Would you be upset?
04-02-13 | 10:13 AM
#51
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 15,946
Likes: 371
From: Philadelphia, PA
Bikes: Two wheeled ones
Seriously. You can't get them to come out over burglaries, auto accidents or assaults here. I also would have felt no compunction to stick around once the confrontation with the guy started to become more belligerent.
04-02-13 | 10:56 AM
#52
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,955
Likes: 705
From: Port Angeles, WA
Bikes: A green one, "Ragleigh," or something.
Depends a lot on the cop and the beat. If it's an area that is experiencing a lot of bike thefts, and the police are taking a lot of flack about "not doing anything about it" (as if they really could), then the cop probably wanted to go through the motions of checking out the photog's driver's license to appear to be responsive to the plaintiff. It's dumb, but it gets guys like that off their backs if they can make it look like they're trying. Kills the time 'til the end of their shift.
04-02-13 | 11:16 AM
#53
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,141
Likes: 84
Up to the point where you had to delete the picture and prove it to the other guy, the PO was probably just doing his job. Not that it wasn't annoying and maybe even somewhat degrading. The deleting pics stuff is another story. I might stop by the precinct and depending on the attitude you get either have a friendly talk with his SGT or LT, or make a formal complaint. And I am a pretty big fan of the boys in blue for the most part, but it doesn't do anyone any good to have them walking around making up intrusive rules as they go along.
04-02-13 | 11:28 AM
#54
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 693
Likes: 20
I am relieved to hear that I was not egregiously uncouth.
It was the university police, they like to prove they are 'real' police but they were very cool with me, all things considered, they really wanted to diffuse the situation and move on. I had hoped to show the guy I was no threat, I don't want people thinking bad/wrong things about me. When he started to call the police my first thought was to leave but then thought that if I did it might turn into a bigger problem so I stuck around. For lack of a better word, it was surreal. At least for a while I will walk and gaze in other areas.
It was the university police, they like to prove they are 'real' police but they were very cool with me, all things considered, they really wanted to diffuse the situation and move on. I had hoped to show the guy I was no threat, I don't want people thinking bad/wrong things about me. When he started to call the police my first thought was to leave but then thought that if I did it might turn into a bigger problem so I stuck around. For lack of a better word, it was surreal. At least for a while I will walk and gaze in other areas.
04-02-13 | 11:34 AM
#55
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,506
Likes: 4,579
From: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
I took a picture of this lady's bike but I waited until she walked away cuz I didn't want her to feel weird
04-02-13 | 12:21 PM
#57
one life on two wheels
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 27
From: St. Petersburg, FL
I was the one snapping photos. I work next to a university and a hospital and there are bikes everywhere and sometimes my own bike is among them. On breaks, at lunch or when there is a lull in the work flow I often wander about checking bikes out, sometimes laughing, sometimes drooling. It is a habit that I have had for the last ten years and it has not once been an issue until this week and I have hundreds of photos that I have snapped all over town. Sometimes with the owners in the shot, other times not. It had not ever occurred to me that anyone would take offense, in my experience the general mood among fellow cyclists is one of camaraderie. Of the bikes I took pictures of when the cyclists were around, all of them were thrilled that I was so impressed with their bikes and on occasion they have in turned snapped pictures of my bike.
Socially, I am not exactly adept it is not unusual for me to completely misread a social situation. Still, I was none the less caught completely off guard yesterday afternoon. I saw black Raleigh that looked like a 70's something and walked over. There was no one within 20 feet of the bike rack. I hadn't had time to get a good look at it but it appeared to be in pristine condition and I noticed "Nottingham" on the Raleigh head badge so I pulled out my phone, never touched the bike, but zoomed in on the head badge and snapped an a picture. I walked around to the other side and started to line up a shot and this guy comes running over yelling at me.
I explained what I was doing, showed him pictures of my own bikes, but he was convinced I was a bike thief. The police came, they ran my license, I explained everything to them twice, let him see me delete the pictures of his bike and was then let go. The police suggested I not do that any more. It was quite humiliating.
Socially, I am not exactly adept it is not unusual for me to completely misread a social situation. Still, I was none the less caught completely off guard yesterday afternoon. I saw black Raleigh that looked like a 70's something and walked over. There was no one within 20 feet of the bike rack. I hadn't had time to get a good look at it but it appeared to be in pristine condition and I noticed "Nottingham" on the Raleigh head badge so I pulled out my phone, never touched the bike, but zoomed in on the head badge and snapped an a picture. I walked around to the other side and started to line up a shot and this guy comes running over yelling at me.
