City bans photography at ice pond

nc5p · May 12, 2006

http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1170&dept_id=7021&newsid=16606489&PAG=461&rfi=9

This is totally outrageous! I was so mad I sent the mayor of this city an email with my daughter's photo playing soccer. I told him that even though he is across the country city ordinances like this spread like a southwest forest fire across the nation. I photograph my daughter most every weekend and take the prints the next week to show the other parents. They all like them, nobody has every complained. What is wrong with this country? I'm sure I'll get banned if I give the email address but a quick google will get you his name and address. We should all send him photos of kids playing sports. Especially you northerners who have ice skating ponds!

Doug

Oh yea, here's what I sent him:

Mamiya 645 Super, 150mm f11, 1/500, TMax 400

Monophoto · May 13, 2006

The rest of the story -

according to the local TV news report, this situation was triggered by a complaint from a mother that she was being harassed by another mother at the skating rink. Apparently, the second woman was making photographs of her own child, and the first mother took offense on the basis that she thought her child might have also been included in the photographs.

Doug is right - these situations are getting out of control. Instead of providing any real leadership, our elected political representatives are caving into the paranoia and imposing meaningless regulations like this. And Joe sixpack is willing to sacrifice the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution because it makes him feel "safer".

DBP · May 13, 2006

It takes a pretty sick mind to construe photographing children's sports as pedophilia. Maybe someone should investigate the mayor.

bjorke · May 15, 2006

One of the other parents comments: http://www.flickr.com/groups/utata/discuss/72057594131605181/

glbeas · May 15, 2006

bjorke said:
One of the other parents comments: http://www.flickr.com/groups/utata/discuss/72057594131605181/

Comes back saying the page is private.

df cardwell · May 15, 2006

Monophoto said:
.....edit... our elected political representatives are caving into the paranoia and imposing meaningless regulations like this. And Joe sixpack is willing to sacrifice the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution because it makes him feel "safer".

actually, the wacky right stirs this up to make people afraid.

generate fear, generate votes.... so what if the fear generate more of a problem than what problem there may have been in the first place

joe sixpack supports it because it focusses his fear, and feels happier.

winger · May 15, 2006

Pedophiles can be ID'd from parents' photos. If a child disappears from the rink, maybe a parent running video or taking photos will catch the guy in a shot and help the Police to identify him.
Banning photography of kids will not stop a pedophile. They are probably doing it anyway, using cameras hidden in their clothes (like the ones on shoes to get photos up women's skirts). Besides, the pedophile doesn't need a photo to get their jollies - they're there anyway. just watching.

pentaxuser · May 16, 2006

We have exactly the same problem in the U.K. especially London where the mayor was threatening to erect notices warning parents of photographers, especially those with digis and mobile phones. The 7/7 suicide bombers in London seems to have persuaded the authorities that a mass of people taking photos may produce useful information in such situations. If the mass of a city's population take street photos constantly it's then equivalent of CCTV cameras on every street which is where we are heading anyway.

Presumably 24hr CCTV taking pictures of kids is OK provided it is in the right hands, that is to say the authorities in which the populace can have total faith. This rings a bell. Ah yes, it's the nightmare scenario in George Orwell's famous novel 1984.

pentaxuser

battra92 · May 16, 2006

Perhaps get a petition together of the other parents with real reasons why not to ban it. Put forth motions at the city council (or town meetings depending on where you live) and perhaps give examples and stuff.

And I don't blame right or left on this. When it comes to local politics, that stuff doesn't usually have any factor in it.

Heck, a cousin of mine has a side business filming all those sorts of local games and shows and selling copies to the parents. They buy it up and love it so what's the problem, really?

bjorke · May 16, 2006

glbeas said:
Comes back saying the page is private.

Yeah, you need to log in to flickr and then join the utata group (which you can leave after you read the page).

Someone claiming to be another Tray NY parent said:
Please, please....read this...

-videotaping at a rink in Troy, NY-

The truth is that Jean Hetman, the suposed "victim of discrimination" is a typical "little league" type of skating parent. Jealousy is a big issue with her and she is NOT innocently just videotaping her daughter. She is harrassing the other skaters, coaches & parents in this rink by openly & conspicously taping them to make them feel uncomfortable. I know some of the people she is harrassing very well.

This isn't the first rink she has done it. She is also responsible for the Clifton Park Arena adapting the same policy due to the very same actions and complaints against her for doing this.

Please, please find out both sides of a story before forming an opinion. This policy would have not taken place if it were not for her antics.

This woman portrays a very poor example for her daughter and the other children in the rink. If you do not believe me...please call the rink and talk to them there. 518-235-7761.

The rink officials have been receiving complaints about her for a very long time. Finally, they put up the sign hoping she would stop doing this to the other skaters and coaches. Her actions alone are responsible for the sign and the policy. The rink officials and employees have been nothing but professional, curteous and more than patient in their dealings with her.

This entire ruling was brought about due to her actions and abuse of the system. Then she cries discrimination. Unbelievable. Pretty soon, the people she is victimizing are going to have enough of her and file harrassment charges against her.

Personally, I wish she would find another rink to take her daughter to so that we can all skate in peace without her video camera incessantly in our faces, taping our every move.

This idea that the First Amedndment would be considered okay to skip just to argue over little league figure skating is pretty darned grotesque.

firecracker · May 16, 2006

pentaxuser said:
We have exactly the same problem in the U.K. especially London where the mayor was threatening to erect notices warning parents of photographers, especially those with digis and mobile phones. The 7/7 suicide bombers in London seems to have persuaded the authorities that a mass of people taking photos may produce useful information in such situations. If the mass of a city's population take street photos constantly it's then equivalent of CCTV cameras on every street which is where we are heading anyway.

Presumably 24hr CCTV taking pictures of kids is OK provided it is in the right hands, that is to say the authorities in which the populace can have total faith. This rings a bell. Ah yes, it's the nightmare scenario in George Orwell's famous novel 1984.

pentaxuser

In Japan, the survery cameras in the subway systems are in high demand, too partly because there was a sarin-gas attack by a bizzare cult group over a decade ago in Tokyo. That was the beginning of this part of the history for the people over here, and some died and many still suffer from it.

Then last night I read a little news that the subway in the city of Nagoya, a woman sprayed other passengers and ran away a few days ago, and she has not been caught yet. Now the newspaper and the local police blame on Nagoya's subway system because there were cameras installed but no the recordings of the images were taken regularly.

My fear is that the camera and the recording are becoming inevitably inseparable as a package, and that's because the police want them just to catch a little criminal like that woman, who may have just used a little pepper-spray that anyone can buy. That's where we are today at least in this part of the world.

Sorry to go off topic.

Andy K · May 16, 2006

They should take the City Councillors who came up with this to the ice pond and kick them in the icehole.

gr82bart · May 18, 2006

Andy K said:
They should take the City Councillors who came up with this to the ice pond and kick them in the icehole.

Andy,

At least you and I agree on this one!

Regards, Art.

City bans photography at ice pond

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