NY Subway Ban--Time Is Running Out

[Anonymous]

With 11 days left to submit comments on the proposed NYCTA photo ban, it is time to submit letters to the NYCTA. Attaced is a strawman letter that may make it easier for you to do this.

Remember, even if you live no where near New York, other agencies may decide to copy what is being proposed elsewhere in the country. So, we all have a very real stake in this.

dcwarner
wilmington, de

---===<<<copy and paste and modify as you wish>>>===---
David Goldenberg
New York City Transit Authority
130 Livingston Street, Room 1207
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Subj: Proposed Amateur Photography Ban

Dear Mr. Goldenberg,

I am opposed to the proposed ban on amateur photography of NYCTA rail and bus equipment. The proposal is nothing but an arbitrary, knee-jerk reaction to “do something” in reaction to the Madrid train bombing this past March. Attempting to enforce this ban would draw law enforcement personnel away from responding to real crimes and actually result in making the subway system more dangerous.

There is no evidence that amateur photography has ever been a factor in any untoward event affecting public transportation in this country. For that matter, there have been no reports that photography played a role in the Madrid bombing.

While there is a possibility to exercise some control over photography on the subway, how can any agency prohibit photography from public sidewalks of buses running on public streets? New Jersey Transit (NJT) found it overstepped legal and constitutional authority when it tried a similar restriction this year. When challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union, NJT had to back down.

I urge NYCTA to not impose this draconian ban. If some level of control is deemed necessary, then just ask people to have a permit. Even such a permit, though, doesn’t help the millions of tourists each year who take photos of themselves on the unique subway system.

Thank you for your time and consideration of my letter.

[RudyRockvilleMD]

David:
I like your letter. The only modification I could even suggest would be to point out that photography from public property is legal unless there is an identifiable military or strategic facility in the near background. There is a web site that might be used to back up this contention; it is:
www.krages.com/phoright.htm

Bert Krages is an attorney in Portland Oregon who specializes in intellectual property issues. When you visit his web site you can download, and print his flier "Photographers Rights."

Rudy

[Anonymous]

Its weird, my uncle recently took pictures for me of some historical subway cars they were running this holidday season, and he even took a picture of the crew, they siad nothing.... Wasn't this ban made a rule/law, or is it judt planed?

[adrianspeeder]

Thank you for your letter, mine will be in the mail, and welcome to the forums too.

Adrianspeeder

[Anonymous]

Hey
i will definatly make an effort and send this because i do find it prepostorous to make such a ban. sadly its too late in germany, in many of the subway systems throughout the germany (the u-bahn) one is not allowed to take pictures or video of any kind while in any of the underground facilitys.
kind regards
Felix

[Anonymous]

This whole snafu reminds me of the ban that the old Soviet Union had on photography from or of any railroad in the USSR. Are we, in our concerns regarding national security, moving ourselves in the direction of Stalin & Hitler??

[MStLfan]

Is there an emailaddress I can send this message to? It is plainly a ridiculous action by bureaucrats and detracting from what really needs to be done! Let's email these guys so much they can't get any business done. Each of us one email times 1 million trainlovers or so worldwide should do the trick .
greetings
Marc Immeker

[Anonymous]

Amatuer photographers? Leave them alone. Direct your efforts to some substantive safety issues. Thanks.