Building Security

[flyfishertoo]

I just returned from Charlotte, NC to visit my son. While walking around downtown, I stopped to take pictures of one of the buildings. While I was setting up, a security officer walked out of the building and told me that it was their policy to not allow pictures to be taken of the building. This was due to "several incidents" that had occurred. He didn't say what those incidents were. I was upset and frustrated and let him know that I thought it was ridiculous, but I packed up left. I had walked up 2 or 3 steps to take the picture, so technically I was on their property. I thought later that maybe I should have stepped back onto the sidewalk and defied him, but it was too late, and probably would not have been a wise thing to do. Seems to me that we are losing our personal freedoms to what I see as a false sense of security. If I was truly intent on some sort of violence, I think I would be a little more discreet in my "surveillance". Thanks for letting me vent.

[mzdial]

I would of stepped back down on the sidewalk and took that photo. You were perfectly in the right to take a photo of the building, but NOT on their property. Flashlight cops have to harrass someone to get some action, you just were his/her entertainment for the moment.

I really hate the post-9/11 U.S. we live in. It shows you that the terrorists won because no one trusts each other anymore.

-- Matt

[Anders Östberg]

I'm sure they can't stop you from take a picture of a building, unless it's federal property or things like power plants or military installations which I think are protected by law in the US.

I've been asked to stop taking pictures twice lately, both inside shopping malls, and though this has been forbidden by the owners for a long time I don't believe it has ever been enforced before 9/11. Even here in Sweden we are now afraid of terrorists even though the chances of someone planning something here must be very remote.

[cox]

Last year in San Francisco, after the anti-war protests, I was walking thru town taking pictures of the aftermath.

A rent-a-cop comes out of a building and says, "We can't allow you to take pictures of our building."

I replied, "Aw, you shouldn't feel like that. It's a very nice building. You should want people to look at it." I think I just confused him. Anyway, it's their property and I don't care if they want me to take pictures or not. If I do, I will, and if I don't I won't.

More disturbing to me is the fear that people display. You odds are better of winning the lotto, being struck by lightning or winning a Nobel prize than being a victim of terror in the USA. Come on people, if my (white) ancestors had thought this way, they would never have met my (red) ancestors!

[nhfirefighter13]

I'm sure they can't stop you from take a picture of a building, unless it's federal property or things like power plants or military installations which I think are protected by law in the US.


I believe the rules go something like this: If you, the photographer, are on public property and can see what you want to photograph, you can shoot it. It's fair game. At least this is what my instructor keeps telling us and he's been a news photographer for longer than I've been alive...so I'll take his word for it.

[lecter]

agree, the paranoia is getting out of hand....

here's a funny story, a colleague of mine is in the Congo, decommissioning a site for a transfer to a french company who have bought the rights to the field.

He's hassled by me all the time to send photos of the places he goes, so he's snapping away here and there and regailing us with stories about the problems they're having, labour revolts over the transition etc etc.....

He's in a vehicle driving from compound to compound (where they lock up the expats) and at the gate (going in) they are confronted with an angry mob protesting the transition. Armed with the standard African machettes, knives and the odd gun, they represent a scary sight.

My friend, now the seasoned photographer, leans out of the car and points his fully functioned P&S at the crowd and ***** FLASH ****, doh!!! He flashed them......Well as you can imagine, the insurgents were none too happy to have photographic evidence of their recalcitrance and the car was mobbed by the mob. After many heavy discussions and negotiations (he finally got to keep his "film" and deleted the offending shot......

The point of the story is sometimes to take the shot, but don't make it obvious.....

lol

(next episode covers an incident in Cambodia..)

apologies for boring you to death...

[Queen Josephine]

Fear makes monsters of us all. Unless you believe in something greater than yourself.