Kawasaki Concours Forum
Mish mash => Open Forum => Topic started by: stevewfl on November 03, 2011, 01:05:09 AM
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So I stop at a rest area on I-275 just south of St Petersburg, FL on the bike tonight. I figure I always see tourists snapping photo's at our rest areas, so I had pulled in to try out some new camera gear I picked up.
A lady (I think she's lesbian but thats OK) in a US customs hat introduces herself as "The transportation Authority" and explains to me I can't take pics of the building! ROFL, I said "what the vending machines restrooms are top secret or major terrorist targets huh". I honestly thought she was joking.
So I proceed to the building I didn't want a pic of and see an old pay phone( thats really new and works). I set up a bare flash strobe camera right on a light stand, no umbrella and set the cam up on a tripod to try out the new stuff and shoot a pic of myself. Flash fires.
OM MY GOD this lady went off the DEEP end. I thought she might taze me or such and explained tourists take pics all the time there. She pointed in the distance and explained to me that taking a pic of the Skyway Bridge is Ok (like thats not a real target) but her restroom building its illegal. She was so passionate about it i didn't argue i was packing up the bike with cam gear while she was still yelling and I got out of there.
Thats quite the far-fetched story so here's some proof (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/iconhammer.gif)
(http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/316817_2268321222133_1071635590_2484826_953090515_n.jpg)
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It's funny you should mention this as I was talking to someone the other day about taking pictures and how it's got 'illegal' in some places. I would love to take pictures of the aircraft at AP Hill from the other side of the fence and maybe the tanks guarding the front gate and would have before 9-11. Not now, they'd probably arrest me and then expose my digital film to the sun. There is no sign that says taking photos is illegal from outside an installation and I wonder if there has been any court cases regarding over zealous guards. There probably weren't any signs prohibiting photos at the rest area either.
I took some pictures in York, VA at a stop (Bob was with me at the time. I miss him here) on the Colonial Parkway of a guided missile cruiser that was loading munitions. I certainly can say I was looking over my shoulder to see if anyone of an official status was on their way to nab me.
Now, I feel this is going to be an interesting thread to the photogs out there and would like to hear more about this and their experiences. I can foresee where this might go depending on the posts. I don't want it this thread going to the Arena. I want the non-arena folks to enjoy this discussion so let's keep it civil.
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I'm sure that Homeland Security will be in touch VERY soon Steve. :o
You are now on THE list.
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As for your situation, Steve, I think I would have gone off the deep end myself. You handled it rather well, I think. With someone coming up to me with automatic weapons outside of a military installation it's more of 'yes sir, no sir, type of reaction and getting my butt out of there. Not gonna argue with a man or woman with an automatic weapon or a weapon of any sort. However, someone in a public area telling me to stop doing something where no sign prohibiting said something (taking pictures) would be a different matter entirely. I would have called her out on it, courteously of course, but called her out nonetheless.
On my trip out west last year, I can't tell you how many pictures were took at rest areas. No one stopped me from doing that the entire trip.
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More proof positive that you give someone a badge and they simply become a know it all...... How in the world could taking pictures of a rest stop be considered illegal? Sometimes make you wish that you had the time to be a stink head about it and say well then arrest me!
Not to side track a tread but not too long ago a Police Chief of one of the smaller towns around where I live proved how ignorant and arrogant of the law he could be when he attempted to arrest a person for open carry of a handgun (which is legal in MI) he rung off a long list of cuss words when he was stopped by an assisting State Trooper and informed of the law or in this case lack of a prohibiting law.
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Just what is "The Transportation Authority"? I've never heard of that agency. Sounds like she's really the rest stop janitor and thought you were going to take pictures of her shoddy work. ;D
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Just what is "The Transportation Authority"? I've never heard of that agency. Sounds like she's really the rest stop janitor and thought you were going to take pictures of her shoddy work. ;D
+1... ;)
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These incredible people exist hidden under the big government socialism umbrella.
FL Transportation Authorities
Active Authorities
Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX)
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX)
Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority (NFTCA)
Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA)
Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority (SRBBA)
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA/Tri Rail)
Southwest Florida Expressway Authority (SWFEA)
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA)
Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA)
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
Inactive Authorities
Brevard County Expressway Authority
Broward County Expressway Authority
Pasco County Expressway Authority
St. Lucie County Expressway and Bridge Authority
Seminole County Expressway Authority
Tampa Bay Commuter Transit Authority
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These incredible people exist hidden under the big government socialism umbrella.
