Photographers target of anti-terror (Again)

[merliondude]

No Photo Ban in Subways, Yet an Arrest

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion

Go to link for full article

....4:30 last Thursday, Robert Taylor stood on the station’s elevated platform, taking a picture of a train... Finished with his camera, Mr. Taylor, 30, was about to board the train when a police officer called to him. He stepped back from the train...

“The cop wanted my ID, and I showed it to him,” Mr. Taylor said. “He told me I couldn’t take the pictures. I told him that’s not true, that the rules permitted it. He said I was wrong. I said, ‘I’m willing to bet your paycheck.’ ”

Mr. Taylor was right. The officer was enforcing a nonexistent rule. And if recent experience is any guide, one paycheck won’t come close to covering what a wrongful arrest in this kind of case could cost the taxpayers....

 

[Zeisser]

I thought this happened here in Singapore so what gives with this thread.

 

[screamingsnapshots]

Thanks for sharing man. Hope it wont happen in singapore. :think:

 

[merliondude]

I thought this happened here in Singapore so what gives with this thread.

It's just somethin that seems more common now a days

Photo taking = terror suspect ? ? ?

Same thing in Singapore... just a matter of time before some silly (paranoid) guard takes it to the extreme...

Personally I've been approached before by MRT staff for whipping out my video camera (Panasonic DVX100) and shooting a video pointing at the Chinatown MRT during a festive season. Asked me why I shoot MRT, I say ""Because it is in Chinatown and I couldn't possibly avoid shooting such an ugly station". They said next time don't do it as it is not allowed by SMRT... doh... :bsmilie:

 

[boombox]

Eek, sounds like people are getting scared and weary - it's not good for people on the whole, like everybody's suspecting everybody... that's how terrorism has changed the way people live. :cry:

 

[netimpact]

Eek, sounds like people are getting scared and weary - it's not good for people on the whole, like everybody's suspecting everybody... that's how terrorism has changed the way people live. :cry:

Now taking photo of people also scared to be appear on STOMP.

 

[CS TAN]

No Photo Ban in Subways, Yet an Arrest

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18about.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion

Go to link for full article

....4:30 last Thursday, Robert Taylor stood on the station’s elevated platform, taking a picture of a train... Finished with his camera, Mr. Taylor, 30, was about to board the train when a police officer called to him. He stepped back from the train...

“The cop wanted my ID, and I showed it to him,” Mr. Taylor said. “He told me I couldn’t take the pictures. I told him that’s not true, that the rules permitted it. He said I was wrong. I said, ‘I’m willing to bet your paycheck.’ ”

Mr. Taylor was right. The officer was enforcing a nonexistent rule. And if recent experience is any guide, one paycheck won’t come close to covering what a wrongful arrest in this kind of case could cost the taxpayers....

Same thing happened to me in 2007 at Philadelphia train station. The train has stopped due to an on-track car accident ahead so everyone was waiting in the train. I took out my Canon S5IS (not even a dSLR) and took 3-4 shots at the platform and immediately a police officer came up to me and said I am not suppose to take photo on a train station platform.

I am not going to argue with him so I apologize and went back up the train. He didn't ask me to delete the pic or anything. I guess I looked like a tourist...

This is one of the photo:

 

[butterflyblack]

I believe its a "prevention better than cure" act

 

[lenrek]

This show how stupid to believe those politicians/government talking about not being affect by terrorism and vowing to make sure lives go as per normal.

 

[vince123123]

If that is the reason given ('ie not allowed by SMRT") then all you need to tell them is "It is allowed by my mother".

SMRT and your mother has the same legal standing because both are not law makers and cannot allow or disallow such things.

It's just somethin that seems more common now a days

Photo taking = terror suspect ? ? ?

Same thing in Singapore... just a matter of time before some silly (paranoid) guard takes it to the extreme...

Personally I've been approached before by MRT staff for whipping out my video camera (Panasonic DVX100) and shooting a video pointing at the Chinatown MRT during a festive season. Asked me why I shoot MRT, I say ""Because it is in Chinatown and I couldn't possibly avoid shooting such an ugly station". They said next time don't do it as it is not allowed by SMRT... doh... :bsmilie:

 

[kenkht]

Terrorist has WON big time. They have effectively struck TERROR in the authorities world wide.

