Robert Taylor took a picture of a train in New York. There's no law against that, but he got arrested anyway, handcuffed and brought in to the police
station. The taxpayers will now have to cough up a big fat check for this unlawful arrest. There must be very little crime in New York, since they
have to make up stuff to arrest people...
The New York Times: No Photo Ban in Subways, Yet an Arrest
February 17, 2009
Around 4:30 last Thursday, Robert Taylor stood on the station’s elevated platform, taking a picture of a train.
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Finished with his camera, Mr. Taylor, 30, was about to board the train when a police officer called to him. He stepped back from the train.
“The cop wanted my ID, and I showed it to him,” Mr. Taylor said. “He told me I couldn’t take the pictures. I told him that’s not true, that
the rules permitted it. He said I was wrong. I said, ‘I’m willing to bet your paycheck.’ ”
[---]
In handcuffs, Mr. Taylor was delivered to the Transit District 12 police station, and a warrant check was run. “They were citing 9/11,” said Mr.
Taylor, whose encounter was described on a blog by the photographer Carlos Miller. “Of course, 9/11 is serious. I said: ‘Let’s be real. We’re
in the Bronx on the 2 train. Let’s be for real here. Come on.’ ”
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
The charge for taking a picture of a train was dismissed of course, but they will still charge him for addressing the officers in an "unreasonable
voice" and for "impeding traffic". The platform where he got arrested was 10,000 square feet and with a traffic rate of 15 people per hour.
"Impeding traffic", yeah right... The police shouldn't have arrested him in the first place.
In the case of Mr. Taylor, the “officers misinterpreted the rules concerning photography,” said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s
chief spokesman. “The Transit Adjudication Board is being notified that summons was issued in error, resulting in its dismissal.”
However, the police will press on with charges of impeding traffic and unreasonable noise, Mr. Browne said.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
Adding a video of mine. It's from the Metro in Copenhagen, Denmark. I haven't been arrested nor handcuffed for making this video. Press play:
(click to open player in new window)