Gene doesn’t want you to take his bird in your face personally.

Then I can only assume he meant it for the rest of us, since he continually posed for the camera knowing it would find its way into your article.

I see your bird and raise you two, Gene.

How about this scenario?

I show up to the beach before the drum circle starts because I have an interest in sharing this event with my readers.

He immediately tells me that “we don’t want any articles, we don’t want any tourists.”

Wouldn’t that be entitlement?

After all, he’s been hanging out there for a number of years, but doesn’t want anybody else to show up, even though they take place on a public beach.

My intention is to write a positive article because I think it’s cool that people do this once a month on the full moon.

Usually when that happens, I receive positive feedback. This is my experience, not my entitlement.

But I also believe it is common sense to not do anything you wouldn’t want reported in front of a journalist.

Would you speed in front of a cop?

I do think the guy had “issues” because I’ve photographed a number of musicians over the years and I’ve never had such a response.

Usually, they are either so immersed in their music that they don’t care I am photographing them or they are happy that I am taking an interest in their music.

But maybe he is entitled to where he believes he can dictate who can and can’t take his photo in a public function on a public beach.

I only focused on him when he started flipping me off. Perhaps you would have backed away. I rarely back down from anything. That’s my nature. Not my entitlement.

But whatever, Ken.

None of anything you mentioned is entitlement.

But you want to know what might be?

That I don’t give a fuck what you think.

You wanted to take a picture of someone. Your right. He didn’t want to be photographed, and didn’t cooperate. His right. You, in turn, (1) complain that most people “at least try to be professional because they realize I am there to report the truth” (entitled), (2) complained that he must have “issues” if he doesn’t want to be photographed by you (entitled), (3) decided to take more pictures to annoy him because you are annoyed he doesn’t want to be photographed by you (entitled), (4) think that it’s his own fault if you annoyed him more because he should have just let you do what you wanted to do (entitled) (5) think that someone asking not to be photographed is “telling you how to do your job” (entitled), and (6) shared this whole story here portarying yourself as a victim (entitled).

Good for you for documenting police abuse and limitations on the rights of photographers. It’s a valuable subject. But this is plain obnoxious.

Really? Entitlement is expressing my First Amendment rights on a blog?

Since when?

Should I not write my story because one guy out of 200 had some issues about being photographed?

Should I just pack up and go home and not get paid for this assignment?

That’s up to you. But if you photograph someone who does not want to be photographed (legal), and he reacts by flipping you off at every opportunity and spoiling your shot (legal), you should think twice about writing a post portraying yourself as a victim.

That’s entitlement. You are not, in fact, entitled to respect.

So, yeah, I’d agree that the drummer is the one with the sense of entitlement here, not Carlos.

How is that thinking any different from the people who believe we shouldn’t photograph cops in public?

And it’s not like this guy was trying to have a mellow night at the beach with his family.

He was banging on a drum along with a bunch of drummers. On a public beach.

Sense of entitlement?

This asshole is acting as if he owns the beach.

Why doesn’t he just concentrate on his drumming like the other drummers?

He looks to me to be a first-class asshole.