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 01/12/2006 11:33:54 PM · #1
I was taking photos in town this evening, long exposures of cars next to a road mostly.

Took quite a few, but one man got offended when I took a picture as him and a lady (his wife probably) in their pickup drove past.

He was in the lane closest to me, then he turned around and drove back past (I was still taking pics, didn't get one of his truck a second time though). He was staring at me from across the road, and drove up onto the curb by accident... real good driver eh.

Then he turned back around, and pulled up next to me as I was calling it a night (cold out). Asked why I took a pic of him, said it was against the law, he wanted to sue me, etc. I gave him a short answer (forgot what exactly, not enough apparently) and he followed me and kept asking. He kept insisting I was violating his constitutional rights as a US citizen by taking his picture, and I reminded him that harassing someone is breaking more than a simple right.

He pulled into the parking lot our truck was in after me, and sat near the road. After a minute he pulled closer, I asked if I could help him. He said he was just mad because I took a picture of him, said again it was against his rights. Said he called the cops already.

I told him fine, get the cops here and we'll see who commited a crime (no one). He repeated his trademark line, I told him we could take it up in court if he really wanted to. He drove off. Some 'calling the cops', eh?

Maybe this is a semi-rant, but I just have crappy luck with people around here. They take offense if I take their picture - period.
I can understand the aggression from the security staff in my last incident, but this really gets me. Is it just this part of the country? Are typical citizens this high-and-mighty everywhere?
 01/12/2006 11:36:09 PM · #2
You should have flipped open your cell phone and called the police while he was there with you... lol
 01/12/2006 11:41:35 PM · #3
don't have a cell phone, need the money for lenses and bike parts :D

But if I ever get one and get harassed like that, I'll use it
 01/12/2006 11:41:49 PM · #4
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
You should have flipped open your cell phone and called the police while he was there with you... lol


Would have been MY first reaction. :-) ehh, people of little ejumakashun tend to be a bit more aggressive about "knowing thier rights" than others and often rhink threats are the best answer.

I don't wanna stereotype people... but people often act to thier sterotypes, if that makes any sense.
 01/12/2006 11:42:06 PM · #5
Download and print up a few copies of this handy summary of your rights (in the US) -- just hand the guy one and call the cops yourself.

By following you, confronting you, and threatening you the guy has quite possibly fulfilled the legal definition of assault. If he's a real jerk go ahead and swear out a complaint ... I don't think he expects to confront you in criminal court.
 01/12/2006 11:46:05 PM · #6
Sometimes, though, GeneralE, it's takes a lot bigger man to just walk away, and it is probably less trouble all around.

I agree, though, things like this can be incredibly frustrating.
 01/12/2006 11:47:56 PM · #7
I think it would be a mistake to try to reason with someone like that. You just need to know what your rights are and call the police.
01/12/2006 11:48:02 PM · #8
Crikey I am glad I live in New Zealand. No-one knows their rights, let alone cares. ;)
 01/12/2006 11:50:45 PM · #9
What are rights?
Cheers from Australia
 01/12/2006 11:54:18 PM · #10
You're right, you didn't commit a crime...and technically, neither did he...he may have bordered on harrassment, but legally speaking in a public place, anyone can approach anyone and ask them why they're taking pictures, for example.

I think you handled the situation well...

If this started escelating and you were in fear of your safety, technically he'd be guilty of disorderly conduct, for putting you in fear. In that situation, it would be best to ask, "Am I free to go" if he says no, ask, "If I try to go, how do you intend to stop me?"...

And from that point on, you make the decisions. He's either guilty of a crime right there from his answers, and can be arrested, or if he comes at you to attack, you whack him upside his head with your camera and/or tripod (or other photographic equipment you may have in your possesion).
 01/13/2006 12:03:43 AM · #11
I dont intend to report him after the fact, I agree with dpaull he didn't commit a crime, and its a waste of my time to report something that does him no bad, and me no good.

