photographing-Would this help us?

[SST]

There have been various postings about getting hassled while photographing trains. This article I just read may change things.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/10/cr ... latestnews


The specific paragraph says that the NY Civil Liberty Union is getting involved:

"The New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented Datz, says it is seeking a meeting with police brass to ensure all people have the right to photograph and videotape in public."

[RussNelson]

It's a different issue, but an even more sensitive issue. With everyone having a movie camera in their pocket, police are being photographed every day. If you think railroad employees don't like to be photographed, think of how much less the police like it -- and policeman have guns and opinions about the law. What we really need is for various state legislatures to pass laws saying that you have an affirmative right to photograph anything you can see from public property while at the same time you can't interfere with the business of other citizens while doing it.

[dj_paige]

Hard for me to agree we need a new law, when we already have that right. Furthermore, if I remember the news stories properly from a recent case here in Rochester, the courts have consistently ruled that person has a right to film police officers and anything else they want from public property or their own property. So, we have that right, and the courts are consistent in interpreting things that way.

Its hard for me to see what the solution is, given the current state of affairs.

[Ken W2KB]

Legislation of the suggested nature would be unusual. In lieu thereof, one mechanism is to request a formal opinion from the state attorney general as to the legality of engaging in photography from protected areas. While not binding per se, the police and other agencies rarely would ignore such.

[RussNelson]

The problem that my suggested law would fix is that police often don't know that it's legal to take a photograph from public property (or as in Rochester, from your own property). Part of the problem in the Rochester case is that she gave the policeman attitude. If she had been apologetic about her desire to record his activity, he probably would have sighed and just gone on with it.

[justalurker66]

Any "in your face" action is going to lead to trouble ... even if apologized for (perhaps under political pressure) later.

If you want to film, get a camera with a zoom lens and stay out of the way of officers (and rail crews, etc). There is no need to get up in people's faces when taking pictures. We're not paparazzi.