Not sure where to post this, so I'll just post it here.
For those of us who aren't content with only taking pictures while driving, has anyone ever been harassed or hassled by police while doing so? For me, personally, I have not, as I try to park in legal locations and respect other vehicle traffic while on foot or stopping at the side of the road. I've had several encounters with law enforcement of different kinds, but it has always been of the "are you okay?"/wellness check variety, usually because I'm pulled over with my hazard flashers on. Some have asked what I'm doing, but I've never gotten a negative response from the answer "just out taking pictures."
I'm curious to know if other road photography enthusiasts have had the same experience as me, or if they've been hassled by local/county/state/(or even military, if you happen to be near a base or whatever) police in some form or another, or even private security for local businesses and the like.
I got hassled by a private security guy on a building lot in Chicago back in 2012.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 19, 2018, 07:11:11 PM
Not sure where to post this, so I'll just post it here.
For those of us who aren't content with only taking pictures while driving, has anyone ever been harassed or hassled by police while doing so? For me, personally, I have not, as I try to park in legal locations and respect other vehicle traffic while on foot or stopping at the side of the road. I've had several encounters with law enforcement of different kinds, but it has always been of the "are you okay?"/wellness check variety, usually because I'm pulled over with my hazard flashers on. Some have asked what I'm doing, but I've never gotten a negative response from the answer "just out taking pictures."
I'm curious to know if other road photography enthusiasts have had the same experience as me, or if they've been hassled by local/county/state/(or even military, if you happen to be near a base or whatever) police in some form or another, or even private security for local businesses and the like.
Those of us who attended the "Fort-to-Port" meet were chased off a job site by an Indiana state trooper who was less-than-pleasant in his demeanor.
In contrast, we were approached during my Charleston, WV meet many years ago by a West Virginia state trooper. We were stopped at the temporary end of the US 35 expressway (at WV 34) taking pictures. When I told him what was going on, he responded with a "be careful" and went on his merry way.
I'd suggest going to Walmart and getting a cheap high-viz vest to wear when out taking pictures. If nothing else, it'll make you look more official and less likely to be questioned.
Quote from: hbelkins on June 19, 2018, 07:16:41 PM
I'd suggest going to Walmart and getting a cheap high-viz vest to wear when out taking pictures. If nothing else, it'll make you look more official and less likely to be questioned.
You know, this is something I have thought of, but never actually done or bothered to get around to. I really should though, if only for my own safety. With the kind of car I drive, I really doubt people are going to think I'm a person working in any official capacity. :-D
I've had a few brief encounters with military police, most recently when I took a photo of an emergency callbox on one of Hawaii's newer and more remote highways. The MP pointed out that the highway there passed through an Army base, and that I really shouldn't be making non-emergency stops on that part of the highway (I think he really didn't want me to take pictures of a military airfield up ahead). The military tends to be really camera-shy, and an Act of Congress explicitly authorizes it to restrict photography of military facilities, so the MPs stand on firmer ground than civilian police or rent-a-cops.
Quote from: oscar on June 19, 2018, 08:24:32 PM
I've had a few brief encounters with military police, most recently when I took a photo of an emergency callbox on one of Hawaii's newer and more remote highways. The MP pointed out that the highway there passed through an Army base, and that I really shouldn't be making non-emergency stops on that part of the highway (I think he really didn't want me to take pictures of a military airfield up ahead). The military tends to be really camera-shy, and an Act of Congress explicitly authorizes it to restrict photography of military facilities, so the MPs stand on firmer ground than civilian police or rent-a-cops.
Wait. There was a callbox?
Quote from: jon daly on June 19, 2018, 08:39:41 PM
Wait. There was a callbox?
Yes. In a remote area in the middle of Hawaii's Big Island, with no cellphone service.
Hawaii also has some callboxes in less remote areas.
I think this sort of thing is far more common when filming or photographing airplanes or trains, although even that depends on the scenario. Based on the videos I saw, it looked like quite a few amateur photographers were allowed to film the landing of the first A380 in revenue service at ORD.
I just returned from a weekend in Texas and was "questioned" (for lack of a better term) by two different officers (different towns).
#1 was in Paducah, TX. The officer was friendly and we chatted for about 5-10 minutes. Pleasant fellow.
#2 was Dimmit, TX. This officer was more formal. He thought I was a TV news guy because of my van. I explained I was driving around taking photos, and after asking me which way I was headed next, then left me alone.
I usually find myself harassed by locals rather than police, often accused of trespassing, even though I'm on a public roadway.
