[Leica] Yet Another Sign of the Times

[sethrosner at direcway.com (Seth Rosner)]

Where upstate are you, E.J.?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "e.j. schlup" <schlup13820@yahoo.com>
To: <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 1:43 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Yet Another Sign of the Times


>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