I thought it might be possible to get a time lapse shot going into Manhattan, what with the skyline n’ all (didn’t work…car was too bumpy)
I had my camera sitting on the dashboard. When I got to the mid(something) tunnel, a police officer pointed at my car, more specifically at the camera on my dash board, and then proceeded to reach into my car through the passenger side window and made me erase all footage taken once getting the toll booth area in the shot.
He was very polite about the whole situation (I think my skin colour had a lot to do with that) but he was very vigialant in spotting my camera on the dash board from a few cars away. On the other hand…I noticed 2 or 3 large trucks go into the tunnel un-approached while this guy was making me erase my tape.
Looking too professional will get you more scrutiny because there are additional restrictions on professional photography because it’s business oriented. Can’t be setting up business anywhere you please. Setting up a portable studio on the sidewalk is different than just taking a snapshot. But that’s more to do with business regulations and concerns about clogging up the sidewalk and other public areas with lots of gear.
If you run into legal trouble it’s going to be civil rather than criminal. Things like copyright issues taking pictures of artwork and such. Unless you’re taking pictures of a military base, then the rules get different.
So politely tell the gentleman to pound sand and carry a printout of the PDF document on The Photographer’s Right.
Wait a minute. Since when is it allowed to reach right into someone’s car without their permission? If the camera were not legal I would think it was an illegal search. As it was in plain sight, I still don’t think he’s supposed to enter the car without either the driver/owner’s permission, or a search warrant. A tunnel connecting New York state with New York state should not be an exception, even if it’s the property/management of the same company that owned the Twin Towers (Port Authority).
Next time take the 59th St. Bridge. Better view, and no toll booths, so no authority figures reaching into your car. How much for the tunnel these days, BTW?
again, patriot act. everything they want to do, from reaching into your car to going into your house to looking at what books you took from the library is leagal. And they are not required to tell you that they have done any of this
Correction: If the camera were not visible I would think it was an illegal search.
But maybe not, if videotaping the drive through the Midtown Tunnel, a view tens of thousands of people see every weekday, is now considered probable cause, then I guess it’s okay.
Can you blow up a tunnel? I think those tunnels are deep beneath the river. The Detroit-Windsor car tunnel sits on the bottom of the Detroit River, so a bomb in there might be pretty devastating. But in one of NY’s tunnels you’d probably have to just create a large fire with lots of smoke.
The blog post and the comments are also worth a read. The comments show more of the ignorance on the part of the public about what is allowed and how much they’re willing to roll over when 9-11 is mentioned. Not that this harassment didn’t happen before 9-11.
I think the toll was $4…maybe $6 (driving from Long Island to London passes through MANY toll booths!)
There was nothing on the camera worth protecting, and no reason for me to cause an argument with the police officer wasting my time and risking further delay… (Had I needed to, David Stone taught me how to argue with NY police)
In Britain, attempted suicide used to be punishable by death But I digress…
The last time I came back from NY going over the Tappenzee bridge I put my vid cam on my dash and had it recording me (which will never be seen in public, because I was singing along with June’s “My Side of the Story”. Awesome song. Check it out) but (unless they took them down) they’d had a sign that said “no photography on bridge” or “no video filming” something like that. Way to go Civil Disobedience! (I’m not even sure if you can see the bridge in the video :P)
Remember, there are people in prison for a conspiracy to bomb NYC bridges and tunnels in 1995, who were also going to hijack 10 commercial airliners to crash into various targets. All bridges and tunnels are clearly marked: No photographs. You’ll also have problems around federal courthouses, prisons, etc. After 9-11, quite a number of innocent photographers have been held in custody for a while until they make sure you’re not planning something.
From the internet:
A one handed, “Hail Mary” , “award winning” (ha!) slightly shaky shot reaching over a wall was all I was able to get of the elephants from Barnum & Bailey circus entering the Midtown Tunnel, after standing around in the cold with a crowd of people for two hours. There were twice as many cops from the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel department as there were spectators, hassling everyone because there are “restrictions against photographing the tunnel.” Apparently TOLL BOOTH operations are a matter of national security. Even though the MTA statutes clearly state that photography is permissable, and even though the battle has been fought and won in court, those with badges continue to hassle those with cameras. I was informed by one officer that I was standing on “private property.” I looked down at the sidewalk, up at the street sign reading "51st Ave " and responded that I did not realize that New York City sidewalks were private. The officer then said, “Don’t you sass me!” , to which I replied, “I’m merely stating the facts.” I have to say, it really took all the fun out of the whole enterprise. There are few things more frustrating than over-authorized, armed, under-informed guardians of the public enforcing statutes they do not know under the premise of “national security.” We’re talking about a parade here people.
But I digress…