Fri, 21 May 2004 09:17:00
Wow, this is a stupid idea
Shutter-bugged transit bosses want to ban taking photos or using a camcorder on subways, as they focus on stopping terrorists.
The Transit Authority yesterday proposed the measure, which would include cellphone cameras, in a bid to prevent thugs from taking surveillance shots of potential underground targets.
“These changes to our rules of conduct are intended to enhance security and safety, not only for our customers, but our employees, as well,” said TA President Larry Reuter.
The agency said exceptions would be made for journalists with valid press IDs or those who have express city consent to take pictures.
Critics said the rule would infringe on rights and be unfair to tourists.
“The rule provides two exceptions that raise serious First Amendment issues of favoring one kind of expression over another,” said Gene Russianoff, staff lawyer for the Straphangers Campaign.
The measure would allow cops to question anyone taking pictures or shooting film and give officers the option of issuing a summons or confiscating the film. NYPD spokesman Michael Collins refused to comment.
“Taking pictures in the subway is part of the experience of being in the city,” said Cristyne Nicholas, president of the city’s tourism agency. “I hope the police will be very understanding to tourists.”
Right after 9/11, we saw a lot of people using variations on the phrase “If we change our way of life, then the terrorists have already won.”
Guess what? THIS IS CHANGING OUR WAY OF LIFE, AND THE TERRORISTS HAVE ALREADY WON.
It’s one thing to tighten security. It’s quite another to stop subway photography in NYC. Millions of subway photos are taken every year. I can search online right now and I’ll be you that within a few hours, I could have detail on the layout of virtually every major station in the city. Using perfectly legal means, I could probably get the freaking building plans. There have been enough historical books on teh subect of the NYC subway system alone to teach ten generations what they need to know in order to bomb the place.
It’s a stupid target anyway. It’s totally invisible to the press. There would be some pictures, but any underground bombing will result in an area that cannot be seen the way the WTC was. Terrorists want visibility, and lots of it.
Let the people take the pictures. Millions of perfectly decent people will take millions of perfectly harmless photos. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Posted by JimK at 09:17 AM on May 21, 2004
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Categories: 9/11, The Stupidity Of Man
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#1 Posted by Sean Galbraith
on 05/21 at 12:36 PM -
Thankfully this will work because we all know that terrorists aren’t smart enough to use stealth and cunning to achieve their goals. They are typically the most obvious. If I had a dime for everytime I said “Hey look honey.. another terrorist” *pointing over there* I’d be a rich man. Unless they were Canadian dimes.