I explained what I was doing, showed him pictures of my own bikes, but he was convinced I was a bike thief. The police came, they ran my license, I explained everything to them twice, let him see me delete the pictures of his bike and was then let go. The police suggested I not do that any more. It was quite humiliating.
04-02-13 | 01:26 PM
#58
Banned.
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 27,199
Likes: 1,463
I'm no fan of the ACLU or their scams, but I do understand "public."
I used to work fraud and often found myself taking pictures of Nigerians, in public, mainly because we could never be sure who they even were. Drove 'em nuts, and was completely acceptable.
I think I'd listen to the twit rage, then take his picture, and that of the cop, just to prove a point. He left the "OK, Dude, no problem" behind when he hissy-fitted, and forfeited it forever when he called the police.
Would have made a great YouTube, especially if you'd offered him nude pics of his significant other.
I used to work fraud and often found myself taking pictures of Nigerians, in public, mainly because we could never be sure who they even were. Drove 'em nuts, and was completely acceptable.
I think I'd listen to the twit rage, then take his picture, and that of the cop, just to prove a point. He left the "OK, Dude, no problem" behind when he hissy-fitted, and forfeited it forever when he called the police.
Would have made a great YouTube, especially if you'd offered him nude pics of his significant other.
04-02-13 | 02:21 PM
#59
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 933
From: In transit
Bikes: 07 Vanilla, 98 IRD road frame built up with 25th Ann DA, Surly cross check with 105 comp, 78 Raleigh Comp GS, 85 Centurionelli
One addendum; most states declare that photography is legal as long as the pic is being taken from publicly accessible property. This varies a bit state to state, but even standing on the sidewalk with a 500mm zoom taking shots through your open window is legal. Note the difficulty dealing with the whole paparazzi issue.
I ran into this issue several times as a police officer, and in each case had to explain to the aggrieved party that the law says it's ok, and that there's nothing I could do in the law to rectify the situation. This is, in fact, used by pedophiles on occassion, but there's harrassment statutes cops can use in such cases.
I completely concur with knowing one's rights. As a amateur photo hound on occassion I've been taken to task by over-eager security guards and had to explain that I was within my rights (there' s gorgeous abandoned old railway building in Portland that had a known over anxious Paul Blart type who would shout at you through the fence to show him your camera or he'd call the cops). I always delete a pic if asked; I'd rather defuse than be "right." Still, that guy who called the cops to deal with such a stupid issue? Nope. I'd have told him to pound sand and asked the cop (politely) for the statute. You'll always know if a cop is hedging by his response. If he gets bent about being questioned on the existence of a law in a non-violent suituation there's bigger problems afoot.
Being a citizen is sometimes standing your ground when you're right and it makes sense.
I ran into this issue several times as a police officer, and in each case had to explain to the aggrieved party that the law says it's ok, and that there's nothing I could do in the law to rectify the situation. This is, in fact, used by pedophiles on occassion, but there's harrassment statutes cops can use in such cases.
I completely concur with knowing one's rights. As a amateur photo hound on occassion I've been taken to task by over-eager security guards and had to explain that I was within my rights (there' s gorgeous abandoned old railway building in Portland that had a known over anxious Paul Blart type who would shout at you through the fence to show him your camera or he'd call the cops). I always delete a pic if asked; I'd rather defuse than be "right." Still, that guy who called the cops to deal with such a stupid issue? Nope. I'd have told him to pound sand and asked the cop (politely) for the statute. You'll always know if a cop is hedging by his response. If he gets bent about being questioned on the existence of a law in a non-violent suituation there's bigger problems afoot.
Being a citizen is sometimes standing your ground when you're right and it makes sense.
04-02-13 | 02:33 PM
#60
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 15,946
Likes: 371
From: Philadelphia, PA
Bikes: Two wheeled ones
One addendum; most states declare that photography is legal as long as the pic is being taken from publicly accessible property. This varies a bit state to state, but even standing on the sidewalk with a 500mm zoom taking shots through your open window is legal. Note the difficulty dealing with the whole paparazzi issue.
I ran into this issue several times as a police officer, and in each case had to explain to the aggrieved party that the law says it's ok, and that there's nothing I could do in the law to rectify the situation. This is, in fact, used by pedophiles on occassion, but there's harrassment statutes cops can use in such cases.