FL Transportation Authorities
Active Authorities
Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX)
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX)
Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority (NFTCA)
Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA)
Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority (SRBBA)
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA/Tri Rail)
Southwest Florida Expressway Authority (SWFEA)
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA)
Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA)
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
Inactive Authorities
Brevard County Expressway Authority
Broward County Expressway Authority
Pasco County Expressway Authority
St. Lucie County Expressway and Bridge Authority
Seminole County Expressway Authority
Tampa Bay Commuter Transit Authority
Absolutely nothing to do with Socialism. Very weird that word snuck in there somehow.
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Absolutely nothing to do with Socialism. Very weird that word snuck in there somehow.
Yes sir I can't disagree and apologize. "Police state" would've been much more on the mark (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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Taking a picture of a public rest room building is illegal!!??? WTF?? So are we now paying people to guard rest rooms from picture takers? Sure glad the gov has lots of cash lying around for stuff like this.
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Taking a picture of a public rest room building is illegal!!??? WTF?? So are we now paying people to guard rest rooms from picture takers? Sure glad the gov has lots of cash lying around for stuff like this.
The rest area guards are put there as a public service for our "protection" (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/lol.gif)
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I've been kicked out of many places for taking photos... although they have all been private. Often times it depends on who is the guard at the time as to whether they will care or not.
Maybe you should have taken her picture in front of the skyway bridge?
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The Transportation Authority= DOT.
the same dumbies that screw with me everyday while I'm driving my semi truck.
basicly a metermaid with a gun collecting taxes that I've already payed!
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The rest area guards are put there as a public service for our "protection" (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/lol.gif)
Can you imagine the sheer carnage if a toilet gets attacked while you pants are down? I mean wadda ya gonna do, sling a handful of ?? at the perp? Pee on his/her shoe?
Rick
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Someone has to watch out for all those toilet paper thieves!
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Yeah, restricting photos of public rest areas does seem a bit much.
This summer I visited the Grand Coulee Dam and wanted to take a decent photo or two but it is really hard to stop close to the dam, in a clear area, for a photo. So I rode by the dam a few times and stopped and snapped photos as I could.... and really got the attention of a someone riding in an 'official' (but not marked with the agency) car. Nothing came of it but it was clear my behavior was drawing attention. This is the unfortunate result of the high strung state of LEOs and gov't agents around large public support facilities and transportation centers. I live near a large public water supply and often stop in the fall / early winter at dusk to watch the white tail deer graze on the protected land; that too is catching a lot more attention than it used to. I can actually see both sides of that situation too- we are merely interested in something and innocently looking but that looks identical to someone reconnoitering the area or worse. It is impossible to measure intention.
Brian
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I've been kicked out of many places for taking photos... although they have all been private. Often times it depends on who is the guard at the time as to whether they will care or not.
Maybe you should have taken her picture in front of the skyway bridge?
I was at the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago and there was a guy in the men's room trying to hide his camera while snapping pics of men at the urinals. I found one of the officials there and told him what was going on. He rushed into the men's room and brought the guy out.
That wasn't you was it? ;)
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If this is the Rest Stop I am thinking of on a trip a few years ago, Steve is correct. When I got home I did some research on this and came up with some interesting facts concerning pictures at certain Rest Areas in the US.
It seems that about 15 yrs ago the Dept. Of Defense decided to put short range Missels under the rest room toilets.
At a moments notice these could be activated from a remote site to take out infiltrators that have already entered the local area.
It seems the DOD understands that even terrorists need to take a dump sometimes.
I'm still looking for the article, I'll post it when I find it.
The SA light is on, and working fine. :popcorn:
Ride safe all, and please, ATGATT.
Greg
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I was at the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago and there was a guy in the men's room trying to hide his camera while snapping pics of men at the urinals. I found one of the officials there and told him what was going on. He rushed into the men's room and brought the guy out.
That wasn't you was it? ;)
:rotflmao:
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I stopped at the rest area on the south end of the Skyway today to have a snack and enjoy the view at about 11 a.m., everything looked real secure. I felt secure and safe. :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :thumbs:
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... It seems that about 15 yrs ago the Dept. Of Defense decided to put short range Missels under the rest room toilets. ...
Government actually installing exploding toilets, this is rich. Will take a peek down the hole on my next outhouse jaunt before I sit down.
