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Thread: Homeland security blues

  1. #1

    Homeland security blues

    Here we go again-just ran across this on the news web:

    http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040716/D83RNL400.html

    Maybe this kind of exposure will help open the public eye!!

    Bob

  2. #2

    Homeland security blues

    what has this got to do with LF?

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    1,219

    Homeland security blues

    Mark,

    It has the following to do with LF. Anyone at all can quickly take a picture of anything using a small digital or point and shoot camera. A large format photographer is likely to scout around examining the scene from various angles, set up a tripod, and mount an impressive looking camera on it. That may induce these idiots to decide that the photographer is a terrorist and has to be stopped, whether or not he is breaking any rules or laws. We should join others in complaining about such infringements on our liberty. Not only does it harm us, but it also is a waste of taxpayers' money, including ours.

  4. #4

    Homeland security blues

    This may well be a waste of US taxpayers' money, but surely there are better places to discuss it than a global forum dedicated to LF photography?

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    9,487

    Homeland security blues

    True enough Leonard, but common sense dictates that if I wanted to find a ruse for studying the underside of a bridge to determine where to place explosives - or where to dump posion into a water supply- pretending to be a large format photographer would be an excellent cover. Not only would I have an excuse for wandering around "the backside," but I could take my sweet time studying traffic flow and details.

    I agree that many of the TSA people are self-important and dumb, but good help is hard to find for such a crappy job. Now that they are federal employees and almost impossible to fire, their attitude is only getting worse.

    These security rules weren't made to target photographers. Maybe we should stop thinking that we are so important that the "authorities" are "after" our hobby/professional in particular.

  6. #6

    Homeland security blues

    In other published accounts about this incident there were more details about the photographer's behavior. His actions included taking notes and becoming beligerant and hostile to authorities when he was asked for an ID. It appears the whole problem may have been avoided if he had simply shown the first officer his ID. There were also reports that the authorities were first made aware of this guy by phone calls from citizens about a suspicious person's activity in the area of the locks. The photographer was on federal property, simply showing an ID in this instance cannot be considered the invasion of our liberty and all the other nonsense people fear.

  7. #7

    Homeland security blues

    What has it to do with LF?

    Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist.

    Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

    Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten, habe ich nicht protestiert; ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

    Als sie die Juden holten, habe ich nicht protestiert; ich war ja kein Jude.

    Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestierte.

    * Translation: When the Nazis arrested the Communists, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist. When they locked up the Social Democrats, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat. When they arrested the trade unionists, I said nothing; afterall, I was not a trade unionist. When they arrested the Jews, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Jew. When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.

    Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Posts
    711

    Homeland security blues

    Bingo, Jane

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    137

    Homeland security blues

    I was thrown out of a parking garage last weekend for taking a picture of some buildings. The self-important security guard told me the garage is for customers only. Fair enough, I said, but what if I were to park my car in the stall where I wanted to photograph from, pay the parking fee, and take a picture from the stall I've paid for? He couldn't come up with a response other than: "You can't take pictures from here! It's only for people coming and going!" The guy was a real ass.

  10. #10
    tim atherton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 1998
    Posts
    3,697

    Homeland security blues

    "These security rules weren't made to target photographers. Maybe we should stop thinking that we are so important that the "authorities" are "after" our hobby/professional in particular."

    Which security rules Frank? He broke no rules, indeed broke no laws. And the US Army Corps of Engineers say they have no problem with people photographing the bridge?
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

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