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Don't Take a Picture on the Plane Until You Read This Story
Next time you’re tempted to take a snapshot of an interesting cloud formation or your seatmate sprawling into your personal space on a plane, remember Arash Shirazi and Steven Leslie. (www.linkedin.com) More...
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Sad, sad, sad. As a photographer of over thirty-five (35)years. never have I had ANY airline employee, TSA or Law Enforcement order me "Not to photograph or video". There are numerous airports around our country, which have PUBLIC AREAS, and within those areas do in fact include airport gate areas which permit .. photographs or video. If these carriers want to attempt to enforce, such a policy, they then should BE REQUIRED to make this information public as well. What will they tell authorized news media personnel ?
TSA security check lines and also customs areas usually have signage that says no photography.
Not true. Photography is explicitly permitted at TSa checkpoints. Customs is a different story but lately they don't seem to care.
Customs, KBWI, 5-2015, Cell phones had to be OFF, and cameras stowed.
NOT explicitly permitted if it captures images of security procedures....
Nope:
http://www.tsa.gov/pressroom-channel/photographyfilming
http://www.tsa.gov/pressroom-channel/photographyfilming
You may have been a photographer for 35 years but only in the last 2-3 has it been possible to shoot a picture in ATL and have it in LAX before you can even walk to a plane. Could it be that your right to take a picture stops where the rights of someone not wishing to be photographed begins? A public area is one thing, but in a gate area, you are in the domain of the gate agent & crew.
James Bond used a pen camera; nobody knew. My point that methods and devices to take surreptitious photos have been available since WWII.
Could it be the real reason for such rules if because of potential liabilities when TSA enployees behave badly? Same reason police unions have resisted being filmed. OTOH, they these agencies film *you* with impunity. I'm not taking a stand either way, just pointing-out the obvious.
Could it be the real reason for such rules if because of potential liabilities when TSA enployees behave badly? Same reason police unions have resisted being filmed. OTOH, they these agencies film *you* with impunity. I'm not taking a stand either way, just pointing-out the obvious.
I would just point out that while an airplane might be private property (of the airline) or it could be a public conveyance, the gate area surely is a public area accessible by the citizenry (public property). The ACLU says "Taking photographs of things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a constitutional right – and that includes federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties." Sometimes law enforcement or others may try to limit your right to photograph, but the courts have always upheld it when tested.
Somehow I just can't equate the ACLU with the Washington Supremes, A 98 pound fkight attendant wields the power of a marine gunny and in this case I'd rather deal with the gunny. You go ahead and push your rights to take a picture you can find in a magazine and I'll wave to you from the end of the runway.
