Jul 07, 2008
Attack of the SF Muni Station Agent
Continuing harassment of photographers by San Francisco Muni employees attempting to enforce an imaginary ban on photography.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. See: Attack of the SF Muni Fare Inspectors and Michael Burns Apologizes and Photography is not a crime!
On Friday June 27th, I was using Muni on my way to take photos at the 2008 San Francisco Trans March, a part of Pride weekend. While waiting for a train at Van Ness Station I entertained myself by taking some photos of the station. Without warning the Station Agent attacked!
One of the “forbidden” photos
Once again, while minding my own business and going about the lawful activity of shooting photographs in a public place, I was harassed by an overzealous, probably well meaning, but completely misinformed and inept Muni employee that tried to prevent me from taking photos. The station agent in question even went so far as to call the San Francisco Police Department on me! Unfortunately, unlike the earlier episode with the Fare Inspectors, I didn’t have time to stick around and prove her wrong, I had a train to catch, so we don’t know if the SFPD would have been more professional than the last time around.
It’s taken me a week to get around to writing my letter of protest, due to having a very busy schedule, but also because, simply, I am weary of having to fight this battle. But in talking to one of my friends last week, he said something that cemented my resolve to complain and make an issue of the affair. He said, “If you don’t protest, who will?” And then this evening my lovely wife, Sheila, told me that it is my duty to fight this kind of thing…
Now I’m not some big crusader or anything like that, but the principle of the matter is that Muni employees are unlawfully trying to take away our rights, and rights not protected are rights lost. I wonder how many people have been intimidated by Muni employees into giving up their right to take photos.
I believe in obeying the law, and if the law is unjust, changing it. This extralegal impinging upon our rights runs counter to the rule of law and orderly society, and must not be tolerated.
And as I say in my letter, seeing photography as a threat or suspicious behavior is laughable, and banning photography is folly:
IWithout going into the subject too deeply, I would like to mention that the notion that a person
with a camera presents a threat to the Muni system is laughable and completely without merit.
Capturing photos of areas of the muni station that are easily visible to the tens of thousands of
Muni patrons every day should not be considered suspicious or threatening behavior, and is in no way
a threat or any more useful to someone with bad intent than a simple pencil drawn diagram. I never
hear of anyone attempting to stop people from sketching or writing in the Muni system, a perspective
that illustrates the silliness of a photography ban.In fact, photography should be viewed as a potential source of increased security for everyone.
After the London and Madrid attacks, officials put out a request for copies of any photos taken on
the trains or in the proximity of the stations for help in solving the crimes.I’m not going to address how difficult it would be, given the widespread use of cell phone cameras
and small digital cameras, to enforce a ban or how easy it would be to use hidden cameras to
circumvent a ban. Attempting to prohibit photography would be futile and a wasteful diversion of
limited Muni resources away from productive activities that could actually increase security within
the system.Here are the actions that I respectfully request of you:
Please communicate to me the current Muni policy regarding photography.
Please directly and specifically address the sole issue of photography
without confusing the issue, as Mr. Burns did, by raising other issues,
such as interference with passengers, disruptive behavior, or other
matters that are not related to photography and were not an issue in the
episode described above.If I am correct that there is no ban on photography within the Muni
System, please communicate to me how you will make your employees aware
of this fact, and stress to them the importance of not interfering with
lawful, constitutionally protected behavior by Muni Patrons.If photography is forbidden on the Muni system, please indicate what
law, code section, city ordinance etc forbids it. I’m not one to easily
or willingly surrender my rights, and the First Amendment right to take
photos in a public place is well established and has long been respected
by law. If a Muni photography ban does exists, I stand ready to
challenge the constitutionality of it, and will need to know the basis
and authority for such a ban.
I remain a proponent of and advocate for Muni and Muni employees, and will continue to be a regular
patron, and have no intention of leaving my camera at home. Please help to make Muni something we
can all be proud of by insuring that regulations are properly and lawfully enforced, and imaginary
regulations are not unlawfully enforced through intimidation and harassment.
Hence I write another letter to Muni, and hopefully get another apology, and maybe we will all see some progress on the issue.
You can download the pdf of my letter to Mr. Ford, the Executive Director of Muni here.
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Posted by stevem on 07/07/08 at 04:50 PM
Category:
(in)security
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Jun 29, 2008
San Francisco Pride Parade Photos
A Gallery of photos and images from the 2008 San Francisco Pride Parade
Visit the Gallery
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Posted by stevem on 06/29/08 at 11:05 PM
Category:
Blah Blah Blah
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Jun 28, 2008
2008 Trans March
A gallery of photos from the 2008 Trans Festival and March in San Francisco
Visit the Gallery
High Rez video slideshow with music:
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Posted by stevem on 06/28/08 at 01:24 AM
Category:
Blah Blah Blah
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Dec 06, 2007
NHRA Drag Races 2007 Infineon Raceway
Photos and images from the 2007 NHRA Drag Races at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma California (formerly Sears Point Raceway)
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Visit the Gallery
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Posted by stevem on 12/06/07 at 09:07 PM
Category:
Automobilia
Galleries
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Oct 15, 2007
545 miles in 7 Days on a Bicycle!!!
I’m going to ride my bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles to help fight AIDS!
In June of 2008, I’ll be doing the 545 mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles as part of the AIDS Lifecycle Ride! I’m a little intimidated by the ride, but a lot intimidated by the $2,500 that I’ve committed to raising for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Please help ease my anxiety, and support a very worthy cause by making a tax deductible donation.
Thank you very much for any help you can provide!
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Posted by stevem on 10/15/07 at 06:37 PM
Category:
Cycling
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