Mr. Subway Stool Pigeon
Still shook up by this. I went on a subway this afternoon. Had my camera on me. Descended the stairs to Essex/Delancey Station. An MTA worker, Spanish woman in her 40-ies was standing in the subway gate, head down, thinking, in a very picturesque pose. I released the shutter button. Woman did not know I took her photo, so I slid my metro card and went downstairs to the platform. Before I did that, however, I noticed a short Spanish guy talking to the Subway attendant I just photographed and pointing at me. They talked in Spanish, but I wasn’t worried – so he told her I took her photo, big deal.
It turned out to be a really big deal to her though. So big in fact that a few minutes later, while still waiting for the train to arrive, I saw her approaching me.
“Excuse me,” she said, “Somebody told me you just took a photo of me upstairs.”
I was considering denying the whole thing, since my camera rested steadily in my bag at this point. But decided I did not do anything wrong and would tell the truth.
“You can’t take photos of people on MTA property”
“With all due respect, Ma’am, I don’t think it’s illegal to take photos in public places.”
“It certainly is,” she insisted.
“I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. As far as I know it’s not illegal.”
“But I don’t want any pictures of me taken.”
“Well, you are right, I should have asked. I apologize.”
I could see the woman was tense. I was, too, scared of how this whole thing might end, especially after my photographer friend Julia had been arrested for taking photos, handcuffed and abused by some John Evans prick of a cop. Even though she had press credentials and every right to be where she was.
At my apology, she seemed relieved. Yet, still not sure what stance to take on me, she added:
“Cause you know, I don’t want to see a photo of me published somewhere on the internet or newspaper.”
I could not help but think: “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that good-looking.” Didn’t say it of course. Instead I assured her she’s got nothing to worry about, that I’m not a professional, I take photos for myself. She seemed comforted, even gave me a smile after I apologized profusely again.
But it got me thinking.
What if I got arrested as Julia did, and sent home on the next plane. For taking a photo!
And then I thought of the whole “If you see something, say something” policy started in New York right after 9/11.
The policy that encourages us to be rats for no particular award. Just out of willingness to tell on other people who aren’t doing anything wrong, but we might be thinking they are. Cause we’re paranoid thanks to right-wing media and government that both scare us with their cold war-like agenda. Policy that makes everybody a suspect of being a member of global, unspecified, broad and very convenient “terrorism” movement. We’re all possible terrorists. Without the right to defend ourselves.
This very policy once made a fat guy at my friend’s restaurant search another customer’s bag while he was smoking outside. Just because he thought it was a “suspicious package”, surely containing explosives.
I wonder what makes a man on a subway so worried about the wellbeing of Subway attendants that he has to let them know any time someone takes photos of them. Must be a very well paid job, since he’s so willing to take it. Or maybe it just makes him feel much better about himself. Congrats and God Bless you Mr. Subway Stool Pigeon. Somebody needs to protect privacy of a public transportation worker on duty. You’re doing a heck of a job, Rat.
Everybody is a potential enemy, even your brother and sister.
Oh, and by the way: as soon as I process it, I'll post the MTA attendant's photo on this blog. Just because I can.
It turned out to be a really big deal to her though. So big in fact that a few minutes later, while still waiting for the train to arrive, I saw her approaching me.
“Excuse me,” she said, “Somebody told me you just took a photo of me upstairs.”
I was considering denying the whole thing, since my camera rested steadily in my bag at this point. But decided I did not do anything wrong and would tell the truth.
“You can’t take photos of people on MTA property”
“With all due respect, Ma’am, I don’t think it’s illegal to take photos in public places.”
“It certainly is,” she insisted.
“I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. As far as I know it’s not illegal.”
“But I don’t want any pictures of me taken.”
“Well, you are right, I should have asked. I apologize.”
I could see the woman was tense. I was, too, scared of how this whole thing might end, especially after my photographer friend Julia had been arrested for taking photos, handcuffed and abused by some John Evans prick of a cop. Even though she had press credentials and every right to be where she was.
At my apology, she seemed relieved. Yet, still not sure what stance to take on me, she added:
“Cause you know, I don’t want to see a photo of me published somewhere on the internet or newspaper.”
I could not help but think: “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that good-looking.” Didn’t say it of course. Instead I assured her she’s got nothing to worry about, that I’m not a professional, I take photos for myself. She seemed comforted, even gave me a smile after I apologized profusely again.
But it got me thinking.
What if I got arrested as Julia did, and sent home on the next plane. For taking a photo!
And then I thought of the whole “If you see something, say something” policy started in New York right after 9/11.
The policy that encourages us to be rats for no particular award. Just out of willingness to tell on other people who aren’t doing anything wrong, but we might be thinking they are. Cause we’re paranoid thanks to right-wing media and government that both scare us with their cold war-like agenda. Policy that makes everybody a suspect of being a member of global, unspecified, broad and very convenient “terrorism” movement. We’re all possible terrorists. Without the right to defend ourselves.
This very policy once made a fat guy at my friend’s restaurant search another customer’s bag while he was smoking outside. Just because he thought it was a “suspicious package”, surely containing explosives.
I wonder what makes a man on a subway so worried about the wellbeing of Subway attendants that he has to let them know any time someone takes photos of them. Must be a very well paid job, since he’s so willing to take it. Or maybe it just makes him feel much better about himself. Congrats and God Bless you Mr. Subway Stool Pigeon. Somebody needs to protect privacy of a public transportation worker on duty. You’re doing a heck of a job, Rat.
Everybody is a potential enemy, even your brother and sister.
Oh, and by the way: as soon as I process it, I'll post the MTA attendant's photo on this blog. Just because I can.
posted by Ikasob at 2:51 PM
3 Comments:
Do it!
a ja i tak jestem ciekawa jak ona wygladala, chociaz nie potrzebuje zdjecia, zeby wyobrazic sobie ja i cala ta sytuacje....:) dobre.
Can't wait to see the pic also. But you know what, a very well written blog post and I for one would like to hear more little anecdotes and such from you.
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