I completely concur with knowing one's rights. As a amateur photo hound on occassion I've been taken to task by over-eager security guards and had to explain that I was within my rights (there' s gorgeous abandoned old railway building in Portland that had a known over anxious Paul Blart type who would shout at you through the fence to show him your camera or he'd call the cops). I always delete a pic if asked; I'd rather defuse than be "right." Still, that guy who called the cops to deal with such a stupid issue? Nope. I'd have told him to pound sand and asked the cop (politely) for the statute. You'll always know if a cop is hedging by his response. If he gets bent about being questioned on the existence of a law in a non-violent suituation there's bigger problems afoot.
Being a citizen is sometimes standing your ground when you're right and it makes sense.
I ran into this issue several times as a police officer, and in each case had to explain to the aggrieved party that the law says it's ok, and that there's nothing I could do in the law to rectify the situation. This is, in fact, used by pedophiles on occassion, but there's harrassment statutes cops can use in such cases.
I completely concur with knowing one's rights. As a amateur photo hound on occassion I've been taken to task by over-eager security guards and had to explain that I was within my rights (there' s gorgeous abandoned old railway building in Portland that had a known over anxious Paul Blart type who would shout at you through the fence to show him your camera or he'd call the cops). I always delete a pic if asked; I'd rather defuse than be "right." Still, that guy who called the cops to deal with such a stupid issue? Nope. I'd have told him to pound sand and asked the cop (politely) for the statute. You'll always know if a cop is hedging by his response. If he gets bent about being questioned on the existence of a law in a non-violent suituation there's bigger problems afoot.
Being a citizen is sometimes standing your ground when you're right and it makes sense.
Depends a lot on the cop and the beat. If it's an area that is experiencing a lot of bike thefts, and the police are taking a lot of flack about "not doing anything about it" (as if they really could), then the cop probably wanted to go through the motions of checking out the photog's driver's license to appear to be responsive to the plaintiff. It's dumb, but it gets guys like that off their backs if they can make it look like they're trying. Kills the time 'til the end of their shift.
I think these are both great posts. There are fights that have to be fought - but a lot of the time it's more sensible to let it go. If you do fight that fight, I think it's typically done AFTER the incident. The police have so much power in an on scene stop/incident, and the potential consequences for them of making a non-truly egregious error are so slight, that I think standing up for your rights during the incident is generally a mistake. There are police in Philly who have beaten people over cameras who were never disciplined. You smile, do what they say and talk to their supervisor/escalate as needed the next day.
I'm glad there are groups like the ACLU who sued the Philly Police over their offensive behavior regarding cameras and videos. I might not agree with everything they do, but I'm glad they are around. The ACLU is directly responsible for retraining regarding cameras/videos and directives to the department that actually comply with common sense and civil rights.
04-02-13 | 02:41 PM
#61
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 6,970
Likes: 59
From: Catskills/Brooklyn, NY
Bikes: See sig
I explained what I was doing, showed him pictures of my own bikes, but he was convinced I was a bike thief. The police came, they ran my license, I explained everything to them twice, let him see me delete the pictures of his bike and was then let go. The police suggested I not do that any more. It was quite humiliating.
I would not have waited for the cops--you did nothing wrong. The guy was just an a-hole. I take pictures of bikes on the street occasionally and no one has ever challenged me. If they did, I would be friendly, but if they got belligerent I would just split.
Last edited by lostarchitect; 04-02-13 at 02:45 PM.
04-02-13 | 06:55 PM
#62
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,714
Likes: 13
From: Normal, Illinois
Bikes: Trek 600 ,1980Raleigh Competition G.S., 1986 Schwinn Passage, Facet Biotour 2000, Falcon San Remo 531,Schwinn Sierra, Sun Seeker tricycle recumbent,1985 Bianchi Squadra
It just seems to me
like admiration and affection
for bikes should be encouraged,
not another unjust avenue
for hassles .
like admiration and affection
for bikes should be encouraged,
not another unjust avenue
for hassles .
04-02-13 | 08:31 PM
#65
Thrifty Bill
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,645
Likes: 1,109
From: Mans of NC & SW UT Desert
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Since all of my bikes were restored by me (and all started as neglected bikes), I would consider it a nice compliment.
As far as calling the cops, wow, that was one A-hole on that one. And for the cops to even have time for it, that's crazy as well. I guess it means there is no crime where you live/work.
As far as calling the cops, wow, that was one A-hole on that one. And for the cops to even have time for it, that's crazy as well. I guess it means there is no crime where you live/work.
04-02-13 | 10:39 PM
#66
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
From: Fox Island Washington
Bikes: Paramounts P-15(2) and P-10 Several Krates
Right on Brutha!