Quote from: US71 on June 19, 2018, 09:25:37 PM
I usually find myself harassed by locals rather than police, often accused of trespassing, even though I'm on a public roadway.
I've gotten similar treatment, especially when my photos included cars on super-narrow roads (to show that they really were one-lane roads, with no room to add a second lane or shoulders), which drew complaints about surveillance. I made a point thereafter of taking such photos only of cars moving away from me, so nobody's face would end up on the Web.
Quote from: US71 on June 19, 2018, 09:25:37 PM
I usually find myself harassed by locals rather than police, often accused of trespassing, even though I'm on a public roadway.
Oh yes. I didn't mention that in my post, but yeah, that has absolutely been my experience too, getting harassed by local residents. I've had plenty of people come up to me and ask what I'm doing, a decent subset of which then get upset about it when I explain it. In those cases, I think these people just don't believe me. I even had one guy threaten to call the cops on me, and he sat and watched me from his front steps until I left, whereupon he took a picture of my car as I drove past. Not sure if he ever called them or not. I've tried to explain to some of these people that I can take pretty much whatever pictures I like so long as I'm on a public right-of-way, but that pretty much never works.
Just over two years ago, I was taking pictures while driving down the 407. A cop got on the highway, and passed me. Once the officer had passed me, I resumed taking photos (I use a big SLR camera, so it's fairly obvious when it's in use). I took a couple of photos, and then the officer slowed down, and started matching my speed in another lane over. I noticed this, and stopped taking photos, and didn't make eye contact. After a while, because I was ignoring him, the officer hit the siren for a second, and then looked at me, made a motion like he was taking a picture while shaking his head, and then sped off.
Shame... it was early evening, I was driving east and I had beautiful light for photos.
I've had lots of encounters, though none recently.
The only similar encounter that comes to mind is when I stopped to take a picture of the Tunkhannock Viaduct in PA and a local stopped to tell me of a better place to take a shot of it.
Got pulled over in Texas on my way to clinch Loving County. My then-fiancee/now-wife was in the car, too. He said I was speeding and asked where we were going. My fiancee then told him about county clinching and that we were headed to Dallas. He said we were way off the beaten path. I asked how fast he thought we were going and he just pointedly said that he could go back to his car and come back to tell me. I told him not to bother and we were on our way. Probably all due to our then-Utah plates.
Quote from: Rothman on June 19, 2018, 11:08:13 PM
The only similar encounter that comes to mind is when I stopped to take a picture of the Tunkhannock Viaduct in PA and a local stopped to tell me of a better place to take a shot of it.
That happened to me in Apache, OK. I was photographing a couple old buildings and someone directed me to a near perfect angle for my photos.
I have no experience that quite qualifies, but I was once questioned, in a non-harassing way, by a DOT contractor while photographing a construction project and walking on an unopened road. It was a Sunday and I expected that no one would be around, but unbeknown to me bridge beams for an overpass were being set nearby. I assume they did that on a Sunday so that the road closures would cause the fewest problems. The contractor person asked which paper I worked for, and I explained that I was there only for personal interest and that I knew to stay away from the active work area. He then left me alone.
I also was once out photographing a road that was closed due to flooding. A bridge that almost flooded, and its approaches, were closed. I walked from the road closure to the bridge for photographs. As I was leaving, a law enforcement vehicle stopped on the far side of the bridge and someone got out and moved the barricade. The vehicle crossed the bridge and stopped so the driver could talk to someone else, who was walking toward the bridge. I was already walking away so I didn't get run off, and I already had some pretty cool photos.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.patternsandprinciples.com%2Fotherfiles%2Ff16%2Fimages%2F31.jpg&hash=fef884b149d538394f252c9afd9d579dbb134ee5)
Plenty, by all sorts of "officers".
A bus driver told me to stop taking pictures of a station because I was "aiding the terrorists".
Security guards often don't know that sidewalks are public property, and that public property means unlimited rights to photograph from its bounds.
One random pedestrian tried to punch me for allegedly taking a picture of him, while I was instead taking a picture of a sign way above his head.
I got harassed by a cop while "on the job"...while wearing a safety vest and all. He claimed he thought I was taking pictures of a nearby grocery store that was for sale (not totally sure why that would matter anyway), but it just happened to be in the background of what I was actually photographing. Once my record came back on the up and up, he was chowing down on a huge helping of crow. He attempted to save face by making small talk about the road project. Gotta love small-town cops. :pan:
I've been stopped by police officers and security the most while out railfanning. The only times I've been "chased off" were on Redstone Arsenal (was taking pictures/video of some traffic lights when some officers came up and told me to stop) and when I set-up at a couple of different public crossings in Birmingham, AL that happened to be near some steel mills...
