up to some of these issues as indeed we are. It's much better to have them on our side than it is to make enemies of them - I agree! But that also doesn't mean giving up your rights to ones who don't understand the constitution and bill of rights.

Just thought I would mention that.

TechBuys · Jul 23, 2008

Bifurcator said:
Erik Blair and Aldous Huxley... Perfect references for describing the political state of "The West". But let's not forget H.G. Wells "New World Order".

BTW, they now selectively arrest you and confiscate your cameras at the point of an un-safety'ed machine-gun in some places NYC - On the public streets!

Yet another reason not to visit New York...

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