Street Photographer...Not a Terrorist

[Rick Waldroup]

I saw Bill's thread yesterday about the incident in White Plains NY about the photographer being hasseled while shooting photos of the courthouse. Let me tell you about an incident that happened to me a about a month ago that had not so much to do with me shooting, as it did with me being stopped and detained for a short while because of a t-shirt I was wearing.

I shoot a lot in the downtown areas of Dallas and Ft. Worth. Since 9-11 I have been stopped three different times by police officers inquiring as to what I was taking photos of. Each time I explained that I am a street shooter and I provided ID and each time I was sent on my way with a "Have a nice day". No problems. I did not like being stopped but I understood their concern.

A couple of months ago I bought a goofy t-shirt from a web site- the t-shirt reads "Street Photographer...Not a Terrorist". One day I wore it while shooting in downtown Ft. Worth. I was standing in front of the courthouse shooting away when a police officer approached me on foot and asked me what was on my shirt. I showed it to him and he burst out laughing. He thought it was funny, just as I did when I purchased it. He then asked me about my Bessas and it turned out he was an avid photographer.

A week later I was wearing the same shirt in downtown Dallas and was standing on a street corner shooting some scenes of the lunchtime crowd when a squad car pulled up beside me and the one of the two officers motioned me over. I went over and he looked at my shirt and asked me in a completely sarcastic and confrontational tone of voice if I thought my shirt was funny. At this point, this is where I did not exercise good judgement and I asked him in the same tone of voice "Yes. Do you?" Well, that was all it took. He got out of the car, demanded ID. His partner then got out and while the first one was running the ID check started asking what I was taking photos of. Anyway, after about 5 minutes, another squad car pulled up and all together I was detained only for about 25 minutes. They finally let me go and the original officer who stopped me told me to "watch what I was taking pictures of".

Now, what to make of all this? I posted this story on a photo website based in Texas and for the most part I was roundly criticized for what happened. A lot of folks told me I got what I deserved for wearing such a stupid shirt, etc. And they may be right to a certain extent. And I certainly did not help matters in the way that I responded to the officer's question. But my basic premise is this and I stand by it 100%- I was initially stopped for one reason and one reason only- a police officer was offended by a shirt I was wearing. It was only after I made the smart-ass remark did anyone ask about the photos I was taking.

This is not to rant against the police at all. Theirs is a job I could never do. Who knows, maybe the officer was having a bad day and then again, maybe he is just a bad cop- who knows? Did he exceed his authority- I think he did but others have disagreed with me. I think we now live in a state of fear in this country. When is enough...enough? I will end this by saying that my father brought me up to respect law and order and authority. He also brought me up to just never bow down and indescriminately kiss authority's ass either.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Just what is this with institutionalised paranioa down south? Granted wearing a T shirt like that will confront certain authority figures. When I am out street shooting I want to blend into the background. What happend to the US I loved as a kid on family holidays?

Bill

 

[Andy K]

In a free society what was written on your shirt should have zero bearing on how you are treated by authority. Likewise, the attitude of authority should have no bearing on what you wear or how you express yourself.

 

[bmattock]

Well for what it is worth, I am on your side 100%. I'll give you mine, amazingly similar in many details...

I used to travel for a living. 150 thousand air miles per year, on the road 6 days per week, in airports a minimum of twice a week. I did this for seven years.

When 9/11 happened, things changed. The airport security people, who were mostly lax, lazy, and many of whom had criminal backgrounds (yes, and I can defend this statement) were replaced by the TSA - many of whom (at first) were hyper, tense, power-mad and also had minor criminal backgrounds (yes, they sorted most of those out soon afterwards). I had things confiscated from me arbitrarily, I had things stolen from my checked luggage which the TSA now demanded I leave unlocked.

I started putting copies of the 4th Amendment (unlawful search and seizure) inside my luggage, on top. I got it torn up, spit on, rolled into a ball, and little comments scrawled on it - "Thanks for being un-american. Have a nice day" by the baggage screeners who were deep inside the bowels of the airport. Oh, I forgot, we're at war to save our liberties - so let's give up our liberties in order to save them. Right.

So I had some t-shirts made up, and I only wore them when going through the airport. My wife hated it, she was certain they were going to drop a net on me and ship me to Gitmo.

1) Syndicate: A loose association of criminals engaged in organized crime.
2) TSA: See syndicate.

The TSA is a terrorist network.

If Jefferson, Adams, and Washington were alive today, they'd be terrorists under the Patriot Act. How patriotic is that?

Yes, I own guns. No, you can't have them. Come to my house, I'll give you what's in them.

American, Christian, Pro-Gun, Heterosexual, Conservative. Any questions?

I'll stop being a jerk when you stop stealing from me.

