Is There an App for Rent-a-Cops and Handcuffs?

Local blogger Shane Becker has a hilarious/infuriating post up about his experience being detained by police while shopping at REI's flagship store. While waiting in a customer service line, Becker says he saw two Loomis guys working on an ATM. Never having seen the inside of an ATM, he walked over and snapped a picture with his iPhone. After Becker refused to show his ID for taking the photo, things went very wrong, with a Loomis guy offering to tackle him if he tried to leave, REI loss prevention officers showing up, and eventually the SPD, who put him in cuffs and detained him for half an hour at the West Precinct. Becker, who one suspects was writing his blog post in his head the whole time, ends with a list of just a few snapshots of the insides of ATMs you can find on the internet. We'll close with the Photographer's Bill of Rights.

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By MvB in Miscellaneous on May 11, 2009 4:00 PM

Comments [rss]

mindo999

Frankly, I have no reason to believe that he was threatened with being tackled.

I can't take his word for it as his blog demonstrates that he's a guy with an ax to grind, looking for opportunities to demonize authority figures and sell his lame t-shirts.

Instead of contacting a lawyer (who probably would have told him that he didn't have much of a case), he went straight to the media, appearing on the local radio and tv news. Victim? I doubt it. Opportunist? Definitely.

Troy Morris

Mikey, did you read the bill of rights? Because, um, no. Areas where you're invited (as a customer, you're invited) are free to photograph. If they had signs, okay. If they asked you to leave, okay. But neither of those are met in this case, so no. He could take a picture and that picture is his property. And the property of Apple, I'm sure.

mikey

The problem with your theory that you are free to take pictures of things in this instance is that you were inside a building owned by someone else. They DO have the right to control your photography.

However, it amounts to a misdemeanor trespass.... maybe. There is no crime involved and so the police cannot really do anything. If they do then they get hammered for a false arrest. And your never going to get convicted of anything.

It's the inconvenience of hassle by the so called authorities and the confiscation/destruction of your equipment that causes the problems.

If they want to hide the machine they need to put up a screen while servicing it.