In 2008, I got yelled at by an ISTHA toll collector for taking a picture of the tiny stop sign on her toll booth. "No photos on the tollway!!" she cried.
Fuck you, lady.
(https://i.imgur.com/K12KzAP.jpg)
Quote from: Rothman on June 19, 2018, 11:08:13 PM
The only similar encounter that comes to mind is when I stopped to take a picture of the Tunkhannock Viaduct in PA and a local stopped to tell me of a better place to take a shot of it.
Got pulled over in Texas on my way to clinch Loving County. My then-fiancee/now-wife was in the car, too. He said I was speeding and asked where we were going. My fiancee then told him about county clinching and that we were headed to Dallas. He said we were way off the beaten path. I asked how fast he thought we were going and he just pointedly said that he could go back to his car and come back to tell me. I told him not to bother and we were on our way. Probably all due to our then-Utah plates.
The best way to answer a "where are you going" type of question is probably to simply state the next waypoint you're going to instead of the ultimate destination. If you had given your destination as "Mentone", it would both be true and not invite questions as to why you were so far off the "correct" route. Bonus points if you can give a halfway-plausible reason for going there (there's a restaurant you want to stop at, etc.).
A security guy approached me as I was taking photos of a '50's freeway artifact in downtown Atlanta. It was right next to the loading dock on a high rise, and I hadn't realized that the building has been leased for federal government offices. I showed the guy my photos, and he'd seen me take them, so he sent me on my merry way. I can't blame him for that.
Never been bothered by law enforcement over road photography. A few locals have made friendly chit-chat, but nothing threatening nor even stern. I once mistakenly parked on private property, and was told to "move along" once in Mansfield, Ohio. That's understandable. Two decades ago, I'd also parked on private property on what appeared to be an long-abandoned property, and was caught exploring alone; I was advised by the "owner" to not steal nor break anything, and be careful.
I've heard lots of similar complaints in the aviation-spotting field, and how some airport can be more overly concerned than others, but in all my travels, I've had only one flight attendant tell me to stop taking pictures. I'd snapped a few outside the plane, but noticed I took one of the inside the plane while we waited on an active taxiway. She demanded to see that photo, and asked for it to be deleted, even though there were exactly no people shown in the image.
One time about 10 years ago, I was taking a picture of a lake and beach in Indian Lake NY in the Adirondacks, and as I was just starting to drive away, I saw a woman walking fast towards me, pointing. As I had started to pull away, I just kept going.
A few days later, I had a call on my home voice mail from a State Trooper from the Indian Lake barracks asking for a call back - but I had rarely checked my home voice mails then, so I didn't get the message for until a couple of months later. I never returned the call.
I was asked to leave one time while taking pictures of the outside of the Packard Plant and other public streets years ago. I didn't think Detroit was the best place to draw myself into an argument so I left. Got some cool pictures from Grand Boulevard at least. Most of my stuff usually is so rural that there isn't anyone around to care I've found.
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 20, 2018, 05:04:45 AM
In 2008, I got yelled at by an ISTHA toll collector for taking a picture of the tiny stop sign on her toll booth. "No photos on the tollway!!" she cried.
Fuck you, lady.
Quote from: Rothman on June 19, 2018, 11:08:13 PM
The only similar encounter that comes to mind is when I stopped to take a picture of the Tunkhannock Viaduct in PA and a local stopped to tell me of a better place to take a shot of it.
Got pulled over in Texas on my way to clinch Loving County. My then-fiancee/now-wife was in the car, too. He said I was speeding and asked where we were going. My fiancee then told him about county clinching and that we were headed to Dallas. He said we were way off the beaten path. I asked how fast he thought we were going and he just pointedly said that he could go back to his car and come back to tell me. I told him not to bother and we were on our way. Probably all due to our then-Utah plates.
The best way to answer a "where are you going" type of question is probably to simply state the next waypoint you're going to instead of the ultimate destination. If you had given your destination as "Mentone", it would both be true and not invite questions as to why you were so far off the "correct" route. Bonus points if you can give a halfway-plausible reason for going there (there's a restaurant you want to stop at, etc.).
