So you thought it was legal to take photos from a downtown sidewalk?

Not if you live in Silver Spring, Maryland where the private company that revitalized the area is now claiming ownership of the city’s downtown, thus barring photographers from snapping photos.

Never mind the fact that Montgomery County taxpayers paid $100 million towards the $400 million it took for The Peterson Companies to complete the project that includes a bustling restaurant scene and business center.

Earlier this month, longtime Silver Springs resident Chip Py ate lunch at one of the new restaurants, taking in the new atmosphere and all the positive changes.

After lunch, he decided to take some photos and was confronted by a private security guard who ordered him to stop.:wtf:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062002354.html

The photography part is bad, but the real danger is the complete loss of the commons.

many suburban "towns" found themselves with only The Mall as a commons, and malls are private property thanks to the Supreme Court so they don't work as a commons.

The owners of this complex undoubtedly considers it the same as a mall.

Malls, gated communities, restricted beach access, grass Nazis... odd the concepts we've come up with under the umbrella of "property rights."

... "if you believe that I've got a bridge to sell 'ya" isn't going work anymore.

spent that amount of money revitalizing an area, they'd be PROUD of what they've done and thrilled that people were taking pics to help show it off! I don't understand the problem????

If the photographer looked Arabic or Middle-Eastern, he'd probably have been arrested by now.

Can't have the terra-ists mapping out our vital secrets.

:evilgrin:

They have no soul to steal

or the long-term consequences won't be pretty.

since when do private security guards have the authority to be ordering people to do anything??? The only authority that they have is the same as any other ordinary citizen, don't like what someone is doing, call the police. Should make for an interesting case for the courts to settle.

On the "walking past the receipt checker at Wal Mart" thread..

A lot of "liberals" are willing to submit to even fake "authority".

which I do not go in under any circumstances, for other reasons.

But it sounds like this is a PUBLIC STREET, paid for by the public!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopkeeper's_privilege

google for more references

Even the FBI can not stop pictures being taken from public streets. This case is odd because it may not be a public street. If so, there had better not be police patrols etc.

http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm

a few that they have no authority, the look on their face is priceless, especially one that is armed thinking because they have a gun they somehow have some authority.

both of them were with rent-a-cops who felt I had failed to respect their "authoritah", one of them was a security guard for a store I had never so much as ever stepped foot in demanding I come with him more than a block from the mall. When I advised him as to some sex acts he might like to perform on himself in private, he tried to throw me down on the ground, I was able to trip him and three people immediately came to my aide. The guy then took off down an alley, minus one of his shoes.

The second incident included a non-disclosure agreement as part of the out of court settlement.

http://www.nowpublic.com/photography_banned_downtown_silver_spring_maryland
Photography Banned in Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland | The News is NowPublic.com

From the WashPost link.

Hand out fliers. Go to jail. Get Acquitted. Sue Peterson. Collect a lot more than $200. Pass Go.

Of thee I remenisce...

and it's getting rough. A photographer was recently arrested in Chicago I think for taking pictures of buildings. When I do "street" stuff now I use film, what self respecting terrorist would use film just to wait for the prints and Fed-Ex them to a sleeper cell? Heck most of my film bodies are 50 years old.

A Friend of mine was held after he had taken some pictures of The Golden Gate Bridge until they reviewed his shots. I told him next time tell the officers, "Why would a terrorist take a picture of this bridge when they could go around the corner and get 20 post cards with the same picture on it?" My new motto, "Don't Be a Terror Suspect, Shoot Film"

one of our newspaper photographers from making photos of something happening at the high school from across the street.

I can't figure why people are so paranoid. :shrug:

by a local sheriff for taking pictures of trains...he was standing on public property when he was shooting the pictures. He was roughed up and his camera broken.

On edit: photographing trains was a personal hobby of this guy. I was appalled when the message board unanimously told him the cops were within their rights to treat him that way ("Boy, are you dumb! You were just asking for trouble!") and told him to go find another hobby. :eyes: :puke:

I would love to write this guy's story on my blog, which you can see by clicking on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/

just type in Silver Spring, Maryland and zoom in. Google customers, are you being prevented from getting images ? Or will that come later ? I also typed in Fort George Meade and trie it...but upon zooming in, I've reconsidered the potential trouble and cancelled the search.