A couple months ago, I was shooting some architectural columns at night (about 1 AM actually) at the local mall. I had my car parked there, right by where I was shooting (near one of the entrances).
A security vehicle pulled up about 30 yards behind my car and just sat there. When I was done shooting, I gestured to the security guard with my camera, trying to show him/her I was taking pictures. I went about my way.
Went home, relaxed a bit and my wife & I went to bed.
Around 3AM, our doorbell rang. A local Sheriff was at the door and needed to find out who I was, what I had been doing earlier at the mall, as the local security guard had "turned me in" as being suspicious and was carrying a black device around near the mall's entrance!
What a hoot. The Sheriff & I had a nice laugh after I showed him what I had shot (thanks EXIF!).
A couple months ago, I was shooting some architectural columns at night (about 1 AM actually) at the local mall. I had my car parked there, right by where I was shooting (near one of the entrances).
A security vehicle pulled up about 30 yards behind my car and just sat there. When I was done shooting, I gestured to the security guard with my camera, trying to show him/her I was taking pictures. I went about my way.
Went home, relaxed a bit and my wife & I went to bed.
Around 3AM, our doorbell rang. A local Sheriff was at the door and needed to find out who I was, what I had been doing earlier at the mall, as the local security guard had "turned me in" as being suspicious and was carrying a black device around near the mall's entrance!
What a hoot. The Sheriff & I had a nice laugh after I showed him what I had shot (thanks EXIF!).
BradP... so how did the officer find you? Did the security guard take down your plate number or something?
Yup.
Security Guard reported it to wherever they do, ran my plate (LUGNUT), found out where I lived and because I live outside of San Diego's city limits, they contacted the Sheriffs dept.
BradP... so how did the officer find you? Did the security guard take down your plate number or something?
Yup.
Security Guard reported it to wherever they do, ran my plate (LUGNUT), found out where I lived and because I live outside of San Diego's city limits, they contacted the Sheriffs dept.
LOL
That wasn't North County Faire was it? That's the mall I had a couple guards inside getting on my case for taking pics inside.
That wasn't North County Faire was it? That's the mall I had a couple guards inside getting on my case for taking pics inside.
The one & only!
I was shooting the columns by one of the entrances.
Didn't hide, wasn't sneaky, even showed the rent-a-cops my camera as I was getting back into my car.
Yeah, that's what I am - A 4 Mega-Pixel Terrorist!!
The climate is everywhere. I am a little old white haired lady. I have worked at the same hospital in Boston for the past twenty years. Last week there were great clouds over the older part of the front entrance so I turned around to take a picture. Just a two second snap but here come all the security guards asking for IDs and telling me it was forbidden. The climate is everywhere in the US, I should clarify.
Perhaps all of us United States Photograhpers should take a stand and get in touch with the ACLU and setup a protest. Get hundreds of us at various 'forbidden' locations and start snapping images.
Then, when we are accosted we can make certain to have everything documented and make a case out this. Perhaps bringing more national attention to the absurdity of The PATRIOT Act.
If we don't do anything about this, then the terrorists have indeed won, because they will have made us afraid to defend our own civil rights as American Citizens.
None of what we need to do should involve any kind of confrontation. We just need to document the harrasement to make a case.
One of two things will happen. Either that law will be more clarified and signs will indeed be put up in places that we are 'forbidden' to take images of, which might make more people take notice, or we may find ourselves with the rights we had prior to the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.
The climate is everywhere. I am a little old white haired lady. I have worked at the same hospital in Boston for the past twenty years. Last week there were great clouds over the older part of the front entrance so I turned around to take a picture. Just a two second snap but here come all the security guards asking for IDs and telling me it was forbidden. The climate is everywhere in the US, I should clarify.
I'm going to start asking them for their ID first -- they are obligated to identify themselves by more than telling you who they are -- how would I know they aren't identity thieves who rented uniforms and are out to grab whatever info they can under the "cover of authority."
For the rent-a-cops, I think I'll also print up some business cards identifying myself as from Security Personnel Evaluation and Rating Services -- or SPEARS -- and have a clipboard with some cool-looking forms listing such important categories to rate as Name, Badge #, Response Time, Intimidation Factor, Uniform Neatness ... let them call a real cop if they want to ask me questions.
I'm unclear just why any (non-police) security personnel would have the right to ask for your identification anyway. If they want to claim you've violated the law, let them arrest you, if not they can go back to catching shotlifters.
Shame, I wanted to visit NY City, just to photograph there, but after 9/11, it has become a fascist state. I guess the terrorist did win after all.
Is Alaska any better? That is on my to-visit list. :)
J.
Perhaps all of us United States Photograhpers should take a stand and get in touch with the ACLU and setup a protest. Get hundreds of us at various 'forbidden' locations and start snapping images.
I'm going to start asking them for their ID first -- they are obligated to identify themselves by more than telling you who they are -- how would I know they aren't identity thieves who rented uniforms and are out to grab whatever info they can under the "cover of authority."
...
Good Call, for example this is from a community website in my area.
However, the Supreme Court claimed that Majors, who posed as a law enforcement officer and told her that she was under investigation for theft from her employer, certainly acted in a way that qualifies as kidnapping. The Supreme Court said the appeals court took the wording of the statute to literally.
The dude posed as an official, lured a 18yr old girl into his van and tried to rape her...so we never know without proper id do we?
Just so you know, the US Supreme Court recently ruled that you DO have to show ID when it is requested by law enforcement if you are detained at all ( basically if they are talking to you, they are detaining you unless you specifically ask them and they tell you they are NOT detaining you) and not just when they are arrest you. Evidently, we do not have the right to anonymity anymore. Read the decision HERE
I'm going to start asking them for their ID first -- they are obligated to identify themselves by more than telling you who they are -- how would I know they aren't identity thieves who rented uniforms and are out to grab whatever info they can under the "cover of authority."
...
Good Call, for example this is from a community website in my area.
However, the Supreme Court claimed that Majors, who posed as a law enforcement officer and told her that she was under investigation for theft from her employer, certainly acted in a way that qualifies as kidnapping. The Supreme Court said the appeals court took the wording of the statute to literally.
The dude posed as an official, lured a 18yr old girl into his van and tried to rape her...so we never know without proper id do we?
As they teach the children in school now, "Proper ID" isn't always proper either. Kids are instructed to demand the officer call in another unit. A REAL cop is obligated to do so if you request it...a fake one is incapable of it, then you'll know.