Toll takers are assholes. I had one yell at me for using the cash lanes with my I-Pass. I pointed over to the backup in the open toll lanes and the sensor above our heads and said "Sorry I'm being smarter."
Quote from: ET21 on June 20, 2018, 11:28:40 AM
Toll takers are assholes. I had one yell at me for using the cash lanes with my I-Pass. I pointed over to the backup in the open toll lanes and the sensor above our heads and said "Sorry I'm being smarter."
Considering they basically live in a box for 8 hours a day. I've been known to try to joke with them and some respond and others act like they have a stick up their butt.
Quote from: US71 on June 20, 2018, 11:39:46 AM
Considering they basically live in a box for 8 hours a day. I've been known to try to joke with them and some respond and others act like they have a stick up their butt.
Many toll takers aren't exactly the most sociable to others on the road. They're also government workers. It's easy to record an interaction with them now, do a little editing, and suddenly the toll collector is being called in for making a smart ass or discriminatory remark.
In the past, before videoing was made easier, people just called complaints in and it's your word against theirs.
Conversations can go sour real quick as well. I had one person ask me for directions how to get someplace. I gave them directions. They quickly argued back saying that their MapQuest directions say something else so why am I giving them bad directions? (Why are you asking me for directions then?) This was in 2003. MapQuest was new. Their directions were often incorrect. I had another driver argue they shouldn't have to pay the full toll because their directions told them to take a back road and enter thru a restricted road behind a rest area.
Thus, they don't tend to talk to too many people. Nothing against you, but they can just as easily talk to their co-workers in the next booth over, or read a book, or look at their phones.
As for me, if they wanted to take a video or a picture when going thru my toll lane, I didn't care. The faster they went thru, the better. If I sat there and argued with them, traffic backs up behind them, and now they have video of me arguing with a patron. Simply not worth it.
Quote from: ET21 on June 20, 2018, 11:28:40 AM
Toll takers are assholes. I had one yell at me for using the cash lanes with my I-Pass. I pointed over to the backup in the open toll lanes and the sensor above our heads and said "Sorry I'm being smarter."
I guess my only question would be - why are you stopping? In the mixed-mode toll booths I go thru frequently, people with EZ Pass just keep going. The toll taker isn't even looking.
Quote from: oscar on June 19, 2018, 08:24:32 PM
I've had a few brief encounters with military police, most recently when I took a photo of an emergency callbox on one of Hawaii's newer and more remote highways. The MP pointed out that the highway there passed through an Army base, and that I really shouldn't be making non-emergency stops on that part of the highway (I think he really didn't want me to take pictures of a military airfield up ahead). The military tends to be really camera-shy, and an Act of Congress explicitly authorizes it to restrict photography of military facilities, so the MPs stand on firmer ground than civilian police or rent-a-cops.
Usually there will be some sort of signage saying "US Government Propert, no trespassing." I have a bunch of photos of old US 1 on south side of Boca Chica Key which part of the NAS property. I was surprised that the area was accessible on foot and even had a parking area the first time I was there considering it is at the end of a runway. The last time I went through I was taking photos with a Monroe County Sheriff car just sitting there. The officers told me there was an old shanty down the way on the old highway that probably would look cool in my photos...so much for that secure area.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 20, 2018, 12:04:18 PM
Quote from: US71 on June 20, 2018, 11:39:46 AM
Considering they basically live in a box for 8 hours a day. I've been known to try to joke with them and some respond and others act like they have a stick up their butt.
Many toll takers aren't exactly the most sociable to others on the road. They're also government workers. It's easy to record an interaction with them now, do a little editing, and suddenly the toll collector is being called in for making a smart ass or discriminatory remark.
Quote from: ET21 on June 20, 2018, 11:28:40 AM
Toll takers are assholes. I had one yell at me for using the cash lanes with my I-Pass. I pointed over to the backup in the open toll lanes and the sensor above our heads and said "Sorry I'm being smarter."
I guess my only question would be - why are you stopping? In the mixed-mode toll booths I go thru frequently, people with EZ Pass just keep going. The toll taker isn't even looking.
I-Pass lane in the cash lanes would be backed up as well. Most of the time its faster to go through the toll taker lanes to get around the bottleneck of both the open road and the I-Pass cash lane. I easily shave 5-10 mins off at the two booths I'd need to go through
I was questioned by a state trooper for taking photos exactly once. This was several years ago on I-95 northbound approaching the Canton interchange. I was taking the photos for a work assignment, was wearing a safety vest and hard hat with the MassHighway logo, and was also in a state vehicle.
