Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/11/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have yet to come across this type of thing here in Cedar Rapids, or even in W's home state of Texas, or in any other state I have visited in the past several years. I have for the past few weeks been taking photos of buildings all around town as something to take with me next month on our vacation to Germany and Poland to show people of what Cedar Rapids looks like. I have shot city, county and federal buildings with no hassle what so ever, even with the police driving by. I guess it just depends on where and what the local situation is. gene I was out in Kansas on a personal work assignment (vacation) and I got to meet the Patriot Act face to face---three times! I was doing nothing illegal and got hassled for the simple reason that I had a camera in my hand. On the first occassion I was walking from my car to my friends house in North Kansas City, MO with my camera bag in my hand and a few minutes later the police were at the door asking all kinds of questions that were answered correctly. The second time I was photographing a street scene in Gypsum, KS in the middle of the day with my Leica and a couple of box cameras. I left that area and went over to photogrqaph a really great rundown flour mill from the street and had to take time out to reload my box cameras. The sheriff pulled up behind me lights flashing. He walked up in all his badged glory and asked me what I was doing? I had a front seat full of cameras and told him I was loading my cameras. He got a little cocky and asked for my ID which I complied and stated that I was clean and he could run the car to because it was clean. He came back a few minutes later and returned my ID and I gave him my business card that states I am a photographer and it lists our website. He wanted to know MORE about WHY I was there! Told him I was working on my vacation and that seemed to satisfy him and he left. The next time I was in Wichita, KS with my friend and were were going around photographing the wonderful regional architecture when we were stopped AGAIN. This officer asked me what I was doing? I told him that the building I was photographing was an excellent piece of regional architecture (it was!! really great!!) and that my father inlaw was an architect, my wife was a portrait artist.That seemed to do it for him. We were both run through the computer, both clean. He was nice and then directed us to some really beautiful buildings. Folks I live in Upstate NY and have never had anything like that happen in any of my travels down south where I go to the State of Mississippi frequently, interesting? I told a friend of mine that produces a radio show and travels all around the US what happened to me. He said you were a victim of the Patriot Act E.J. Several of his friends have suffered the same indignities just because they had cameras and were doing NOTHING illegal! Again interesting? Makes you wonder what is down the road for the people that reside in the United States of America? Peace and Harmony, E.J. Schlup http://www.paintedblues.com/pages/562631/index.htm __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information