Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
General Discussion => Campfire Talk => Topic started by: Rich Mintz on April 07, 2013, 02:09:56 am
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I was detained tonight by a New York state Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority police officer for videotaping with my helmet camera in the vicinity of the Midtown Tunnel in New York City. The officer required that I delete the video as a condition of being released.
Despite my clear feeling that this requirement was unlawful, I did so.
I've written a strongly worded letter to the MTA and the TBTA demanding a formal apology.
Does anyone have experience dealing with this issue, especially in New York in particular?
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post 911 thing...don't see it ever changing and you're probably wasting your time..good thing u erased it and didn't continue arguing your point.
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Just be glad that you didn't have a "Big Gulp" on you at the time, or they would have thrown the book at you!
::)
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God Bless America, right??
http://rationalrevolution.net/war/homeland_security_act.htm
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That's sad, but it doesn't surprise me. You made the right decision by cooperating. And I think GM might be right, you're probably wasting your time trying to bitch about it. But WE'RE HERE FOR YOU TO VENT!
Scottie
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Rich:
That's absolutely ridiculous.
Whats a video going to show that you couldn't see with your eyes? Are they going to require that everyone passing thru that area wears blinders or maybe a patch over both eyes?
To my way of thinking, a private citizen making a video is just as much a part of having a free press as it is when a newspaper sends out a reporter with a camera and freedom of the press is one of the things that is a right in this country.
On the other hand, maybe it was a personal thing on the part of the LEO.
You might have filmed him eating his 9th donut right after his superior had chewed his butt about gaining too much weight? :)
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Let's face the facts here. Not every cop is a "good cop". I've learned over the years that there are 3 kinds of police officers: The ones who actually are there to help the community stay safe, the ones that the only reason they became a cop is because they wanted a badge and a power trip, and the ones who TRIED to become a cop and FAILED and now spend their time as meter maids and tunnel officials going out of their way to make everyone's life miserable because they failed at life.
I think we know which 1 of these Rich ran in to.
Scottie
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I am with Arizona on this. If there is no regulation or Law on the books that prevents filming as you ride through a tunnel then the cop has no right to shut you down. I think you did the right thing by being cooperative but it would be interesting to find out if the cop was within his area of enforcement or just having a bad day and pissed at the world.
Baird thanks for the link to rationalrevolution.net
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unfortunately it no longer matters if there is a "Law on the books".
Our rights have been abolished in the name of Homeland Security....
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To clarify: there is a regulation against filming. I just don't believe it has a legitimate basis. Other similar regulations have been struck down elsewhere.
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Not that I'm justifying it, but it's a post-9/11 thing. After the attack, the city really cracked down on filming in soft target areas like bridges, tunnels, and especially the subway. Part of the reason was that videorecordings and photographs of NYC infrastructure were recovered from terrorist staches domestically and abroad. The videos were being studied in order to figure out where to place explosives or biological agents. I can't remember how many times I saw muslims or middle-eastern-looking men being detained for filming subway tunnels on the platforms after 9/11. Happens all the time.
I left NYC about three years ago, but NYPD always took a heavy hand against that kind of filming, even in 2010.
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Do we really know who this Mintz guy is?
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It's true! In all my videos at youtube.com/user/richmintz, have you ever seen my face?
(Answer: Once. But I won't tell you where.)
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Hey ? ...... Was that Kramer you passed ?.. In the fancy cab... In the park !
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I was detained tonight by a New York state Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority police officer for videotaping with my helmet camera in the vicinity of the Midtown Tunnel in New York City. The officer required that I delete the video as a condition of being released.
Despite my clear feeling that this requirement was unlawful, I did so.
I've written a strongly worded letter to the MTA and the TBTA demanding a formal apology.
Does anyone have experience dealing with this issue, especially in New York in particular?
Hi Rich,
I work for Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) and can tell you that your experience is not unique. I've seen photo snapping tourists have their cameras confiscated many times at our facilities which also include by the way The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (where I am currently assigned), The Verrazano Narrows Bridge, The Throgs Neck and Bronx Whitestone Bridges, The Henry Hudson Bridge, The Cross Bay and the Marine Parkway Bridges and all three spans of the Triborough Bridge. Should you be spotted at any of these places taking pictures or video recording the same thing will happen. Be aware that you are on private property wholly maintained by TBTA and they are perfectly within their rights and signs are posted to that effect. You should also know that (ironically) just about every square foot of TBTA property is under CCTV surveillance. I've been employed by Triborough for over 15 years and even I don't know where all the cameras are. Yes, they are an extremely paranoid bunch.