Trooper was polite, asked me what I was doing, gave me a "OK, no problem", and then went away.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 20, 2018, 12:04:18 PM
I guess my only question would be - why are you stopping? In the mixed-mode toll booths I go thru frequently, people with EZ Pass just keep going. The toll taker isn't even looking.
I don't know about other states, but on the Thruway it's required in mixed lanes, and the toll taker has to
manually acknowledge the transaction.
The federal government doesn't like people taking pictures on Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook, NJ. Although up there, civilians tend to take care of the problem until law enforcement arrives...or takes care if the problem themselves. :)
Quote from: vdeane on June 20, 2018, 01:01:46 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 20, 2018, 12:04:18 PM
I guess my only question would be - why are you stopping? In the mixed-mode toll booths I go thru frequently, people with EZ Pass just keep going. The toll taker isn't even looking.
I don't know about other states, but on the Thruway it's required in mixed lanes, and the toll taker has to manually acknowledge the transaction.
Oh wow. In NJ it's automatic...the reader display at the end of the toll lane pops up 'EZ Pass Paid' once the transponder is detected.
Motorists are supposed to be courteous and slow down to 5 mph in a staffed lane...that doesn't normally happen either.
Quote from: US71 on June 19, 2018, 09:25:37 PM
I usually find myself harassed by locals rather than police, often accused of trespassing, even though I'm on a public roadway.
This is what I'm more worried about as well. Hell, I got ordered by some invalid just this past week to get off his property, while I was situated completely on county ROW-- and I WORK for the county DOT!! :rofl: :rofl:
I could have gotten the county sheriff to explain my rights to the guy, but I had more work to do.
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 19, 2018, 09:15:03 PM
I think this sort of thing is far more common when filming or photographing airplanes or trains, although even that depends on the scenario. Based on the videos I saw, it looked like quite a few amateur photographers were allowed to film the landing of the first A380 in revenue service at ORD.
Harassment by law enforcement for taking pictures or even stopping to watch planes take-off and/or land was a lot more prevalent right after 9/11/01. Look through any archived thread in aviation-themed websites like airliners.net, Nycavaition.com, and so forth to see stories & accounts of such.
Thankfully, most of that has since waned but; to this day, one will still be approached & chased off by police if one is parked in the Elizabeth, NJ Ikea parking lot & taking pictures of planes coming to/from the adjacent Newark Airport (EWR).
Long story short; it varies from airport to airport.
I was once in Davenport on CSX property photographing a Baldwin Locomotive or an EMD (whatever it was its rare nowadays in the GP Locomotive world) and some dude wearing a cowboy hat and boots came out of a building on Lem Carnes Road where the former Sand and Basilica Office was (now its part of the plant that Rinker now owns) and said he does not like strangers on his land with a camera poking around.
Despite his claim, he had no authority to say what I could do on Railroad Property and when I explained how rare his locomotive was he had no clue what a rare gem his property is to the rail fanning community.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on June 20, 2018, 01:03:55 PM
The federal government doesn't like people taking pictures on Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook, NJ. Although up there, civilians tend to take care of the problem until law enforcement arrives...or takes care if the problem themselves. :)
I believe the nudists have their own people called the Friends of Gunnison and rumor has it they have caught anyone taking pics of children running around nude (yes its okay for adults and children to be nude there or in family nudist resorts, but in real life if a parent walks nude in front of children nude it could cause protect services to take away the kid and banner the parent as an offender) usually by a doofus (as the nude beach scene always attracts hermit types of riff raff)or single male, they will toss his camera in the ocean!
Do not know if they are that aggressive, but I hear that many clothing optional supporters try real hard to make the political right see that the nude lifestyle hates creeps and offenders.
I've only gotten one guy working on his lawn get snippy about me taking photos of some old street blades. That was quite a long time ago now. I was nervous about snapping the first US 53/71 assembly in International Falls in 2016 as it's right in front of customs, but no one approached me.
I recall somebody who took photos of the I-95 border station in Houlton soon after 9/11 got grilled by three agencies for it.
Never really been harassed by law enforcement while taking photographs, but I have gotten strange looks from some while taking photographs during the course of my job. That tends to happen during phase I environmental site assessments. I have to take photos of the property and looking at surrounding properties for part of the assessment.
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 20, 2018, 04:03:04 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on June 19, 2018, 09:15:03 PM
I think this sort of thing is far more common when filming or photographing airplanes or trains, although even that depends on the scenario. Based on the videos I saw, it looked like quite a few amateur photographers were allowed to film the landing of the first A380 in revenue service at ORD.
