First spotting trip to the USA....

[Top_Gun]

I've been stopped by the police numerous times. The first time was the funniest as I was trying to sleep and didn't even have my camera with me. 2 Base security guys rolled up, one inside the fence and one outside. Later a town cop came up and parked behind me. She told me there was a call that someone was taking pictures.

I showed her my seat and how it was laid back and how I didn't have a camera. She noticed my license plate(PLNSPTR) and said obviously I have a passion for planes and told me not to worry about it. I'm at KPSM every day at lunch and she said that she would put it down that I was clear. The cops on the other town to the north have been just as cool.

One time as I was taking pictures of a KC-135 in the pattern, I'm up on a hill waiting for him to get in line with me. I hear on my scanner him telling the tower that I was in the fence line as he went over the approach lights. His second time around he called back in to say that he was mistaken and I was outside the perimeter. The chief of police showed up just to ask for an ID but he allowed me to take a picture before I came down to talk to him.

President Bush stops in here often. When his aircraft were parked here I was taking pictures of them from the Pan Am parking lot. The head of security came over and told me that the FAA has asked all airports to "shush" away photographers from taking pictures. This security head is also a photographer and even said, there is no law saying you can't take pictures, but the police have every right to move you away per the FAA's & Airports instructions.

He told me I could always come back but to expect tighter restrictions when the President is there which is just common sense. He also gave me his business card incase he could help me.

I don't mind the tighter restrictions, but there is no reason to be a dick cop from someone taking pictures. Ask for ID, call it in and if your clean there shouldn't be any reason to move you away.

[medic1]

Canada is not so much better.....over a month ago, the whole YXU "issue" started with telling us to not come back to photograph until the head of airport security made a decision on our "security breach". We found out from London Police where Airport Jurisdiction ended and where theirs began.....we have limited our photography to those areas and have been waiting patiently for what was supposed to be a short comtemplation by the head of security and then render a decision as to how to maintain security, and what kind of checks we would have to submit to in order to continue photographing.

Almost 5 weeks and we have not heard anything from security....best I can figure..I think that since we are following their direction not to spot in our usual areas, they are just going keep us in the dark, and hope we don't come back. We were asked not to contact/phone/email until they contacted us.....but so far, it doesn't look like the Security Cheif has any intention of contacting us.

[Ansett]

From what you have said I would think if I was in your situation it would also be my first and last visit.

You could alway come across to Australia or New Zealand where the cops are not such a mob of wankers as the yank ones.

From the horror stories I have read it is always the one with the big ego and thinks he is important.

watch your mouth when talking about cops in this forum especially Australian ones please. Becuase Ryan if you dont already know i am one in Sydney and their is a couple from the states also in this forum. Plus whats that saying. "words travel a million miles and hour" Only takes one minute to look up your details

[$747$]

watch your mouth when talking about cops in this forum especially Australian ones please. Becuase Ryan if you dont already know i am one in Sydney and their is a couple from the states also in this forum. Plus whats that saying. "words travel a million miles and hour" Only takes one minute to look up your details

There is that big ego again Ansett.

It only took you 1 post Ansett to show that Ryan was correct in the statement he made.

Good call Ryan

[ryan]

usa

I am not saying all police have a big ego. There is a small minority that does.

[Longreach747]

you want to hear a funny one, i was up in Anchorage recently and shooting from the 24/6 side of the terminal, now this side is quite close to Kulis airbase, but you can't see the base from where i was shooting as it's obstructed by hangars.

the MP's come over and do the bit, nice guys to and they fully appreciate plane spotters and they gave me a map to a better position just around the bend...within an hour they had actually granted me permission to enter the airbase and take as many photos as i like from there! now i don't know how many civilians from Australia let alone the USA have been granted permission like that...but thanks to a friend in AK i was able to get to spots that very few ever do! I met with the base commander and we talked planes and he was keen to see my shots, he also made a special note of saying that 'it's not illegal to take photos of aircraft' we get people allover the world coming here each year! now that's in the upper 48 where the air is clean and the people think a little more logically.

now for the contradiction

out n about with some of my mates in New York and shooting at LGA from the overpass bridge...Mr "They Steal Anything" agent decides after he's walked past us to call the cops, we are on a public place taking banking photos..nothing more than that! next thing 6 or so PATH NYNJ police rock up followed by NYPD and the drama begins.

firstly the delightful officer Yum says it's illegal to take plane photo's, now Yum is unaware that one of the guys i was shooting with is a NY lawyer, he's rattling off all this shit about the patriot act and how we can't do it! i said to him 'i've been up in Anchorage and they shooting from USAFB Kulis and other locations and the police told me it's perfectly legal to take aviation photo's' Yum continues on getting in my face while another guy walks off with my passport, Brian and Josh's ID's and another guy is having a nice chat with Brian and Josh.

here is me, an Australian telling Yum that it's legal to take the photos, Yum then tells me that i should perhaps go back to Anchorage...I told Yum that in case he wasn't aware that Alaska was still part of the same country and the "Patriot Act" covers AK too! so if it's not illegal in AK then it sure as shit aint illegal in NY from a public area.

wait for it...after our papers were checked and we were free to continue the delightful Officer Yum say's 'if it was illegal you guy's would have been arrested by now' so i just spent the whole 40 mins telling this clown it wasn't, he was insisting that it was and then he had the cheek to tell us that we'd be in handcuffs if it was.

total twat! best places i've never had trouble at in the USA are Anchorage, La, Jfk, Sfo. nobody bothers you cos most of the spots are public and they are frequented by lots of enthusiasts.

[cja]

Perhaps JP Admin could look into this and get some proper legal advice to clarify the situation in the USA at least. I think that at times like these people need to co-operate with law enforcement agencies when they have legitiamte concerns but at the same time we should not allow ourselves to be steam rollered by Officious wannabe law enforcement heroes.