America is a Police State

Non Servium, Beyotch

I never got arrested. I got 'hassled' a bunch, but I'd say I brought that on myself with my provacative t-shirts. I welcomed it - it gave me an outlet for my anger and frustration with petty authority types who have a badge that weighs a ton. Yes, the police have a hard job to do. Yes, I respect them for it. No, they cannot violate my rights with impunity just because it makes their jobs easier. Sucks to be them, that's the job.

I was once forced to change my t-shirt in the Boston airport - the cop said flat-out that if I did not, he'd take me to jail. Yes, I'd have won a lawsuit, but who has the time? I didn't want to lose my job by missing my next customer assignment. I had a lot of petty stuff taken from my checked luggage, and an Atlanta TSA agent tried to steal my digital camera right in front of my eyes - I had to actually raise hell before he'd give it back. He stole it in front of me! Unzip pouch, extract camera, tuck it under his jacket as he sat on his stool! I yelled at him and he ignored me. I actually had to yell REALLY LOUD and then he raised up, pulled out my camera and tossed it to me without a word. SO BLATANT! The cop saw the whole thing, did nothing.

I got in trouble in the Albuquerque airport - for bad-staring a national guardsman. He and the TSA inspector were going through my bag and playing a little game - they were making a joke out of 'what can we confiscate?' They thought it was very amusing. So I stared at a nineteen year old with a machine gun - and nearly got arrested for my trouble. I guess looking is illegal now.

Anyway, long story shorter, I ended up seeking employment where I did not have to travel. And I take the train - I have decided life is too short to have to put up with intrusive searches, outright theft under color of authority, and fake make-believe security designed to make us all feel better while third-party cargo on passenger planes STILL does not even get x-rayed, let alone searched or bomb-sniffed. I buy a train ticket, show my ID, and get on the train. What's mine remains mine. I dig that.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Avotius]

heh I gota get me one of those shirts, in chinese at least...hm...maybe the english one will be good enough. Yeah I probably would have responded with the same smart mouth since I dont care for people who look down their noses at others like that despite who they are. I got stoped once taking photos of a boardwalk by a police man who in a snotty voice told me that I cant take photos of people in a public place because its a violation of their privacy. I wanted to tell him to go take a hike but before I could he demanded ID (I think I was 17 at the time and had no ID) in the end they called my father who was also a photographer a long while back and told the police officer off for me. In the end they let me go but not before creating a scene.

 

[Andy K]

@ Bill... All of which is why I have not visited since August 2001. You think it's bad for you? Try being a foreign visitor coming through customs, being fingerprinted like a common criminal, having to remove your shoes etc.

 

[oftheherd]

Rule number one: Never get in a contest with the police. They will usually win. He did by taking up 25 minutes of your time. He was getting paid for his.

Other than that, I would say you have a right to wear the t-shirt, and unless there are local laws to the contrary, to photograph where you were. Having that right may not protect you from a check by the police. Could the policeman handled it different? Of course. Could you have handled it differently? Of course.

I would like to see all police act in a more congenial manner. Usually I think it gets them farther with the majority of the public they work for. Unfortunately, some of the public makes that difficult. Not all cops know how to react to unpleasantries from the public other than as the second cop you met did. Also unfortunately, some of the public don't know how to react to cops who are overly agressive. IMHO you didn't.
Did you get what you derserved? Well, yes and no. If you had not answered as you did, you might have helped defuse the situation. Of course, the cop surely didn't need to act as he did either.

I personally think we have overly reacted a little to 9/11 concerns. I think the level of conflict is not high enough to justify many of the laws we have enacted post 9/11. But to think there is no threat is just as wrong. I think we all have to work to make it better. I think the cops do, and so do we. IMHO, you didn't, albeit the cops confrontational attitude probably wasn't needed either.

But always remember, cops are just as human as you. They get bad information from time to time, they have bad days, and they often deal with the scum of society. They don't like to do wrong, and don't like people acting like they have done wrong, even if they have. As I said, just as human as you, or me.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Oftheherd, your points are well taken. The minute I opened my mouth and those words came out, I thought uh-oh, that was kind of dumb Rick. I let my temper get the best of me in that situation and that was wrong. But I still stand by my original premise that I was stopped simply because of a shirt I was wearing and that is flat out wrong. The shirt has officially been "retired". It is now one of my official darkroom shirts. Whenever my wife deems some of my t-shirts a little raggedy etc, they are banished to my darkroom. I wear them while I work in there. After I told my wife what had happened in Dallas, she said that the Terrorist shirt was heading for an early retirement. It now has a happy life complete with Rodinal and fix stains.

 

[bmattock]

@ Bill... All of which is why I have not visited since August 2001. You think it's bad for you? Try being a foreign visitor coming through customs, being fingerprinted like a common criminal, having to remove your shoes etc.

Andy, I'm sure it sucks, and I feel for you, truly. I'm sorry we treat our friends and allies that way.

