Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]nothing better to do this lazy afternoon but go out and photograph some of our local philadelphia cathedrals. i started with saint francis' down on 18th street. they'd previously told me no photography, so i wrapped my m6 in a bag of pennies and shot with a 15mm heliar during the services. i was doing pretty good, every time i'd trip the shutter i'd make a very loud "A-HEM" and then a hocking sound like i had a big phlegm buildup. about half an hour into it, the sextant came over to me and grabbed me by the shoulder, kind of forcefully. with his right hand he pulled up my sleeve, then signaled to some bruisers (probalby mob guys, they were toughs) and they dragged me out of the church -- one put a hand over my mouth, another grabbed each of my feet and although i tried to make a big disturbance, they did a pretty good job of keeping it discrete. there was no way i was going to give up my photographs so i was ready to fight, but when we got outside they informed me that it was my mechanical wristwatch they were upset about. they pointed to a sign i hadn't seen before that said: "no mechanical wristwatches!" they took my oyster perpetual, which, apparantly, rings like a gong due to the design of the cathedral ceiling and drives everybody batty. they put it in a drawer and said i could consider it a donation. they didn't notice the camera, which gave me some secret joy. i went back in to photograph the rest of the service. here's where i'm always glad i carry a backup, i had an omega seamaster hidden in my sock, and i put this on and, sure enough, now that i was paying attention, i could hear that damn thing like a death watch beetle banging banging banging like a steel rat in a trash can ... TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK! and the sextant and the goons looking all around the church, trying to find the culperet -- they didn't suspect me, as they'd already swiped my watch, but i got the best of them. what pisses me off most is when people think they have a right to tell me that i can't wear a mechanical watch. i have no sympathy for a religion that has rules as stupid as telling me what i can and can't do in their "house of worship". next week i'm going to wear TWO seamasters and an old Timex Acutime with a brass case and leather wrist strap from the 1960's. on top of that, i'll be carrying a 1952 Doxxa stop watch in my vest pocket. keep winding that watch, it'll tell time, kc