Los Angeles has some of the most photographed landscapes in the world. You've seen its freeways, its beaches, its botoxed porn stars (yes, they're landscape - have you seen those boobs?). The city has appeared in more movies than the Wilhelm Scream. So you'd think the idea of walking around and taking pictures of it would be kind of, you know, not a problem.
Boing Boing has two posts on people being accosted by law enforcement for taking pictures. One at the Port of Los Angeles, which though I don't agree with it I can see where some people might get a bit idgy, and one at a Red Line Metro station, which makes no fucking sense at all.
Seriously, is anybody actually riding the Red Line? As subways go it's pretty weak. And it's not like it actually interconnects the city. I can think of a dozen easier, more effective targets to hit just off the top of my head. Stick a bomb in a taco truck and you've got your pick.
Sadly, this little drama is being played out all over the place, not just here. Welcome to America in the 21st Century.
Now it seems to me that the problem here is not so much with law enforcement, though they play their part. It's the panicked civic workers who are short on knowledge and long on hysteria. I would be surprised if any of them ever got specific training on what is and is not legal. As opposed to what is and is not sanctioned by their employers. You need to know fuck all about law to run cable through tunnels.
So when some freaked out maintenance worker / security guard / yoga mom with a stroller and a latte reports "suspicious activity" the LEO's gotta check it out. That's their job. I wish more of them would check it out from a distance and realize that the emo kid with the $4K Leica isn't exactly, you know, the terrorist type, and tell the panicked maintenance worker / security guard / yoga mom with a stroller and a latte to shut the hell up and let him worry about important things.
People are freaked out these days and they need to calm the fuck down and learn a little bit about what is and isn't a threat. Maybe a little education would help.
Or hiring people who aren't fucking morons.
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