I don't mind the searches - when done according to law. I don't mind the fingerprints, photos, and so on - again, it is the blatant violations of established civil law that I object to - done in the name of security.

And I would object less to even that if I thought for a minute that it made us safer. But it does not - anyone with a brain can read that they do not search third-party shipments of cargo on most passenger planes - or searching is spotty at best. Security is not a 'some is better than none' game. You either have security or you do not. If you're not searching the boxes from the US Post Office that go on the passenger plane, there is very little point to strip-searching grandmas in wheelchairs.

I hope someday this will all be over and we will come to our collective senses.

This is not the country I grew up in. I miss that one.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

Rule number one: Never get in a contest with the police. They will usually win. He did by taking up 25 minutes of your time. He was getting paid for his.

Yes, but there is the entertainment value to consider. Watching a stuffed shirt turn apoplectic can have its rewards.

Other than that, I would say you have a right to wear the t-shirt, and unless there are local laws to the contrary, to photograph where you were. Having that right may not protect you from a check by the police. Could the policeman handled it different? Of course. Could you have handled it differently? Of course.

I try to remain calm and smile and keep my hands where they can see them. I don't curse at them (did once, bad mistake on my part), but I make eye contact and I tell them NO, I won't do this or NO you can't search that - if I feel they are violating my rights. Being pleasant does not have to mean giving in to avoid confrontation. I like confrontation.

I would like to see all police act in a more congenial manner. Usually I think it gets them farther with the majority of the public they work for. Unfortunately, some of the public makes that difficult. Not all cops know how to react to unpleasantries from the public other than as the second cop you met did. Also unfortunately, some of the public don't know how to react to cops who are overly agressive. IMHO you didn't.
Did you get what you derserved? Well, yes and no. If you had not answered as you did, you might have helped defuse the situation. Of course, the cop surely didn't need to act as he did either.

I worked for a long time in law enforcement, as an MP in the military and as a civilian reserve deputy and civilian 911 dispatcher in a police call center for a major city. Most cops are cool people. Unfortunately, the job's authority attracts Billy Badass and his little brother Bobby. You get the bad and the good.

I personally think we have overly reacted a little to 9/11 concerns. I think the level of conflict is not high enough to justify many of the laws we have enacted post 9/11. But to think there is no threat is just as wrong. I think we all have to work to make it better. I think the cops do, and so do we. IMHO, you didn't, albeit the cops confrontational attitude probably wasn't needed either.

I think people who want petty power and presumed authority have used 9/11 to hang their hats on and demand more authority. It isn't about 9/11, it is about gaining more power.

But always remember, cops are just as human as you. They get bad information from time to time, they have bad days, and they often deal with the scum of society. They don't like to do wrong, and don't like people acting like they have done wrong, even if they have. As I said, just as human as you, or me.

You're right. Cops deal with the dregs of society, over and over again. As a result, they often end up alienating themselves from society. They hang out only with other cops - nobody understands their jokes or frustrations or stories but other cops. They lose all trust - everybody lies to them in their line of work about everything. They begin to view all citizens as perps.

Their job sucks. I used to think I wanted to work in that field as a career, I ended up getting out of it. One, because I could feel the lure of power, and I didn't like that I enjoyed it. It was corrupting my soul. Some can handle it, I could not have, and would have been one of the bad ones. Two, because the job ends with sitting in a closet sucking on a pistol when you realize that the whole world is worth crap. I'd rather have my illusions about people being basically good (and they are, but cops don't see that much).

None of that means I am going to just say ok, you have a tough job to do, let me make it easy for you - strip away my rights. Nope. If you wanna search my house, you need a warrant. Even if I have NOTHING in the world to hide. If you want to stop me from taking photos, you have to tell me what the law is that restricts me from doing so. I don't go for 'felony contempt of cop' and 'being stupid on a sunny day' and other made-up laws.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[oftheherd]

...

I don't mind the searches - when done according to law. I don't mind the fingerprints, photos, and so on - again, it is the blatant violations of established civil law that I object to - done in the name of security.

...

What concerns me as a citizen of the USA is that many laws have been changed so in fact those civil liberties have gone away.

As I said, I think we have gone a little in the wrong direction, and need to rethink some of what we are doing. That doesn't mean we should do nothing. Security is important. We just need to insure we are doing it the best way we can. I think we have a lot of room for improvement. Discussion is good for exploring ideas to do so.

EDIT: I wish I had the perfect solution, but I don't.

 

[bmattock]

What concerns me as a citizen of the USA is that many laws have been changed so in fact those civil liberties have gone away.

As I said, I think we have gone a little in the wrong direction, and need to rethink some of what we are doing. That doesn't mean we should do nothing. Security is important. We just need to insure we are doing it the best way we can. I think we have a lot of room for improvement. Discussion is good for exploring ideas to do so.

