People have gone insane...

[CropDusterMan]

Ok, so I was out the other early evening walking around town with my new Leica (it's digital, but that doesn't matter) and I was taking a few images to test etc, and I had taken a wide snap shot of a basically empty street sidewalk that was backlit. About 5min later, a guy rolls up on me, jumps out of his car and gets in my face and says "Let me see your camera....were you taking pictures of me"? Utterly surprised, I said I don't think so, I'm just snapping a few shots testing my new camera". I was standing on a sidewalk talking with a family and their kids were petting my dog. He kept demanding to see my images, of which there were a total of three. I said fine, and there was an image with two heavily backlit people that were tiny and way off and unrecognizable in the photo.

It was apparently he and his girlfriend and he went nuts saying I was invading his privacy and then he began accusing me of taking photos of kids (which I wasn't...the family were simply saying hi to my dog), then he proceeds to call the police...taking photos of me and my plate. I said "fine, lets go to the police station together, I'm not breaking any laws here". He drove off, and then when I was driving home, he had been following me. Police show up and I was interrogated! I have no criminal record whatsoever, and am a parent. I felt completely violated. I showed the police the image that upset him and they terminated the "investigation" immediately while rolling their eyes.

America has gone nuts. Goddam Police State.

#1. I should have told him to go pound sand and not show him anything.
#2. If I'd had my film Leica, I could have just said to go F$%k himself.

 

[faberryman]

Maybe it wasn't his girlfriend.

 

[Hatchetman]

I suspect people have always been insane.

 

[LAG]

#2

 

[benjiboy]

Ok, so I was out the other early evening walking around town with my new Leica (it's digital, but that doesn't matter) and I was taking a few images to test etc, and I had taken a wide snap shot of a basically empty street sidewalk that was backlit. About 5min later, a guy rolls up on me, jumps out of his car and gets in my face and says "Let me see your camera....were you taking pictures of me"? Utterly surprised, I said I don't think so, I'm just snapping a few shots testing my new camera". I was standing on a sidewalk talking with a family and their kids were petting my dog. He kept demanding to see my images, of which there were a total of three. I said fine, and there was an image with two heavily backlit people that were tiny and way off and unrecognizable in the photo.

It was apparently he and his girlfriend and he went nuts saying I was invading his privacy and then he began accusing me of taking photos of kids (which I wasn't...the family were simply saying hi to my dog), then he proceeds to call the police...taking photos of me and my plate. I said "fine, lets go to the police station together, I'm not breaking any laws here". He drove off, and then when I was driving home, he had been following me. Police show up and I was interrogated! I have no criminal record whatsoever, and am a parent. I felt completely violated. I showed the police the image that upset him and they terminated the "investigation" immediately while rolling their eyes.

America has gone nuts. Goddam Police State.

#1. I should have told him to go pound sand and not show him anything.
#2. If I'd had my film Leica, I could have just said to go F$%k himself.

It's not just in America, the general public in most of the Western World have been so brainwashed by the media they see paedophiles under every rock, a doctor recently in a village in Wales had the locals lay siege to her house because she was listed in the phone book as a paediatrician.

 

[Eric Rose]

If it were me as soon as he rolled up and would have called 911 and told them you were being assaulted.

 

[AgX]

Here too there is a trend (contrary to legislation) that people even in the media consider just photographing people, yet even as part of a scene as inappropriate or even illegal.

 

[pentaxuser]

It's not just in America, the general public in most of the Western World have been so brainwashed by the media they see paedophiles under every rock, a doctor recently in a village in Wales had the locals lay siege to her house because she was listed in the phone book as a paediatrician.

Sounds as if it not just the media that are to blame. The educationalists and specifically those teaching English have something to answer for

pentaxuser

 

[removed account4]

a few years ago someone posted a long post about how he photographed people and their kid in the park even after
the people told him to buzz off, and he was wondering why they were upset with him.
seemed to me to be kind of a no-brainer, they told him not to photograph and he did ..
rule of thumb i always follow is don't photograph anyone elses kids but my own, even if they are friends
or hanging out with my pet crocodile or cousin's ferret or friend's alpaca or neighbor's fisher cat ...
with social media being so wicked and people posting all sorts of "stuff" with out permission i steer clear of provocation.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I would have called the police first and when they arrive ask them to arrest him for harassment. There is not presumption of privacy on public sidewalks or streets. Once he found out that he could be arrested he would have second thoughts about doing that again.

 

[ransel]

...a guy rolls up on me, jumps out of his car and gets in my face...

I'd probably be in jail now...and not because I was taking pictures on the street...

 

[Two23]

I would have calmly told him what you initially said, and if he was still belligerent, pulled out my cell phone right there and called the police. This actually has happened to me twice, and that's what I did. It worked well. The trick is you need to be the one making the call, i.e., be the complainant.


Kent in SD

 

[BrianShaw]

Two thoughts:

One should not equate a hoodlum with a police state. They are different.

It does matter that your Leica is digital. This is APUG! "A" does not stand for 'digital'.

 

[BrianShaw]

If it were me as soon as he rolled up and would have called 911 and told them you were being assaulted.

... and in fear of your life!

 

[Helios 1984]

This thread did not help me to overcome my fear of photographing people.

 

[John Koehrer]

You can download a copy of photographers rights from the web. Depends how weird anyone gets it;s
pretty easy to fold & put in a pocket.

 

[wy2l]

CropDusterPerson:

You inadvertently may have violated the snowflake's feelings or safe space.
This was a very dangerous act.
The normal punishment for this crime would be a severe beating (at the least).

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with a photograph of nothing. I am an old geezer, and in my observation, the shithead factor in USA is worse than ever before. So far, I have been spared while photographing. But using a clunky big camera on a tripod makes me not look like a snapshooter or voyeur. Keep at it; don't let the anuses beat you down.

 

[Fujicaman1957]

Cropduster, this has been going on for years! it's just that it seems like it's gotten worse the last few years. I had a kid ( maybe 18-19?) in Philly years ago start screaming that I'd taken his picture and that I HAD to give him the film. There was a cop not 50 feet away and the cop looked at him like he was crazy. He yelled at that cop for over 5 minutes that I had to give him the film!

The funny thing was the kid wasn't even in the picture I was taking!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with a photograph of nothing. I am an old geezer, and in my observation, the shithead factor in USA is worse than ever before. So far, I have been spared while photographing. But using a clunky big camera on a tripod makes me not look like a snapshooter or voyeur. Keep at it; don't let the anuses beat you down.

+1

 

[Gerald C Koch]

A few years ago I fat fingered the ketpad on my phone. I immediately realized what I had done and hung up before the second ring. Less than a minute later a very belligerent man phoned me demanding to know who the hell I was and what did I want with him. Cheez

 

[Alan Klein]

My wife yells at me when I take her picture when she doesn't want me too. So I know how you feel.

 

[iandvaag]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I have also had people harass me for taking photos on the street (not of people). It's a terrible feeling. Don't let it get you down.

 

[Leigh B]

I don't shoot in urban areas at night.

Too easy to accidentally capture a drug deal, and end up with a gun shoved in your face.

- Leigh

 

[bdial]

Trees and rocks...

Thanks for telling the tale, and sorry you had to go through that.