Keith Garsee was one of the photographers who joined us at the Photographers’ Rights Day rally in Hollywood on Sunday and also one of the inspirations for the event in the first place. He was harassed in the Los Angeles Metro, and we do mean harassed. It’s one thing to be told you can’t take photos, another to be threatened with arrest, and then quite another altogether to be told “F–k you” when you ask a simple question! Perhaps our tax dollars need to be going toward charm school for these security folks?
Here’s just an excerpt.
Him: Hey! It’s against the 9-11 Law to take pictures down here man!
Me: You mean the Patriot Act?
Him: No pictures.
Me: Could you explain? What law do you mean?
Him: You are lawyer?
Me: No.
Him: No pictures. You could be a terrorist. Very strict!
Me: How about I take a picture of you?
Him: F**k you… (I couldn’t believe it either)
Read the full account here.
Via Boing Boing.
Photo by discarted.
The most ironic thing about this is if Keith really was a “terrorist” he could easily hide a compact camera and shoot whatever the hell he wanted. That’s the most nonsense principle about this whole anti-photographers hysteria, unless you would start putting tracking chips in cameras or some other Orwellianesque technique, there’s no effective control of what “terrorists” can photograph.
Why did you feel the need to have a camera down there to begin with? You paparazzi types think you have the right to harass others but God forbid when somebody harasses you. I see Keith’s acting career never took off so he feels the need to bother others.
Oh well, I guess it’s the lazy way to make a living, eh Keith?