Comments on: Amtrak Holds Train Photography Contest, Then Arrests Man for… You Guessed It!

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 08:51:59 +0000

I had something simular happen on Thursday August 5th on the Amtrak platform at Spokane around 12:30am. I had what appeared to be either a BNSF or Amtrak employee who was servicng the Empire Builder cars, filling them with fresh water and uncoupling the cars that split off for Portland tell me that I could not take pictures or videotape him, the train undercarriages, the couplings or other workign parts of the trains and that it was a Homeland Security law. I pointed out that I was in a public space, was a ticket passenger, and that there was no law about pictures. He insisted again and then eventually walked away and went behind a door until we left.

By: Mr Photo

Mr Photo — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:20:06 +0000

The bottom line here is whether this person’s rights were violated, and if so, how much the remedie$ will be.

By: Mr. Fusion

Mr. Fusion — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:23:35 +0000

#23, Uncle,

The site worked for me. Try clicking on this link. Apparently WordPress is being a little finicky.

By: Improbus

Improbus — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:56:41 +0000

Goons will be goons.

By: Dallas

Dallas — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:17:18 +0000

This is our police state mentality courtesy of or incompetent government. Now combine this with out of control schmuck cops on a power trip. Presto!

Would making photography legal again help lower the cost of law enforcement?

By: greggyx

greggyx — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:07:45 +0000

Has anyone mentioned that the site for the photo contest says.
“Contest ends July 11, 2008.”
The story says that he got busted last week.
Maybe he was getting ready for next years contest?

By: Uncle Patso

Uncle Patso — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:39:44 +0000

Apparently the Cartmans, er, I mean “authorities” have gotten to the originating web site for this story. When I click on the link or even try to go to http://www.carlosmiller.com, all I get is:

Forbidden
You don’t have permission to access /2008/12/27/amtrak-police-arrest-photographer-participating-in-amtrak-photo-contest/ on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/1.3.33 Server at carlosmiller.com Port 80

How long until it’s a crime to report on someone getting arrested for something that’s not a crime? Or until everything is a crime?

By: noname

noname — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:19:46 +0000

Again, the American puppet courts will uphold all police action as legitimate.

All the police need is a good story for the courts to hide behind, and the police are trained and very inventive at giving the courts and the public what it want’s so badly to hear, scare tactics. Have you seen the 5 o’clock news, it all bad all the time, because that’s what people want to hear and watch.

Heaven forbid we should tear our minds away from the TV and be critical thinkers and give the cops the 3rd degree like they routinely give inmates, Opps!; I meant guilty until proved innocent American citizen who now have to pony and expense that is approaching an impossible expense.

When police and government starts their scare tactics, the public becomes their puppet too; hence, the unnecessary IRAQ war.

We reap what we have sowed with our uncritical, unpragmatic, unquestioning and dogmatic thinking. The police can do what they will and the public, the press will just accept unquestioningly their version!

It seems the scientific revolution that enabled a tide of critical thinking and thoughtful analysis by a majority in the public is receding rapidly.

We are now just part of one big American Cult lead by business globalism to evade laws and a government quest for absolute control and power over it’s citizenry.

By: Mister Mustard

Mister Mustard — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:08:33 +0000

#20 – BytesU

>>I never did like pictures taken with a
>>Lensbaby.

Yeah, and $270 is kind of pricey for a so-so lens that doesn’t do anything but blur most of the picture. For about 1/3 the cost, you can get a Nikon 50mm lens, and (ir you must) blur it up in Photoshop.

By: BytesU

BytesU — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:59:33 +0000

#15: He isn’t going to win the contest anyway. His pictures are blurry as heck.

I never did like pictures taken with a Lensbaby.

By: Captain Bob

Captain Bob — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:29:40 +0000

Gee, I didn’t see a swatsticka in that shield. Did I miss it? Did one of the uniformed children turn him in? Gotta love those arm bands.

By: deowll

deowll — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:28:56 +0000

“Has anyone mentioned this yet: The Terrorists Have Won.”

You were the first but of course you are right. They have won.

By: Mister Mustard

Mister Mustard — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:35:12 +0000

#15 – Kanjy

>>He isn’t going to win the contest anyway. His
>>pictures are blurry as heck.

Not only are they blurry as heck, but most of the trains in the pictures belong to NJ Transit, not Amtrak.

By: Been there, done that.

Been there, done that. — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:27:38 +0000

#4 – Unfortunately, I doubt showing that pamphlet to someone who is upset with your photography hobby is going to turn them to your way of thinking.

In fact, you might end up escalating the situation. Rational thought is wasted on these people, and no amount of facts will change their mind that you are a child-molesting terrorist.

By: Kanjy

Kanjy — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:26:21 +0000

He isn’t going to win the contest anyway. His pictures are blurry as heck.
http://photos.duanek.name/gallery/6924446_LwRhV