Not again
...I knew it would not be long before I caught the attention of the NYPD again. I spotted the cruiser eyeing me while I was taken these shots, but I decided to just keep shooting while fishing out my ID. Surely enough the cruiser pulled up and I walked over to them. These two did not want to look at my ID. In contrast, the cops who bugged me on 1st Avenue claimed they needed my idea for bookkeeping purposes. Maybe these two Queens cops do not do their book right. Maybe.
They were incredulous as to exactly why I was taking picture of a highway for fun. Most people are happy once they see the light streaks, yet one of the cops claimed to know the effect of lights in night photos. What would I use the photos for? I said mostly the truth: I will take them home, look at them and play with them. Why? It is fun and I am trying to improve my skills. I thought is fair to omit the detail that I was planning to post the photos and write about my NYPD experience online. It would probably have irked them and that is the last thing you want.
They asked to look at the shots and were happy with what they saw. Yet they persisted with questions. Their looks told me that they were not buying it: "why would somebody be taking photos of a highway for fun. Why? It makes no sense. Why should we buy it?" They were not buying it and they drove off with those unconvinced looks on their faces. Or maybe they just thought I was weird and had a hard time appreciating my hobby. A fair guess: it was probably a bit of both.
What is clear to me at this point is that NYPD cops are trained to be superalert, and in particular to be alert as to 'abnormal' behavior. Tripod photography in particular seems to attract their attention. The modus operandi seems to be to be driving around looking for trouble. The cop car then slows and they observe you while pondering whether to stop. They then turn their lights on and start questioning. This exact thing has now happened three times (twice in NYC and once in Chicago).
How exactly they see photography related to their law enforcement efforts continues to elude me. How highway photography be related to criminal activities is unclear. Why photographing bridges and tunnels is illegal in NYC is unclear. How any of these rules make society safer is unclear.
I've thought long and hard about these questions and I found only a couple answers. Mostly I think they are doing these things because they are supposed to be fighting terror. Yet they have no real clue how. Terrorists afterall could be anywhere and anyone. The NYPD is groping in the dark and lacks clear and effective strategies. So what do they do instead? The public want to feel safe so an increased police presence may make people feel safer and secure. If you don't know what is effective at least pretend to do something that the public may think is effective. Afterall perceptions are everything.
When someone blows up the Holland Tunnel at least you can say: Hey, we tried to prevent photography and had a checkpoint and a couple cop cars with flashing lights at each entrance. No matter that these policies at best achieved nothing (at worst wasted resources). It is just show and politics. Forget about logic and policies that actually work. It about convincing people they are safe, not actually making them safer. Great.
I almost forgot about the picture. This bridge was not entirely fenced in - a miracle in New Fence City. The fence only reached across the span of the highway like in Wisconsin. Mostly in NYC they fence the entire overpass and all surrounding areas making photography impossible.
This is the Whitestone Expressway. It is close to the Whitestone bridge that connects Queens to the Bronx.
Not again
...I knew it would not be long before I caught the attention of the NYPD again. I spotted the cruiser eyeing me while I was taken these shots, but I decided to just keep shooting while fishing out my ID. Surely enough the cruiser pulled up and I walked over to them. These two did not want to look at my ID. In contrast, the cops who bugged me on 1st Avenue claimed they needed my idea for bookkeeping purposes. Maybe these two Queens cops do not do their book right. Maybe.
They were incredulous as to exactly why I was taking picture of a highway for fun. Most people are happy once they see the light streaks, yet one of the cops claimed to know the effect of lights in night photos. What would I use the photos for? I said mostly the truth: I will take them home, look at them and play with them. Why? It is fun and I am trying to improve my skills. I thought is fair to omit the detail that I was planning to post the photos and write about my NYPD experience online. It would probably have irked them and that is the last thing you want.
They asked to look at the shots and were happy with what they saw. Yet they persisted with questions. Their looks told me that they were not buying it: "why would somebody be taking photos of a highway for fun. Why? It makes no sense. Why should we buy it?" They were not buying it and they drove off with those unconvinced looks on their faces. Or maybe they just thought I was weird and had a hard time appreciating my hobby. A fair guess: it was probably a bit of both.
What is clear to me at this point is that NYPD cops are trained to be superalert, and in particular to be alert as to 'abnormal' behavior. Tripod photography in particular seems to attract their attention. The modus operandi seems to be to be driving around looking for trouble. The cop car then slows and they observe you while pondering whether to stop. They then turn their lights on and start questioning. This exact thing has now happened three times (twice in NYC and once in Chicago).
How exactly they see photography related to their law enforcement efforts continues to elude me. How highway photography be related to criminal activities is unclear. Why photographing bridges and tunnels is illegal in NYC is unclear. How any of these rules make society safer is unclear.
I've thought long and hard about these questions and I found only a couple answers. Mostly I think they are doing these things because they are supposed to be fighting terror. Yet they have no real clue how. Terrorists afterall could be anywhere and anyone. The NYPD is groping in the dark and lacks clear and effective strategies. So what do they do instead? The public want to feel safe so an increased police presence may make people feel safer and secure. If you don't know what is effective at least pretend to do something that the public may think is effective. Afterall perceptions are everything.
When someone blows up the Holland Tunnel at least you can say: Hey, we tried to prevent photography and had a checkpoint and a couple cop cars with flashing lights at each entrance. No matter that these policies at best achieved nothing (at worst wasted resources). It is just show and politics. Forget about logic and policies that actually work. It about convincing people they are safe, not actually making them safer. Great.
I almost forgot about the picture. This bridge was not entirely fenced in - a miracle in New Fence City. The fence only reached across the span of the highway like in Wisconsin. Mostly in NYC they fence the entire overpass and all surrounding areas making photography impossible.
This is the Whitestone Expressway. It is close to the Whitestone bridge that connects Queens to the Bronx.