If you have a camera, you might be a terrorist....

[Hoser]

Has anyone encountered this personally yet? I've had two seperate incidents in which I was carrying or using my DSLR and was approached and told to cease and desist because I could be a terrorist. In one, I was just wearing it acrossed the US/Canada border, and in the other I was taking a picture of my daughter and my wife on a carousel in a large mall. In both instances I bit my tongue and just tucked it away, but it frustrates me enough that I'm not likely to return to that mall ever again.

 

[JB2005]

I've heard of horror stories like that over here, but I've never encountered it personally...

(Went to London over the Summer and did all the touristy things, taking pictures at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square etc. and no one said anything to me!)

Sounds like a couple of overzealous guys to me? Personally I'm getting tired of all these arguments that we have to submit to a loss of liberty to fight terrorism - over here, it seems to have died down for now (sort of ironic when you consider that we've got a theoretically more right-wing government!) and I'm guessing that's got something to do with Ken in the cabinet calming everyone down?

Over in the States though, it seems like your government's trying to reignite the fear again? Maybe there's been new guidelines issued and this is part of it?

 

[Miss Chicken]

I remember reading this case on Flickr several years ago though the term terrorist doesn't seem to be used.

I think that, as a woman, I can photograph certain things that men cannot. For example no-one seems to have problems if I take photos at a crowded beach but many men are afraid to do this.

 

[JB2005]

There's a fallacy in Britain that if you take a picture with a child in it then you're committing a crime - maybe it's connected to that?

 

[Miss Chicken]

No-one has ever objected to me taking photos of children but I have heard of people objecting to men taking photos.

However I will not usually put photos of children publicly onto Flickr unless the child is either unidentifiable or else is taking part in a very public event such as an Anzac Day Parade or Christmas Parade.

 

[JB2005]

Yeah, publishing I think is where it gets more iffy!

And men taking photos sounds like an odd thing to complain about? Unless, because it's a man people assume he's doing something nefarious?

 

[JarodRussell]

No offense, but yo Americans (gross generalization) are crazy. What's with all those "The terrorists won't dictate our lives" speeches after 9/11? You should have protested against it.

 

[JB2005]

Fear breeds all kinds of crazy things - Britain will lock people up for 42 days now, France banned the Burkha...

 

[JarodRussell]

France banned the Burkha...

Well that I'm okay with. It's not about fear that they wear bomb belts under it, it's about women's rights. If they insist on oppressing women, they can travel back to the country where it's standard to wear it.

 

[JB2005]

Yeah...except: Banning it doesn't mean women will stop wearing it, it just means that women will no longer feel they can leave the house in it, meaning women will become more oppressed rather than less...

And also, some women genuinely want to wear the Burkha, and sometimes when I see our Western Culture objectifying women to the extent that it does, I can see Islam's point...

 

[Davros]

Has anyone encountered this personally yet? I've had two seperate incidents in which I was carrying or using my DSLR and was approached and told to cease and desist because I could be a terrorist. In one, I was just wearing it acrossed the US/Canada border, and in the other I was taking a picture of my daughter and my wife on a carousel in a large mall. In both instances I bit my tongue and just tucked it away, but it frustrates me enough that I'm not likely to return to that mall ever again.

I would have been inclined to tell those people what bodily orifice they could shove it, and then take their picture.

France banned the Burkha...

Well that I'm okay with. It's not about fear that they wear bomb belts under it, it's about women's rights. If they insist on oppressing women, they can travel back to the country where it's standard to wear it.

So what about a person who actually wants to wear one?

 

[Amaris]

Yeah...except: Banning it doesn't mean women will stop wearing it, it just means that women will no longer feel they can leave the house in it, meaning women will become more oppressed rather than less...

And also, some women genuinely want to wear the Burkha, and sometimes when I see our Western Culture objectifying women to the extent that it does, I can see Islam's point...

All they're doing is taking it in the other direction, JB. They're saying "since I can't keep it in my pants when I look at you, you have to cover yourself", which is much worse.