Harassment by law enforcement for taking pictures or even stopping to watch planes take-off and/or land was a lot more prevalent right after 9/11/01. Look through any archived thread in aviation-themed websites like airliners.net, Nycavaition.com, and so forth to see stories & accounts of such.
Thankfully, most of that has since waned but; to this day, one will still be approached & chased off by police if one is parked in the Elizabeth, NJ Ikea parking lot & taking pictures of planes coming to/from the adjacent Newark Airport (EWR).
Long story short; it varies from airport to airport.
I personally had no issues when I took some plane photos during the open house along PA Turnpike 576. Even took a few from inside the 576 W -> I-376 W loop ramp in that grass area. No problems. And to be honest, was the first time I'd been even remotely close to the airport in my entire life.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 20, 2018, 05:32:05 PM
I've only gotten one guy working on his lawn get snippy about me taking photos of some old street blades. That was quite a long time ago now. I was nervous about snapping the first US 53/71 assembly in International Falls in 2016 as it's right in front of customs, but no one approached me.
I know if I'm ever in International Falls that I'm going to want to get some pictures of that whole setup of US-53/71 and MN-11... I'm just concerned that Border Patrol is going to do everything short of cavity search me if they find me taking pictures.
We had a local cop stop and ask us what was going on as we were setting up the meet photo for the Cape May mini-meet a few years back. According to him we weren't supposed to be parked on the bridge where we were taking the photo (false, as there was no sign saying this). He let us proceed with taking the picture once we explained what we were doing, but he did hang around to make sure we took the picture and then moved along quickly.
The only other time I've been "harrased" was for taking a picture of the Cross Bronx Expressway from the Jerome Avenue overpass. The cop was pretty polite, never asked for my name or ID or anything, and was basically just like "yeah I saw you taking a picture of the Cross Bronx, that's a major highway, so I had to check you out".
Somewhat relevant story - back in 2012(?) I stopped to take pictures of the flower pots that RCMP had then recently placed across the last street crossing the border in Derby Line, VT/Stanstead, QC that was otherwise unbarricaded and had no customs facility. When I got there, there was a US Border Patrol vehicle parked right next to the flower potted street. Wanting to proactively avoid any potentially unpleasant interaction, I walked up the the border patrol agent and asked if there would be any issue with me taking pictures there. He told me in not as many words "go ahead, just don't step over the line into Canada". I took a few pictures and then moved along.
Hasn't really happened to me, but I don't take pictures much (I haven't even downloaded my pics from the CSVT meet!).
The only time I remember was during the CSVT meet. The directions told us to park at a trailer park to get views of a bridge. It turns out everyone was at the entrance of the construction site a few hundred feet down the road, and we wondered where everyone was. The owner of the trailer park (an old woman) gave us inaccurate directions, then told us to move along.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 23, 2018, 09:20:31 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 20, 2018, 05:32:05 PM
I've only gotten one guy working on his lawn get snippy about me taking photos of some old street blades. That was quite a long time ago now. I was nervous about snapping the first US 53/71 assembly in International Falls in 2016 as it's right in front of customs, but no one approached me.
I know if I'm ever in International Falls that I'm going to want to get some pictures of that whole setup of US-53/71 and MN-11... I'm just concerned that Border Patrol is going to do everything short of cavity search me if they find me taking pictures.
I was there last year: didn't have any problems.
I never really had any issues that I can think of. I may have gotten a weird glance from a member of the public or two, but I have never been stopped or questioned by actual authorities for taking pictures.
I did refrain from taking pictures or video in public for a little while right after 9/11, as I waited for the public hysteria to die down. I guess that came from working the other side of a 911 line. God forbid a car lingered for more than a few seconds after the light turned green or took the back way out of a shopping center-they must be planting a bomb or something! I'm not kidding, it was ridiculous for about the first month or so.
Quote from: Duke87 on June 24, 2018, 01:19:51 AM
According to him we weren't supposed to be parked on the bridge where we were taking the photo (false, as there was no sign saying this).
Many municipalities prohibit parking on bridges, and signs are not required. I don't know if it's statewide anywhere, but it's one of those "ignorance of the law" situations. It's not unlike the "no parking within 30 feet" signs you sometimes see under stop signs. Although that's usually a state law, even if the sign isn't there you still can't park closer than 30 feet. Same for fire hydrants, parking over the curb, in an intersection, on a crosswalk, or in front of a driveway.
