Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/02/19

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Student arrested for photographing public transit facility
From: Herbert Kanner <kanner@acm.org>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 16:22:43 -0800

ORIGINAL MESSAGE
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 10:09:45 -0800
From: "Oliver Bryk" <oliverbryk@attbi.com>
Subject: [Leica] OT - student arrested for photographing public 
transit facility
Message-ID: <001001c2d842$15700820$6401a8c0@YOURF68DMBR429>
References:

This item from the RISKS newsgroup might be of interest:

"Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 05:46:37 -0500
From: "Rebecca Mercuri" <notable@mindspring.com>
Subject: Risks of Doing Homework
At the faculty meeting at Bryn Mawr College on 12 Feb 2003, we were informed
that a student at Haverford (our affiliated College) was arrested over the
weekend when he was trying to do his homework assignment in Philadelphia.
As part of the Cities project, he was taking photographs of SEPTA (our
regional transit authority) facilities when he was arrested, detained for a
few hours, and eventually released.  Haverford administration is working to
try to ensure that this event not be a part of the student's permanent
police record.  Apparently taking photographs at transit facilities is cause
for arrest during "Code Orange" alert, the authorities explained.  Faculty
were advised to be careful about assigning "field trip" projects during such
alerts."

Oliver Bryk

Isn't this a prime example of the limitless stupidity of so much of 
our anti-terrorist behavior.  In what way would a photograph taken of 
a transit facility during an orange alert be of more value to 
terrorists than the same photograph taken during a lower alert status?

I wish the ACLU would get on this.  A few false arrest lawsuits might 
work wonders.

Herb

- -- 
Herbert Kanner
kanner@acm.org
650-326-8204

Do not meddle in the affairs of cats,
for they are subtle and will pee
on your computer!
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