Comments on: Amtrak “revises” photo policy as Amtrak police continue harassment http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/ Shining a Light on First Amendment, Media and Police Issues Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:15:21 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael Martin http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-11930 Michael Martin Sat, 30 May 2009 22:36:11 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-11930 Wait until you start taking pictures of commercial airliners! I'm an avid aviation photographer, with many published photo's, and in the area of the Atlanta Hartsfield airport, I have been approached, stopped, investigated by the following agencies: ATL Operations ATL Security ATL Airport Police Atlanta Police AirTran Security College Park Police Forest Park Police US Air Marshal FBI The FBI actually came out to my place of work and conducted an interview with me. IMHO, the two agents must have either been rookies or been bad and had to talk to me. I called them Dumber and Dumberer! These guys had no clue and I turned the table on them and started asking them questions about their guns, radio equipment, etc. The quickly concluded the investigation and left! The US Air Marshal was the coolist of them all! He wanted to make sure I wasn't a "fan belt and pizza hut table cloth dude"! Probably the most friendliest person I ever met. He even gave me a couple of locations on where I could get the best photo's from! Now, I don't get harrassed by them anymore as I ended up contacting the ATL Operations folks and they have given me a renewable 6 month pass to shoot photo's from airport property. Wait until you start taking pictures of commercial airliners! I’m an avid aviation photographer, with many published photo’s, and in the area of the Atlanta Hartsfield airport, I have been approached, stopped, investigated by the following agencies:

ATL Operations
ATL Security
ATL Airport Police
Atlanta Police
AirTran Security
College Park Police
Forest Park Police
US Air Marshal
FBI

The FBI actually came out to my place of work and conducted an interview with me. IMHO, the two agents must have either been rookies or been bad and had to talk to me. I called them Dumber and Dumberer! These guys had no clue and I turned the table on them and started asking them questions about their guns, radio equipment, etc. The quickly concluded the investigation and left!

The US Air Marshal was the coolist of them all! He wanted to make sure I wasn’t a “fan belt and pizza hut table cloth dude”! Probably the most friendliest person I ever met. He even gave me a couple of locations on where I could get the best photo’s from!

Now, I don’t get harrassed by them anymore as I ended up contacting the ATL Operations folks and they have given me a renewable 6 month pass to shoot photo’s from airport property.

]]> By: John http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-10801 John Wed, 06 May 2009 05:37:47 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-10801 Reading the policy it seems that you are in the wrong if you think that holding a ticket makes it ok to stand out on the platform and wait for trains to come into the station, it clearly states that ticketed passengers can only film when boarding or or de-boarding a train Reading the policy it seems that you are in the wrong if you think that holding a ticket makes it ok to stand out on the platform and wait for trains to come into the station, it clearly states that ticketed passengers can only film when boarding or or de-boarding a train

]]> By: JoyLeaf http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-6725 JoyLeaf Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:02:09 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-6725 Last time some one asked me that stupid question I told them I was shining my shoes. They then said," No your not, your taking a picture!" "Well duh!" Conversation went down hill from there. Last time some one asked me that stupid question I told them I was shining my shoes. They then said,” No your not, your taking a picture!” “Well duh!” Conversation went down hill from there.

]]> By: Marc J. Randazza http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-6329 Marc J. Randazza Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:44:21 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-6329 What these "Security Theater" stooges don't seem to understand is that anyone devious enough to plan some kind of terrorist activity would probably be devious enough to go somewhere with an accomplice and have them "pose" for a picture... voila, nothing suspicious about that. What these “Security Theater” stooges don’t seem to understand is that anyone devious enough to plan some kind of terrorist activity would probably be devious enough to go somewhere with an accomplice and have them “pose” for a picture… voila, nothing suspicious about that.

]]> By: Duane Kerzic http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-6314 Duane Kerzic Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:42:28 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-6314 Jones, we are well aware of that. We even tolerate it. Wasn't there a comedy show about a cop that was always asking the obvious question? In this case the guy is obviusly taking a photo of a trin that only comes once a day. He bought his tickets so he can be there. Then deputy obvious comes along and bothers him with a question that's not even worth answering. Photography is not a suspicious activity. Jones, we are well aware of that. We even tolerate it. Wasn’t there a comedy show about a cop that was always asking the obvious question?

In this case the guy is obviusly taking a photo of a trin that only comes once a day. He bought his tickets so he can be there. Then deputy obvious comes along and bothers him with a question that’s not even worth answering.

Photography is not a suspicious activity.

]]> By: jones http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-6313 jones Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:58:32 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-6313 One of the most annoying questions you can ask a photographer when he is obviously taking photos is “what are you doing?”. That question is even more annoying when you are shooting video because it interrupts the video. There is no law against asking somebody what they are doing. A photographer has no expectation of privacy when he is taking pictures or video taping. If you don't want people interrupting your video go somewhere else. You can't have it both ways. One of the most annoying questions you can ask a photographer when he is obviously taking photos is “what are you doing?”. That question is even more annoying when you are shooting video because it interrupts the video.

There is no law against asking somebody what they are doing. A photographer has no expectation of privacy when he is taking pictures or video taping. If you don’t want people interrupting your video go somewhere else. You can’t have it both ways.

]]> By: Duane Kerzic http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/16/amtrak-revises-photo-policy-as-amtrak-police-continue-harassment/#comment-6305 Duane Kerzic Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:59:05 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5183#comment-6305 The second most annoying queston to be asked when you are taking news worthy questions is, "who are you with?" You answer, "I'm with myself" and they can't except that as a plausable answer. Then they say "well this is suspicious activity, let me see your ID." At the time you're being "suspicious" you're standing in a public street near a newsworthy event and obviously taking a photo of subject of the event. This happened to me last night (3/16/2009) at the site of a NJ Transit Train waiting to be towed away which tore down the electric lines for the Northeast Corridor Line. I was approached by Officer Garcia, badge 0318 of the New Jersey Transit Police. To her credit this did not get out of control. Perhaps my mentioning the name of NJT's executive director has something to do with that. The second most annoying queston to be asked when you are taking news worthy questions is, “who are you with?” You answer, “I’m with myself” and they can’t except that as a plausable answer. Then they say “well this is suspicious activity, let me see your ID.” At the time you’re being “suspicious” you’re standing in a public street near a newsworthy event and obviously taking a photo of subject of the event.

This happened to me last night (3/16/2009) at the site of a NJ Transit Train waiting to be towed away which tore down the electric lines for the Northeast Corridor Line. I was approached by Officer Garcia, badge 0318 of the New Jersey Transit Police. To her credit this did not get out of control. Perhaps my mentioning the name of NJT’s executive director has something to do with that.

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