Britain has, for the last few days, approved laws to stop publics areas and personnel to be photographed. No more photos of the iconic London Bobbies. He might just arrest you. What the hell world is this coming to...

 

[merliondude]

Yeah... to make things worse... we have silly "public education" videos (the one shown at MRT stations) that teach people that a terrorist has the following properties:
1. Wear cap
2. Acts ridiculously suspicious and clenches fists
3. Carries a big bag.
4. leave bag behind on train.

Whoever produced that MRT video should be smacked with a fish... If I were a terrorist, I would have learnt so much from that video and now do the following instead:
1. don't wear cap cos now everyone will notice caps... wear an American flag bandana.
2. Relek la... act cool and listen to iPod
3. Carry a hand grenade in a waist pouch (because stealing a huge rifle out of SAF was so easy, small grenade should be much easier to get)
4. Activate the grenade so that I'll die and "go heaven collect my reward"... boom ! ! !

The MRT video does nothing to depict a real terrorist... haven't the producers seen the news ? ? ? Terrorists are actually a pretty extreme bunch who will never leave a bag bomb behind ! ! ! They will choose to die together with the bag.

Oh no... wait... what if the next SMRT public education video produced depicts cool looking people clutching small bags... ha ha... cham liao...

 

[tjana]

yeah, or strap sticks of explosives to my body, then wear nice jacket... why need to bring bag when one's torso will do??

i got the experience of being stopped from taking pics inside esplanade as well. other people weren't stopped, maybe because of camera bag i left at the corner (nearby) while taking the pics. oh, and the tripod as well.

 

[watsup]

It's just somethin that seems more common now a days

Photo taking = terror suspect ? ? ?

Same thing in Singapore... just a matter of time before some silly (paranoid) guard takes it to the extreme...

Personally I've been approached before by MRT staff for whipping out my video camera (Panasonic DVX100) and shooting a video pointing at the Chinatown MRT during a festive season. Asked me why I shoot MRT, I say ""Because it is in Chinatown and I couldn't possibly avoid shooting such an ugly station". They said next time don't do it as it is not allowed by SMRT... doh... :bsmilie:

That's odd, i took some pictures at YCK MRT both at the platform and below near the gate abt 1 month ago and nobody stopped me
i was meeting a seller for a lens and testing it

BTW Chinatown MRT is run by SBSTransit

 

[chitose]

ermmm maybe afew tube of C4 in a pouch? nt only the mrt than its plus the mrt station:sweat:

 

[peterpan1975]

That's odd, i took some pictures at YCK MRT both at the platform and below near the gate abt 1 month ago and nobody stopped me
i was meeting a seller for a lens and testing it

BTW Chinatown MRT is run by SBSTransit

You are heng that those mrt police not around haha .... I did kanna approached by the MRT police and MRT staff b4. At most they were asking what am I doing and ask politely of me to show them the pic. Of course i feel piss as there are foreigner beside snapping away. Why me not them .. haha .. Anyway when they see the pic, they walk off. So no issue. They just want to play safe lah.

 

[merliondude]

BTW Chinatown MRT is run by SBSTransit

Actually the ending of the conversation with them was longer than i would have liked... somthing about their policy for filming and needing proper permission... bla bla bla... ask corporate comms... bla bla bla... come to think of it... it might be my camera too "big" in this case... the DVX100 is an old but good camera that is bigger than the tourist cams (but no HD).... i've mentally drowned out the rubbish they were sayin into a sea of audio noise and sumarized the ending as "not allowed by SMRT"

So I stand corrected... "Not allowed by SBSTransit"

 

[foxwagon]

At MRT trains and stations cannot take pictures?
So many tourists do.
If they are so free to catch people taking pictures, why dont they go and catch those who eat?

 

[NE clicks clicks]

Ha Ha.... after going through the thread, I think there will come a time we need to apply for a licence and have our background checked before we can go buy ourself a camera. :bsmilie:

The big "T" has won the battle.....sad