[Leica] Busted with Cameras at Parade

[scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)]

Mark,

Probably like many on this list, I got to go to grade and high school during
the cold war. Caught the "tail end," I guess, graduating HS in 1984. But I
got the full treatment,  heads under the desks and in the lockers, Super 8
movies and film strips on American civics and liberties. And earfuls from
social studies and history and english teachers on the evil empire and how
they outlawed copy machines and typewriters, romantic tales of samizdat
and brave artists in gulags and the like.

Year later, my g'friend is from Ukraine, and guess what? On classic civil
liberties, an evil empire she was indeed.

Needless police harrassment of US citizens for any reason, but especially
for carrying a camera or two (or any other expressive medium), just pains
me in the worst possible way. I was a bookish child, and it bring backs 
those
nightmares of brave poets freezing to death in Soviet work camps. I 
believed
alot of that stuff I learned in school, and yes, I guess I still do.

Yes, we've so many flaws, but we're a greater country than this. Or at least
I hope so.  I've had a few run ins here in Wash, DC (not too hard if you go
out and street shoot every day for a few months), but no confontation this
prolonged. 

Is there a standard course of "civil disobedience" action to take in cases
like this if one is so inclined?  Perhaps a weblog that tracks relevant
stories and issues and legislation?   I subscribe to the Politech mailing
list which provides interesting coverage of geek civil liberties issues, 
patent
law, key litigation and the like, but I rarely see any photography related
stories on that list.

Scott

Mark Kronquist wrote:

>Got to love our culture these days. My father is a Royal Rosarian-Portland
>Oregon s Ambassadors to the world (imagine a fraternity for retired execs)
>each year they help put on the Rose Festival.
>
>Each year my wife and I watch my father march in the parade with his
>grandchildren (our 10 and 7 year olds)...
>
>Cute family photos.
>
>This year, as usual running from meeting to meeting I pencil in the parade
>shoe-horn in the Miata, grab my Domke with D100 and 180 and D1 and 20
>Nikkors (sorry), and sprint to the kick off point...dressed in a suit...
>
>I cross two major streets and have 20 minutes and 3 blocks to go (coooooool)
>when an officer plants himself firmly in my path and arrests (detain was the
>term he used) me.
>
>Where are you going in such a hurry?
>
>To watch the parade I blurt out (duh only 50,000 other people are doing the
>same thing..what the f*** is his problem is running through my mind)
>
>Mr power trip then demands ID
>
>weighing civil rights vs family harmony and marital bliss (my wife is with
>my kids and parents not 2 blocks away and my dad, is a Rosarian) I hand over
>my drivers license which he promptly radios in...
>
>I am pretty clean cut, almost a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and not small
>person...wearing a nice suit...not like I couldn t afford a D100 or 2 and am
>a demographic fit (say 42 y/o dad look)
>
>Mr Power trip asks what other ID I have (really my DL turned up 3 traffic
>infractions in the past decade and perhaps the fact that as a registered
>republican I voted for Kerry?)
>
>I need to know who you are and where you are going in such a hurry (mind you
>this is on Sandy and 57th PUBLIC STREETS on the side walk) or some such
>babble
>
>I hand him my business card, and piece after piece from my wallet which he
>promptly radios in.
>
>I try to say hey, I need to be there for my family. Mr Donut Brain (actually
>he was build like a defensive lineman and his partner was too) is at this
>point toying with me
>
>He asks to see my cameras
>
>Are you a professional?
>
>No
>
>then why do you need these cameras?
>
>Why do you need a Kawasaki Police Special Bike? Is my smart a**
>answer...point being because D1/D100s and Police Specials are good tools but
>I could never get that far in the rather one sided conversation
>
>His partner comes over and puts his hand FIRMLY on my shoulder and says CALM
>DOWN
>
>Knowing full well that from here on out ANYTHING I SAY DO will cause them to
>crucify me (my uncle also a Rosarian and in the parade 2 blocks down with my
>dad is a prosecutor for the local DA)...I hand over my cameras
>
>They look through them radio them in and generally harass me for another 10
>minutes (hey it is parade duty)
>
>We need your home address
>
>Where did you park?
>
>Where did you come from?
>
>Why are you taking pictures?
>
>mind if we look in your bag (no means trip to jail)
>
>What is this item after item lenses hoodman, caps CF cards
>
>What is this (D1 Battery looks menacing as it is aftermarket generic and has
>no stickers on it...must be a weapon or something)
>
>Oh look we have intimitaded the white suit-boy (they too were white)...
>
>Parting comment was that they were asked to be on the look out for people in
>a hurry with cameras near the parade...
>
>50,000 soccer moms and dads with kids in the parade and  with Kodak Easy
>Shares and such need not apply.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>  
>