I think my manfrotto tripod would make a good defense weapon.. now I just need a 1D mk2n and a 70-200 2.8L to stick on the end for rotational mass :D
(j/k)

Message edited by ClubJuggle - Removed 'redneck' reference'.
 01/13/2006 01:28:38 AM · #12
WOW I'm sure he felt like a real big man harassing a 16 year old just out taking a few photos.

Jon, you did the right thing by keeping your head straight and just walking away, it takes a real man to walk away from a fight.

Nicely done.


01/13/2006 02:17:15 AM · #13
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
I think my manfrotto tripod would make a good defense weapon.. now I just need a 1D mk2n and a 70-200 2.8L to stick on the end for rotational mass :D (j/k)

That's the spirit Jon. Laugh it off. ;)
 01/13/2006 04:26:51 AM · #14
Hey guys,

This is a great discussion, in the interest of keeping it on the real core issue here, I've adjusted the subject line and edited/removed a couple posts that made negative use of the "redneck" stereotype.

Yeah, I know all about Jeff Foxworthy, and I love his material. That said, some users have commented that they are bothered by the fact that we allow users to make broad negative stereotypes of rednecks that we would not allow to be made of other identifiable groups/ethnicities/religions/nationalities, etc. I don't believe it was anyone's intention to be offensive, but if you substitute, for example, 'blacks,' 'Jews," or 'Mexicans' into the subject line posts that were removed, I suspect you'll see where the users that were concerned were coming from.

Let's do our best to keep this thread on topic, so If anyone has any questions about why this was locked, please feel free to PM me directly or to ask those questions in a new thread.

Once again, this is a great topic and a great discussion. Please ignore me cleaning up here in the corner and carry on. ;-)

~Terry

(edit: added link to meta-discussion)

Message edited by author 2006-01-13 05:09:55.
 01/13/2006 04:37:32 AM · #15
You took a pic and the guy follows you to your truck.... I would have a problem with that. I am not cool headed when people get in my face. I think you handled it well, if it were me though (he) would be calling the cops 8~}
 01/13/2006 04:58:55 AM · #16
Originally posted by ubique:
It's hard for someone not from USA to properly understand this issue I guess. I had no idea, Terry, that rednecks were a categorical group in the same sense as Jewish, black and Mexican people. Presumably rednecks have their own churches, music and cultural festivals? Is there a 'redneck pride' movement? Do they proudly acknowledge their 'redneckedness"? Probably they now take the politically correct option and insist on referring to themselves as 'Redneck-Americans'?


As I stated previously, in the interest of keeping this thread on topic, any discussion about the decision to edit the posts should be moved to a NEW thread.

I'll quote your post to a new thread and reply there. Replies subsequent to this one (that are NOT on the ORIGINAL topic of the thread) are being deleted, and I'll re-post them to the new thread.

~Terry

(edit: link to above-mentioned new thread)

Message edited by author 2006-01-13 05:16:20.
 01/13/2006 05:12:00 AM · #17
Sorry Terry. Please trash the other thread. I had no wish to put you to all this trouble. I guess I simply didn't properly understand the sensitivity of the issue from this distance.
 01/13/2006 05:15:13 AM · #18
Originally posted by ubique:
Sorry Terry. Please trash the other thread. I had no wish to put you to all this trouble. I guess I simply didn't properly understand the sensitivity of the issue from this distance.


No worries. Your questions were fair, reasonable and constructive, and I'm sure others will have the same questions as well. I'm sure others will have the same questions as well, so I'd just as soon leave the thread there so they can ask them and/or read the history.

~Terry
 01/13/2006 05:23:42 AM · #19
Well I see you all have rednecks in New Mexico too. (or was I supposed to refer to them as crimson necked Americans?) The guy was probably just drunk. Or perhaps that wasn't his wife.
 01/13/2006 06:58:24 AM · #20
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
one man got offended when I took a picture as him and a lady (his wife probably) in their pickup drove past.