I'm really sorry that you experienced this. It is for reasons like this that I am so happy that I am in maintenance and not enforcement.
Chuck.
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Let's face the facts here. Not every cop is a "good cop". I've learned over the years that there are 3 kinds of police officers: The ones who actually are there to help the community stay safe, the ones that the only reason they became a cop is because they wanted a badge and a power trip, and the ones who TRIED to become a cop and FAILED and now spend their time as meter maids and tunnel officials going out of their way to make everyone's life miserable because they failed at life.
I think we know which 1 of these Rich ran in to.
Scottie
Scottie,
With out going in to your facile generalization of Bridge and Tunnel Officers as "failures at life" I can assure you that they are regular men and (some) women just like you or I. They take the job for the decent pay, benefits and pension so that they can take care of their families. No one there is getting rich at the public expense (as is often implied), they are simply doing a tedious and at times dangerous job under harsh conditions outdoors twelve months of the year. In addition to that, it's been my observation over the years that most of them do their jobs in a courteous fashion and with a sense of humor.
As Jeff noted above, security was stepped up after 9/11. Prior to that time the rank and file officers didn't even carry a sidearm for regular duties. They kept them in their gun lockers. Only the Sergeants and Lieutenants carried although all receive regular and continuing firearms training and have full peace officer status.
A lot of them even ride motorcycles.
Chuck.
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Chuck, thanks for your thoughtful reply. The officer I dealt with (whom I won't name here) was absolutely professional and respectful throughout, especially after it became clear to him that I was an ordinary citizen who was answering his questions cooperatively and who didn't dispute his authority to have stopped me in the first place.
The MTA (which now operates the tunnel, the TBTA having been dissolved except as regards its police) has already conceded that citizens have a right to film in their subways. Perhaps I'll be the one who (eventually) gets them to concede that citizens have a right to film in their tunnels.
Thanks again all for engaging with me on this issue.
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Scottie,
With out going in to your facile generalization of Bridge and Tunnel Officers as "failures at life" I can assure you that they are regular men and (some) women just like you or I. They take the job for the decent pay, benefits and pension so that they can take care of their families. No one there is getting rich at the public expense (as is often implied), they are simply doing a tedious and at times dangerous job under harsh conditions outdoors twelve months of the year. In addition to that, it's been my observation over the years that most of them do their jobs in a courteous fashion and with a sense of humor.
As Jeff noted above, security was stepped up after 9/11. Prior to that time the rank and file officers didn't even carry a sidearm for regular duties. They kept them in their gun lockers. Only the Sergeants and Lieutenants carried although all receive regular and continuing firearms training and have full peace officer status.
A lot of them even ride motorcycles.
Chuck.
Please excuse my ignorance. I was basing my experience SOLELY on the police and officials I've had to deal with in the Midwest. I've never been to the East coast so I honestly can't speak for them. I just know that 70% cops I've had to deal with in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan have all been total dicks, even if you are cordial with them. Ever heard that Anthrax song "I Am The Law"? That's almost every cop I've ever had to deal with. So, sorry if I offended anyone, that wasn't my intent.
Scottie
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Actually, the officer who detained me said he was a motorcycle rider. I suspect that's one reason he was so polite throughout -- he had some empathy for me.
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So, basically, he was just doing his job as he knew the law to be. Sounds like an OK guy to me.
Bare
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To me this is one of the most interesting Campfire threads in awhile. I have been reminded here of what NYC went through on 9/11 and the many threats folks there face on a daily basis. It is really true for all major cities as we all know. I think when you live in a quieter place you tend to forget and are quick to criticize people whose main goal is to do the right thing. Thanks Chuck D
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Maybe they thought you were a tourist.
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If you really want to get noticed try to google the location of nuclear power plants.
Crap, I bet I am now on a watch list for even writing that.