Rights - how about my rights?
Have to bring this one to a forum but I'm sure it's been discussed over and over.
I was photographing from the boardwalk out to the ocean on vacation. Using a point and shoot camera.
Yes people were on the beach. Found myself spoken to by a police officer. Turned around and found myself surrounded by 5 or 6 officers. They explained that they'd gotten complaints and had to investigate as people were concerned about their children. I think it's funny that people everywhere are using their cell phones and posting all sorts of things on Facebook etc., I'm probably on there somewhere, but here in a public place I have my dignity assailed in public. I believe this amounts to illegal search, but anyway I decided to show my photos on the camera. While I showed them a dozen or so photos, they said to me "keep going it seems that you're trying to hide something". Ok, so I showed them more photos (rather than whatever the consequences of resistance might bring). They eventually got quite bored looking at scenes and gulls and no evidence of whatever they would define as improper. I grew up in the 60's and 70's and am now almost 60. My father was a photographer through and through. I think this was a total disgrace on the part of law enforcement, but just want to hear what people here think. It's not all about rights, but also about the paranoia in this country that seems out of control, and the abuse of our public servants the police, who now will be busy with non-criminal investigations. Are we now policed based on people's paranoia?
P.S. At the onset I was asked was I here alone (?). Seems very surreal.
Comments
Have to bring this one to a forum but I'm sure it's been discussed over and over.
I was photographing from the boardwalk out to the ocean on vacation. Using a point and shoot camera.
Yes people were on the beach. Found myself spoken to by a police officer. Turned around and found myself surrounded by 5 or 6 officers. They explained that they'd gotten complaints and had to investigate as people were concerned about their children. I think it's funny that people everywhere are using their cell phones and posting all sorts of things on Facebook etc., I'm probably on there somewhere, but here in a public place I have my dignity assailed in public. I believe this amounts to illegal search, but anyway I decided to show my photos on the camera. While I showed them a dozen or so photos, they said to me "keep going it seems that you're trying to hide something". Ok, so I showed them more photos (rather than whatever the consequences of resistance might bring). They eventually got quite bored looking at scenes and gulls and no evidence of whatever they would define as improper. I grew up in the 60's and 70's and am now almost 60. My father was a photographer through and through. I think this was a total disgrace on the part of law enforcement, but just want to hear what people here think. It's not all about rights, but also about the paranoia in this country that seems out of control, and the abuse of our public servants the police, who now will be busy with non-criminal investigations. Are we now policed based on people's paranoia?
P.S. At the onset I was asked was I here alone (?). Seems very surreal.