why was i told i cannot use a monopod

[drew carson]

why was i told i cannot use a monopod in grand centrel termanal NYC

a cop came up to me and said you can't use that monopod, i asked why

not and got no responce what can i do next time?

[neal_shields]

Next time???

 

Unless you are quite sure that he was exceding his athority, I don't understand the question.

[drew carson]

NYC grand centrel termanal is public property

[ellis_vener_photography]

Get a permit first?

 

The most obvious reasons i can see a policemen in a public place not like you using a

monopod there are that it could be used as a weapon (of course so could a walking stick

or an umbrella) or might have been in the past; the other is that it could be a danger to

oblivious pedestrians. It might also have been depending on where you were standing:

were you in the flow of traffic?

 

The bottom line is; He doesn't have to give you a reason.

[eric_konieczny]

I know this does not answer the monopod question, but I have been questioned by police when shooting in public places like bridges and stuff, and I know a friend of mine was told he can shoot in the subway in NYC, because it was against the Homeland security act, since the pictures could be used as planning for terrorism.

 

 

Next time just move on to another area or ask for his boss

[Ken Katz]

The only legitimate reason would be the impact to traffic flow in a highly congestive area (especially if you were there last week).

 

This past week it looked like half the people had some type of camera or camcorder and were taking photos inside Grand Central. I did not see the police interfere with any of that.

[neal_shields]

"NYC grand centrel termanal is public property"

 

Exactly,"public" not yours. The policeman is working for the public implementing public policy.

 

I am a bit put out right now that I can take my dogs with me to visit National Parks. (Technically you can but you can't leave them by themselves at your camp site and you can't take them (on leash) on the trails).

 

I don't think it is right to make people pay for facilities and then make them difficult to use, and I am going to lobby my congresswoman to either cut back park funding or reduce restrictions.

 

I am NOT going to take my dog to a national park and confront the park ranger about a rule that I don't like.

 

Moreover I think enjoying the park with my dog more closely meets the intended use than takeing pictures in a train station

[jeffcallen]

RE:<BR><blockquote>This past week it looked like half the people had some type of

camera or camcorder and were taking photos inside Grand Central. I did not see the police

interfere with any of them...</blockquote>

<P>That's the idea.. look normal, innocent or confused and you can get away with almost

anything...

<P>

This reprimand is about CYA for the security staff... if you have a monopod, tripod or

stand in one place with a camera too long, you not only look "suspicious", their boss may

notice you and say "why didn't you talk to this guy" to the security staff.. .

<P>Annother approach is to vigorously defend your rights with <A HREF=" http://

www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf">http://www.krages.com/

ThePhotographersRight.pdf.

</A>

[francois_gauthier]

In some places, tripods are not allowed because : they slow 'circulation' and someone could fall by walking into a foot. It makes sense mostly where there is a continuous flow of people through a narrow space like some museums.

 

It is possible that NYC is so crowded that they have such a rule and that monopods are considered some kind of tripods.

 

What i did in such a case is use a clamp mini-tripod. It limits you to benches, walls, etc. but it's better than nothing.

[cgarrett]

I have heard of people putting small tripod heads on canes, for an inconspicuous

monopod.

[will_legge]

If you are told not to use it by the police, take it as a good piece

of advice.

 

I hope the ban on dogs in parks is enforced. They are preditors and

can harm the wildlife in parks. In high traffic areas, excrement

presents other problems. Most people have ignored leash rules for

many years and so a total ban is good.

[andrew_miller_gresham]

does the world really need another shot of blurry people going by in gct? zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[donnydarko]

Well, I have to translate the reply of that cop:

 

"Hey, man, I have no idea, how to catch terrorists nor do the authorities have a clue how to protect our country. So, I will pretend that I care and that I know what to do by bothering you guy with that camera while my government keeps on thinking how they can do something against terrorism, and they think since more than three years now with no result except some panic messages and defenseless new laws."

 

Message understood?

[grant_.]

gct is open to the public, but is not public property....just like rockefeller center is open to the public, but its private property....

<br><br>

gct closes its doors at 1am and everyone is kicked out....

[aricmayer]

you are, for the time being, allowed to photograph in areas like the MTA and GCS. But, to

use equipment other than a camera, such as lights, tripods etc, you must have a press

pass issued by the NYPD. Perhaps banning a monopod seems a little rediculous, but a

generous interpretation of the law would probably prohibit that as well.

[aricmayer]

The exact MTA regulations regarding photography are as follows:

 

"Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except

that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used. Members of

the press holding valid identification issued by the New York City Police Department are

hereby authorized to use necessary ancillary equipment. All photographic activity must be

conducted in accordance with the provision of these Rules."

 

It looks like New York's finest was just doing his job.

[dean_g]

Neal, there's more to the National Park policy than just an arbitrary rule, or just keeping dog crap off the trails. Depending on the park anyway, I think it's based in large part on the fact that bears and dogs do not mix. Glacier National Park for instance. I was pretty sternly admonished for taking my dog on a hike there in 1973, and the ranger pointed out that having the dog can be like pouring gasoline on a fire if we were to come across a bear. It's a safety thing.

[louis_handwerker]

Pre-9/11 I used a monopod to photograph the atrium at the World Financial Center at 6:AM in the winter. I did manage to get the shot, however, the police approached and expained that I couldn't use a tripod. I informed them, in a very polite manner, that I was using a monopod. They could care less about the semantics or definition, so I aked what the real reason was for their concern. The said it was for safety and besides, since it was on their property, they had the right to enforce their rules. At that point I placed the monopod on my shoe, declairing "OK, it's not on your property." Word of advice, it didn't work. I was very close to getting hauled away.

Today, I have rationalized that living in New York, or visiting, is an expensive proposition. So I went and bit the bullit and bought a Nikon f2.8 70-200 mm VR (vibration reduction)zoom lens. NO TRIPOD! In my mind, its a $ 1,500. NYC photo tax but the results are phenominal.

( make that $1,200 when you subtrack the cost of a good carbon-fiber tripod that you don't have to buy or lug around)

 

 

Lou<div></div>

[Brad_]

<I>At that point I placed the monopod on my shoe, declairing "OK, it's not on your

property."</I><P>

 

Heh, I bet the cop was really amused with that!