Back in the '80's when I was doing a lot of railroad photography, I occasionally had run-ins with RR cops (who in fact are considered sworn law-enforcement agents). The old Western Pacific used to be one of the "cooler" lines in that regard; their cops, who patrolled the lines in "hi-rail" pickup trucks (FYI, this was usually along Niles Canyon or over Altamont Pass) didn't bug you unless you were trying to go out on one of their bridges or into tunnels. When they were an independent entity, the line ran local trains with vintage first-generation diesel locomotives (EMD F7's, among others) that regularly showed up between Fremont and Stockton; their in-house cops seemed to realize this and were more than tolerant of photogs that didn't pose a problem or otherwise interfere with rail operations. Once Big Yellow (UP) took over after 1983, there was a sea change -- much of the main WP line previously accessible to the public was fenced off, and patrols were much more frequent. Of course, freight traffic tripled once UP had ownership of the line, since they no longer split the freight handoffs in Utah between SP and WP, so it's understandable that security would have been tightened accordingly. But even off-property (usually in an unfenced area near Pleasanton with a nice track view) the cops would slow down their trucks and yell at me to "get the fuck out of here". Apparently (and this was corroborated by a train-crew member) UP cops are under orders to discourage photography of daily operations (but are more than accommodating for their periodic steam excursions!). After 1983, I ended up photographing mainly SP lines; in '84 I actually followed the 4449 "Daylight" excursion, heading to the New Orleans Worlds' Fair, from Dunsmuir south through the Bay Area, back up to Sacramento, and then southeast as far as Yuma (had to get back to work at some point!). Not a single issue with security on that trip; but I guess in a way I'm lucky that due to knee problems I stopped traipsing around RR lines taking pictures in the mid-90's -- especially since UP bought SP back in '96.
Quote from: sparker on June 24, 2018, 08:21:00 PM
Back in the '80's when I was doing a lot of railroad photography, I occasionally had run-ins with RR cops (who in fact are considered sworn law-enforcement agents). The old Western Pacific used to be one of the "cooler" lines in that regard; their cops, who patrolled the lines in "hi-rail" pickup trucks (FYI, this was usually along Niles Canyon or over Altamont Pass) didn't bug you unless you were trying to go out on one of their bridges or into tunnels. When they were an independent entity, the line ran local trains with vintage first-generation diesel locomotives (EMD F7's, among others) that regularly showed up between Fremont and Stockton; their in-house cops seemed to realize this and were more than tolerant of photogs that didn't pose a problem or otherwise interfere with rail operations. Once Big Yellow (UP) took over after 1983, there was a sea change -- much of the main WP line previously accessible to the public was fenced off, and patrols were much more frequent. Of course, freight traffic tripled once UP had ownership of the line, since they no longer split the freight handoffs in Utah between SP and WP, so it's understandable that security would have been tightened accordingly. But even off-property (usually in an unfenced area near Pleasanton with a nice track view) the cops would slow down their trucks and yell at me to "get the fuck out of here". Apparently (and this was corroborated by a train-crew member) UP cops are under orders to discourage photography of daily operations (but are more than accommodating for their periodic steam excursions!). After 1983, I ended up photographing mainly SP lines; in '84 I actually followed the 4449 "Daylight" excursion, heading to the New Orleans Worlds' Fair, from Dunsmuir south through the Bay Area, back up to Sacramento, and then southeast as far as Yuma (had to get back to work at some point!). Not a single issue with security on that trip; but I guess in a way I'm lucky that due to knee problems I stopped traipsing around RR lines taking pictures in the mid-90's -- especially since UP bought SP back in '96.
When I used to visit my brother in Greensboro in the early 1990s, one of my favorite places to railfan was Pomona Yard, which at the time had both a dedicated switcher and three local trains that originated there - in addition to the mainline run-through traffic. At that time, it was also the Amtrak station - so you could sit in the parking lot all day and/or hang out on the station platform and never get hassled.
Last time I was there was in 2004, after the Amtrak station had been moved back downtown. What was the old Amtrak station had been re-purposed as the area office for the Norfolk Southern railroad police. Given the NS RR police's reputation for being anti-railfan, I figured I wouldn't press my luck.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 19, 2018, 07:11:11 PM
Not sure where to post this, so I'll just post it here.