Really though, good idea. How many people actually look down there for a nose cone shape before they rip one?
Johnny on the spot... Sounds like someone lit a fuse... Smells like someone lit a fuse...
Rick
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BTW, cool pic :thumbs:
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It's funny you should mention this as I was talking to someone the other day about taking pictures and how it's got 'illegal' in some places. I would love to take pictures of the aircraft at AP Hill from the other side of the fence and maybe the tanks guarding the front gate and would have before 9-11. Not now, they'd probably arrest me and then expose my digital film to the sun.
hehehehe
rolled up there a couple years ago (20 minutes from my house) wanting to shoot the tanks for an ADV state Tag-o-Rama shot, rolled to the gate to ask prior to even attempting it, gat soldier was all cool... "sure, let me call someone to stand here while I WALK YOU OVER TO IT", sweet i thought, when the other o/d showed up, and we began walking over he told me "do NOT turn around towards the gate with that camera.....", I handed it to him, and wanted to get the C14 in the shot (TagO-Rama...), got the bike in position, stood back with O/D, and all hell broke loose. 3 jeeps, 6 HIGHLY ARMED MP's, showed up in a second, told me to G.T.H.O.O.H, and cuffed the O/D..... wow, I felt really bad for him. I hope he didn't get stockaded for that... Had an A.P. Hill "black van" pull up and question me coming out of the median strip after taking pictures at the barn John Wilkes Booth was burned in also, they said they saw me go back and forth too many times and had to "investigate" me as I was between the 2 zones of restriction....
Guy B Young and I BOTH got busted 2 different times at the Confederate capitol bldg in Richmond trying to do tag-O-Rama shots...., these folks ain't messin around.
I think in 4 years of that game here in Richmond, and over your way, we counted at least 15 "get out of here you idjit" confrontations on players... :o ;D
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I don't know if it is really true...but someone recently told me that California passes a law making it illegal to take pictures from a car.
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I don't know if it is really true...but someone recently told me that California passes a law making it illegal to take pictures from a car.
I figured they'd tax per pic, they tax everything else :D
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The response to that situation is simple. "Quote me the regulation."
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Totally agree with that, but it's tough to argue with MP's or heavily armed guards... I think if I were to do something like taking pictures of a base/fort/camp I would talk to their PR dept first. It's really too bad.
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Toilets aren't explosive until I use them...darn chili...
I found this subject quite interesting since from 1974-1977 I worked for MoDOT maintaining a rest area.
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I was at the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago and there was a guy in the men's room trying to hide his camera while snapping pics of men at the urinals. I found one of the officials there and told him what was going on. He rushed into the men's room and brought the guy out.
That wasn't you was it? ;)
Hey now... I was never convicted of anything!!! ;)
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Did he have a zoom lens?
Brian
I was at the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago and there was a guy in the men's room trying to hide his camera while snapping pics of men at the urinals.
<snip>
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Did he have a zoom lens?
Brian
Once he saw me he had to break out the wide angle. 8)
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Once he saw me he had to break out the wide angle. 8)
There are so many ways to respond to that.
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My business is next to a city entity.....you should see 3:30 pm I swear its like a fu^&ing school bell rang they run to their cars its crazy. You know they stopped working an hour (at least) ago to get back to the building and prepare to leave. When I worked at Honda Manu
it was the same exodus wise ...except we worked every minute !!
Mike
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There are so many ways to respond to that.
Yeah, I kinda left myself wide open didn't I? Go for it, I would. ;)
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hehehe,can't.
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here's a picture that had both the local police, and the Fed's circling me in this parking lot like a bunch of buzzards...
(http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/48576/1410606386015463693S425x425Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1410606386015463693cmkOMo)
that building (unknown to me at the time, But I was told by the cops when they had enough of the circling) happens to be the Richmond Federal Reserve....ooops, my bad. ???
this one got me a warning also, I just don't give up
(http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/46835/2454322550015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2454322550015463693pKcYdj)
Richmond Capitol Bldg, note the anti-drive thru posts on the sidewalk....
I risk a lot for ADV tag shots....heheheh
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...
that building (unknown to me at the time, But I was told by the cops when they had enough of the circling) happens to be the Richmond Federal Reserve....ooops, my bad. ???
this one got me a warning also, I just don't give up ...
