Comment Re:this was modded +5 insightful????? (Score 1, Insightful) 180
I figured that out a long time ago when it was found that having an opinion that didn't fall in line with everyone else gave me the same mod as the horse cock guy above.
So, having a dissenting opinion makes me a troll, eh?
I'll use it because it is a legitimate concern jackass.
The law might not exist but one of the tenets of law enforcement agencies is "to protect and serve". If they did nothing while someone was taking pictures and that person ended up being part of some kind of terrorist scheme people would be up in arms that nothing was done.
I always find it interesting when people have this Utopian view of things when in reality risks have to be taken to ensure the world runs smoothly. Get your head out of your ass. Your civil liberties don't always trump the good intentions of the well meaning.
What use is your argument, when Amtrak literally invites people to take pictures:
"Photo contest winner to appear on Amtrak's 2004 wall calendar
WASHINGTON - Do you have the perfect photo of an Amtrak train or are you ready to snap it? One that makes anyone who sees it yearn to climb on board and travel across America? If so, it could become a part of an Amtrak tradition -- the corporation's annual wall calendar."
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/News_Release_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1081794202583
You did not even bother to read the summary, did you?
Please note that I acknowledged the lack of communication being the catalyst for this situation. Had the marketing department notified the Amtrak police of the contest we would likely not be talking about this right now. But, since the law enforcement was seeing things in light of the state of affairs they are working under, they did what they felt was the right course of action.
Now, had the marketing department informed the necessary parties and they still behaved this way after the facts presented themselves, I would have no love for them.
And it doesn't always work that way does it? There are times when people with the authority make the decision that civil liberties are less important than the safety of the masses and rightly so.
Granted, this is often overdone(domestic wiretapping, for example) but if a law enforcement official asked someone to stop taking pictures, detained the person or asked them to delete the photos of public transportation I'd be happier than if they just sat idly by out of fear of stepping all over their precious dignity.
Happiness is twin floppies.