For those of us who aren't content with only taking pictures while driving, has anyone ever been harassed or hassled by police while doing so? For me, personally, I have not, as I try to park in legal locations and respect other vehicle traffic while on foot or stopping at the side of the road. I've had several encounters with law enforcement of different kinds, but it has always been of the "are you okay?"/wellness check variety, usually because I'm pulled over with my hazard flashers on. Some have asked what I'm doing, but I've never gotten a negative response from the answer "just out taking pictures."
I'm curious to know if other road photography enthusiasts have had the same experience as me, or if they've been hassled by local/county/state/(or even military, if you happen to be near a base or whatever) police in some form or another, or even private security for local businesses and the like.
Just say I don't answer questions. Repeat and rinse.
I was mildly disappointed Sunday when nobody at the Domino's in my neighborhood tried to hassle me when I took a picture of this as I walked past on my way home from a nearby store.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201110/2d370c7c3724c1d8b750fd9657a029c9.jpg)
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on November 10, 2020, 03:40:33 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 19, 2018, 07:11:11 PM
Not sure where to post this, so I'll just post it here.
For those of us who aren't content with only taking pictures while driving, has anyone ever been harassed or hassled by police while doing so? For me, personally, I have not, as I try to park in legal locations and respect other vehicle traffic while on foot or stopping at the side of the road. I've had several encounters with law enforcement of different kinds, but it has always been of the "are you okay?"/wellness check variety, usually because I'm pulled over with my hazard flashers on. Some have asked what I'm doing, but I've never gotten a negative response from the answer "just out taking pictures."
I'm curious to know if other road photography enthusiasts have had the same experience as me, or if they've been hassled by local/county/state/(or even military, if you happen to be near a base or whatever) police in some form or another, or even private security for local businesses and the like.
Just say I don't answer questions. Repeat and rinse.
I know you've gotten into the necroing random stuff, but this is quite literally a necro because the person you're responding to passed away.
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 10, 2020, 04:17:37 PM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201110/2d370c7c3724c1d8b750fd9657a029c9.jpg)
NE2 is hiding in the bottom left corner...
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on November 10, 2020, 03:40:33 PM
Just say I don't answer questions. Repeat and rinse.
This is a great way to escalate the situation if you get a cop with ego issues. A situation that could be diffused and done with in five minutes now gets more invasive because you're acting suspicious. "If you're innocent you've got nothing to hide," and all that bullshit. Yeah, it's your right to not answer the questions, but it's his right to be a douche because he's a cop and has no meaningful oversight that's forcing him to respect your rights. What are you going to do, sue him after he shoots you? You win the lawsuit but you still have a nifty hole in your body where you didn't before.
A much better strategy is to give calm answers that are technically true but omit anything that seems interesting. "Where are you going?" Next logical-sounding waypoint on your trip, since that doesn't invite questions of "then why are you here?" "Why are you taking pictures of...?" Say you're working for Wikipedia; most people don't stop and think "well anyone could answer that" and give you the legitimacy as if you just said you were taking pictures for the newspaper. It's also true, as long as you upload the photo to Wikipedia when you get home.
Basically the goal should be to comply to the extent that he runs out of questions before he seizes on a "gotcha" moment, and then leaves you alone out of a lack of any real alternative course of action.
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 10, 2020, 04:51:22 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on November 10, 2020, 03:40:33 PM
Just say I don't answer questions. Repeat and rinse.
This is a great way to escalate the situation if you get a cop with ego issues. A situation that could be diffused and done with in five minutes now gets more invasive because you're acting suspicious. "If you're innocent you've got nothing to hide," and all that bullshit. Yeah, it's your right to not answer the questions, but it's his right to be a douche because he's a cop and has no meaningful oversight that's forcing him to respect your rights. What are you going to do, sue him after he shoots you? You win the lawsuit but you still have a nifty hole in your body where you didn't before.
A much better strategy is to give calm answers that are technically true but omit anything that seems interesting. "Where are you going?" Next logical-sounding waypoint on your trip, since that doesn't invite questions of "then why are you here?" "Why are you taking pictures of...?" Say you're working for Wikipedia; most people don't stop and think "well anyone could answer that" and give you the legitimacy as if you just said you were taking pictures for the newspaper. It's also true, as long as you upload the photo to Wikipedia when you get home.
Basically the goal should be to comply to the extent that he runs out of questions before he seizes on a "gotcha" moment, and then leaves you alone out of a lack of any real alternative course of action.
Staying calm is great advice. However, be advised unless you know the specifics of the laws in the area be very careful giving answers. The 1st amendment does give you protections for taking photos for media purposes. The media need not be mainstream media.