I'm sorry, it's just a picture, I don't buy all the third degree flogging stuff. Google (et al) would (should) be in a world of hurt for all their aerial photos and maps, POSTED ONLINE for the whole world to see.
Rick
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I agree, but drive up to that building, whip out a camera, and see what happens....
here's some more that got me "a good lecture", not all were "national security", but i got talked to for each of these shots...
going back to the spot I noted in my first post, at A.P.Hill military base...no shots of the tank, but where I got popped adjacent to it parking on the road "no stopping or parking at anytime" signs literally every 20 feet, for almost 100 yards along the road, no lie, ask Va. Jim, I'm sure he has traveled thru A.P.Hills corridor...
(http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/46316/2224661370015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2224661370015463693JWBVfd)
(http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/47847/2926723640015463693S425x425Q85.jpg) (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2926723640015463693lHcxZi)
no fooling, Ft. A.P.Hill security abounds...
oooops....busted again....jeeez Sheriff, I'm just taken Tag-O-Rama pictures....
(http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/38145/2710186750015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2710186750015463693MVYqZX)
oh crap...re-inforcements showed up.....
(http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/49339/2869451560015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2869451560015463693zajfon)
they didn't think my asking them if they'd like to stand in for the photo....was a bit funny...
if ya can't beat 'em, take the camera to the police station and play real dangerous...
(http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/48669/2468027350015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2468027350015463693sEKCKF)
bike in tag shot, onsite, messin with the Sheriff's on Home Turf, right at the station..
(http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/49106/2708266460015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2708266460015463693cUIigS)
looky here li'l girl, I got his bike....argggggggggg
yep, the civil war Richmond Courthouse steps will get you a stern talkin to also...yep, they will...
(http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/48178/2381488020015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2381488020015463693eKicxp)
Bank Of America's front entrance is always good for a warning from the LEO's ...ow
(http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/50155/2555702550015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2555702550015463693Qdgxnz)
damn....Private airfields are off limits ALSO??? DAMN... busted again...
URL=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2671931500015463693bbrIyU](http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/48763/2671931500015463693S425x425Q85.jpg)[/URL](http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/48850/2803482410015463693S200x200Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2803482410015463693AOIciw)
the picture of the SIGN is what got me slapped by them this time....
even busted me for taking a tag with Mr. Bojangles......but I was parked on the sidewalk.
(http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/49197/2191946410015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2191946410015463693WrdVnH)
not just once.....but TWICE....YEP, it's me again officer....
(http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/39018/2518685550015463693S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2518685550015463693NdcOxK)
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I'm sorry, it's just a picture, I don't buy all the third degree flogging stuff. Google (et al) would (should) be in a world of hurt for all their aerial photos and maps, POSTED ONLINE for the whole world to see.
Rick
funny you mention it, we were googlin/Bing aerial perusing the Navel shipyards nerby in Newport News, and zoomed in of some subs in drydock....they had the propellers covered in tarps, but if you rotated the views to see alternate angles they mised one...uber-top-secret sub prop clear as day...
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BTW, cool pic :thumbs:
Thanks!
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I've been kicked out of many places for taking photos... although they have all been private. Often times it depends on who is the guard at the time as to whether they will care or not.
Maybe you should have taken her picture in front of the skyway bridge?
When I've run into these situations (used to do photos for a semi-living), provided the other person wasn't armed or a cop, I would take THEIR picture. Always unnerved them enough that while they were trying to figure what to do, I'd make my escape.
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When I've run into these situations (used to do photos for a semi-living), provided the other person wasn't armed or a cop, I would take THEIR picture. Always unnerved them enough that while they were trying to figure what to do, I'd make my escape.
problem is this psycho-badged lady was about to taze me (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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When I've run into these situations (used to do photos for a semi-living), provided the other person wasn't armed or a cop, I would take THEIR picture. Always unnerved them enough that while they were trying to figure what to do, I'd make my escape.
The bike is certainly fast enough to accomplish that...
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problem is this psycho-badged lady was about to taze me (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
A good tazing never hurt anyone, mostly. Could even help.
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A good tazing never hurt anyone, mostly. Could even help.
Says the guy on the safe end of the tazer.
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So what's your point?
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So what's your point?
I have none, just don't taze me bro.
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No worries there, Conrad. I don't own one either.
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I've been really tempted to purchase one, or a handheld stun gun, but my smarter self prevails and reminds me that I'd be sure to get in trouble using it. ;D
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Not if you wipe it down before you ditch it.