I agree, but I feel it is important to resist. Not to fight the police or throw rocks, etc. Just don't comply willingly with laws that violate established rights.

"Will you open your bag?"

"No, I will not."

Simple as that. If they grab it and search it anyway, then they had better do so properly or they'll hear about later when I file a complaint with the agency that employs them.

It's not about what's in the bag. It is not what I do or don't have to hide. It is just about it being MY bag and NONE of their business unless they have a compelling LEGAL reason to search.

Why I gave up flying. I could no longer willingly comply with what I know to be an illegal and unreasonable search in direct violation of my 4th Amendment rights. I know you have to do it to get on an airplane - so I don't get on airplanes if I can help it. There is nowhere I need to go fast these days.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[cbass]

I hope someday this will all be over and we will come to our collective senses.

You and me both, Bill. I don't understand how thinking people can become so fearful. I've only been hassled once or twice while making photographs, nothing serious, but the experiences didn't leave me feeling good at all.

I hope this doesn't turn into a politically-tinged flame thread because it's vital that the photography art community talk openly about this problem. If we remain silent things will only get worse.

 

[bmattock]

You and me both, Bill. I don't understand how thinking people can become so fearful. I've only been hassled once or twice while making photographs, nothing serious, but the experiences didn't leave me feeling good at all.

I hope this doesn't turn into a politically-tinged flame thread because it's vital that the photography art community talk openly about this problem. If we remain silent things will only get worse.

Hear, hear!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Trius]

oftheherd: I'd say way more than a little. I fear there has been a fundamental, structural change, and it very disturbing to me. I hope I'm wrong.

Back to the topic. Photography, perhaps as much as any other artform, has an important role in any society. Photography has been a powerful tool for intellectual and emotional communication. Whether it be the Adams tradition of landscape/environmental documentation, the social documentary work of W. Eugene Smith, the street work of HCB, Davidson, et al, or the science-based investigation of life by Nilsson (sp?), photography is an essential part of a free society. (Not to mention its purely artistic role.)

Any restriction ... ANY restriction outside the law and reason must be met with reasoned but firm refusal to comply.

 

[aad]

I agree with the sentiments here, and view the encroachment on our liberty to be the biggest threat to the country. I also admire Mr. Mattocks for his courage in standing up for his rights.

Oddly, none of these things ever happens to me. Nothing disappears from my luggage, police wave at me when I take pictures, and in those airports where luggage must be hand-searched due to lack of the big scanners, I'm treated courteously and apologetically. No idea...

 

[Avotius]

you know what I find really funny about all of this?

I live in China, the evil red commies...

This idea of being hassled about taking photos is so alien here that when ive mentioned it to people they just laugh.

 

[bmattock]

I agree with the sentiments here, and view the encroachment on our liberty to be the biggest threat to the country. I also admire Mr. Mattocks for his courage in standing up for his rights.

Thank you, but I'm not sure it is courage. I think I just like to argue and fuss.

Oddly, none of these things ever happens to me. Nothing disappears from my luggage, police wave at me when I take pictures, and in those airports where luggage must be hand-searched due to lack of the big scanners, I'm treated courteously and apologetically. No idea...

I have noticed, on the few times I've flown in the past two years, that the courtesy factor has gone up - and I'm glad of it. And sometimes I think it is only because I few SO MUCH that I saw so many negative things. A hundred 'good' flights and a couple 'bad' ones - guess which ones stick out in my memory? I did not have things stolen from my checked luggage on a frequent basis - just from time to time, and I logged hundreds of flights a year.

I also think that nails that stick up get hammered down. For the citizen who just lets things slide - all is pretty much peaches. Not that they don't care - they just don't care to object to every little thing. I tend to. Sigh.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

you know what I find really funny about all of this?

I live in China, the evil red commies...

This idea of being hassled about taking photos is so alien here that when ive mentioned it to people they just laugh.

I agree that it is funny, but I also have taken photos on Tienaman Square and been given the hairy eyeball by the police/army with their machine guns. No, they didn't stop me, but the day before, some Falun Gong guys got the snot beat out of them at that very location and were hauled off by the police. I am not anti-China - and I do see your point. But every country has its problems of one type or another.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Avotius]

I agree that it is funny, but I also have taken photos on Tienaman Square and been given the hairy eyeball by the police/army with their machine guns. No, they didn't stop me, but the day before, some Falun Gong guys got the snot beat out of them at that very location and were hauled off by the police. I am not anti-China - and I do see your point. But every country has its problems of one type or another.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

sure they do, im not saying china is better then america, although I have to say that a lot of people really dont care about all the "issues" american worry about. Why? Its none of their bussiness, if they cant do anything about it then dont do anything about it. Its annoying and logical, which has been funny living here the last two years after growing up in america.