vidguyz
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May 17, 2005, 8:13 PM
Post #7 of 9
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Re: [piercemin] Shooting in Airport....license?
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Since I'm an airport/airplane fanatic (see my site(vid samples at http://www.secondstreetvideo.com) - let me fill you in one of many experiences I have had near airports, which have all been bad.
First time I started shooting from the perimiter of an airport area (airport name witheld to protect the innocent - ME), an airport policeman came by and shut me down informing me there will be no shooting of the airport without permission. I was outside of the official airport area in a private property area alongside a commercial building with tinted windows (more on that later). I informed the officer I was NOT on airport property and had every right ot point my camera where I wanted as long as I was not on airport property ... as the fence about 1/16th of a mile in front of me specifically said AIRPORT PROPERTY, DO NOT TRESPASS. The airport officer said that since 9/11 he could not be too careful ... blah blah blah. I told him I understood, but please cite the law or ordinance that I was breaking - he could not cite a specific one, therfore it was not illegal to do so.) I also told this 23 year old officer that I have been a citizen AND patriot AND Vietnam war vet and that since I was breaking no Airport laws I would continue shooting. Well, DOH, stupid terroristic me - within minutes 3 municipal officers showed up and started harassing me about filming. I advised them that I was on private property and that if they had a request from the private property owner that I not shoot, then I would leave. They did not have that, therefore they, nor the airport cop, had ANY jurisdicition at all - absence a request by the propertys owner. Well, as you can probably imagine, their fragile cop egos were hurt and I was harassed further, being asked to open my vehicle for inspection. I told them all the doors were unlocked and they may have fun with my vehicle and I was to continue shooting - AND - that they better call their supervisors out here for a little chat as I felt this was a totally inappropriate pattern for the police to harass me. They never did call their supervisors, and after a few warnings (hah), they took a field report on me. I also took field reports on them, getting each one of their names.
Later that week, I had breakfast with a good friend of mine, who was the municipal police officers supervisor - and he hit the roof when he found out what went on. He told me that he would bring the officers in for a disciplinary review but that he could do nothing about the airport officers because that was a different authority. Needles to say, I can NOW shoot anywhere I want to as long as I'm not on airport property proper, and I've got a 'get out of jail free' card from their supervisor.
In this day of terror-reaction (and mis-reaction), a lot of you might agree with the officers conduct, and a lot of you might agree with my responses to the trampling of my rights. I'll defend my country against any terrorist or subversive activities and I'll also defend my countries rights of it's citizens agains unreasonable police influence.
Oh, the tinted windows ? Well, that came up during the conversation when I asked one officer if he knew who rented the building of the lot I was on. He did not. I asked him if it was possible that the renter of that building (with the tinted windows) could be a terrorist and the tinted windows were a perfect disguise and cover for their daily observation of the airport. He hesitated a bit and said that didn't matter. (LOL - it figures) He further went on to explain that the difference between the renter of the building and myself is that he could see ME shooting video and he couldn't see the renter if that renter were shooting a video, or aiming a shoulder fired rocket launcher at the air traffic at the airport. I looked at the officer and shook my head.
Two weeks later, I contacted the airports general manager and requested a license or permission to shoot on the airport property for a piece I was doing on air traffic control. The gen mgr says they do not EVER give permission to shoot on airport property (liars).
Be careful out there when you shoot airports, or for that matter, train stations, bus depots or oil/gas refineries. If you can, check in with the local police or authority to avoid these ugly situations - but don't let them push you around either. We have rights, as any other citizens - to shoot our videos - . If any of us have evil intent with the video we shoot, I hope they get nailed - but in absence of that - we're just average citizens trying to do what average citizens like to do.
(steps off of soap box, bows and says:) Thanks -vidguyz
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