 

[JarodRussell]

France banned the Burkha...

Well that I'm okay with. It's not about fear that they wear bomb belts under it, it's about women's rights. If they insist on oppressing women, they can travel back to the country where it's standard to wear it.

So what about a person who actually wants to wear one?

I guess they can form a protest group with the people who want to run around naked in public and aren't allowed to. Are they oppressed?
In general there's a ban on face coverings in many countries (mostly during protests, sport events, etc).

 

[JB2005]

Has anyone encountered this personally yet? I've had two seperate incidents in which I was carrying or using my DSLR and was approached and told to cease and desist because I could be a terrorist. In one, I was just wearing it acrossed the US/Canada border, and in the other I was taking a picture of my daughter and my wife on a carousel in a large mall. In both instances I bit my tongue and just tucked it away, but it frustrates me enough that I'm not likely to return to that mall ever again.

I would have been inclined to tell those people what bodily orifice they could shove it, and then take their picture.

I wouldn't, you'd end up on some kind of watchlist...this is the sad truth of the society we live in, but you have to play along, at least for now...sure it's irritating, but provoking that officer won't help overturn the law, it'll just cause you hassle!

France banned the Burkha...

Well that I'm okay with. It's not about fear that they wear bomb belts under it, it's about women's rights. If they insist on oppressing women, they can travel back to the country where it's standard to wear it.

So what about a person who actually wants to wear one?

Exactly, and my point before, I agree was a little extreme, but so is banning the Burkha! I'm not saying all women should be made to wear it, but if this is your belief and you're not hurting anyone with it, then I say why not!

As Europeans, we didn't give the world the Human Rights Convention, only to start dictating what may and may not be worn...

 

[Davros]

I guess they can form a protest group with the people who want to run around naked in public and aren't allowed to. Are they oppressed?

Since they are not hurting anybody with either behavior, any bans seem completely unjustified.

But if you are worried about men forcing women to wear them, why not change them with the crime rather than charging the victim of their abuse?

 

[JarodRussell]

But if you are worried about men forcing women to wear them, why not change them with the crime rather than charging the victim of their abuse?

That would be even better.

 

[JB2005]

I guess they can form a protest group with the people who want to run around naked in public and aren't allowed to. Are they oppressed?

Since they are not hurting anybody with either behavior, any bans seem completely unjustified.

But if you are worried about men forcing women to wear them, why not change them with the crime rather than charging the victim of their abuse?

"We disagree with these Saudi's and their stoning of rape victims, wait, what? You are being forced to wear a veil? You bitch! Remove it at once or we will throw you in jail!"

 

[ALF]

I remember reading this case on Flickr several years ago though the term terrorist doesn't seem to be used.

I think that, as a woman, I can photograph certain things that men cannot. For example no-one seems to have problems if I take photos at a crowded beach but many men are afraid to do this.

QFT. I just hand the camera to my wife and there are smiles aplenty.

As for the OP's post... cameras are the new guns. Was it last month Colbert had this fantastic segment about guns being allowed into places where cameras were not? It was Amercia-tastic!

Most reasonably developed first world countries claim that taking photos in public is fine, but evidence suggests otherwise. There are always people telling me not to take photos here or there (usually private property like a mall or store) and as time goes on it seems like there are fewer places that provide resistance to such activity. In 10 years we'll only be able to take photos of ourselves in our own homes, cowering in fear.

 

[JB2005]

Nothing in the US Constitution about the right to bear cameras?

 

[Hoser]

No offense, but yo Americans (gross generalization) are crazy. What's with all those "The terrorists won't dictate our lives" speeches after 9/11? You should have protested against it.

I've read about some protests, like the photographers who were arrested in Wisconsin as part of a mass protest against the no cameras in the general assembly rule, especially odd considering they allow guns in there now.
Also: I'm Canadian, just live in the States with my family.
Also also: Never protest with a low income employee on a Segway carrying a taser.