Judging by the guy's reaction, it probably wasn't his wife.
:-)
 01/13/2006 07:01:58 AM · #21
Originally posted by John White:
What are rights?


Everything at 180 degrees from lefts. :-)
 01/13/2006 07:33:14 AM · #22
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
I was taking photos in town this evening, long exposures of cars next to a road mostly.

Took quite a few, but one man got offended when I took a picture as him and a lady (his wife probably) in their pickup drove past.

He was in the lane closest to me, then he turned around and drove back past (I was still taking pics, didn't get one of his truck a second time though). He was staring at me from across the road, and drove up onto the curb by accident... real good driver eh.

Then he turned back around, and pulled up next to me as I was calling it a night (cold out). Asked why I took a pic of him, said it was against the law, he wanted to sue me, etc. I gave him a short answer (forgot what exactly, not enough apparently) and he followed me and kept asking. He kept insisting I was violating his constitutional rights as a US citizen by taking his picture, and I reminded him that harassing someone is breaking more than a simple right.

He pulled into the parking lot our truck was in after me, and sat near the road. After a minute he pulled closer, I asked if I could help him. He said he was just mad because I took a picture of him, said again it was against his rights. Said he called the cops already.

I told him fine, get the cops here and we'll see who commited a crime (no one). He repeated his trademark line, I told him we could take it up in court if he really wanted to. He drove off. Some 'calling the cops', eh?

Maybe this is a semi-rant, but I just have crappy luck with people around here. They take offense if I take their picture - period.
I can understand the aggression from the security staff in my last incident, but this really gets me. Is it just this part of the country? Are typical citizens this high-and-mighty everywhere?


oh yeah; who would have thought that in this day and age, in the USA, that a person would be just as against having his picture taken as a primitive person who would call the photographer a soul stealer.

One day I was on the side of the road in a rural spot near a large agricultural field and I was taking a large landscape shot of a completely deserted barn, when a guy with a nextel phone on his shoulder sped up in a pickup truck and asked me why the hell I was taking pictures of the property; I said its just a personal art shot and he said "ok." What are they growing in that field is what I thought.

This is why I take pictures in my kitchen.
 01/13/2006 07:52:49 AM · #23
Originally posted by blindjustice:
One day I was on the side of the road in a rural spot near a large agricultural field and I was taking a large landscape shot of a completely deserted barn, when a guy with a nextel phone on his shoulder sped up in a pickup truck and asked me why the hell I was taking pictures of the property; I said its just a personal art shot and he said "ok."


You have to understand the position of the property owner. For all he knew before you told him you may have been taking pictures for the local paper, an insurance company, the IRS, a realtor, a developer or God knows who else. If it was my property I would want to know why too. The fact that he said it was "ok" after you told him should have held some type of redemption.
 01/13/2006 08:15:05 AM · #24
The question I usually get is what newspaper am I working for.
When I say none, people mostly become either completely indifferent or curious in a friendly manner.
I think I've only had two or three confrontations, but nothing serious, really.

Once in the evening I was taking a picture of a large hospital and a really drab looking Russian guy walked up to me and demanded to know what the heck do I think I'm doing, taking pictures of this building. When I inquired as to what makes it his business to ask, he explained in a heated manner that it was he who built the damn hospital and now he's unemployed and the damn directors and managers and banks are sucking the last blood out of a working guy and now, as if that wasn't enough, I have the guts to come and shoot pictures of this building. We engaged in a lengthy and rather emotional discussion of political economy of communism vs. capitalism. Had my wife not returned from her dentist appointment and saved me, we'd probably still stand there, arguing. :-)

Message edited by author 2006-01-13 08:27:15.
 01/13/2006 08:29:31 AM · #25
Originally posted by Didymus:
Judging by the guy's reaction, it probably wasn't his wife.
:-)


Hehehe...the only one that mentioned it. Maybe he thought he was gonna get sprung? :p

But seriously, it must of been a bit of a situation but it sounds like you handled it well. I guess it could of got out of hand pretty quickly!
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