On 6/22/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > When I was doing shots for my project, I went to the Shell oil refinery in > Martinez. I found a parking lot with an open gate and pulled in and parked. > There was a check-in security gate further down the road, with another fence. > There was a loose fence around the parking lot. I went over to one side and > took pictures of an oil tank, but the ones I really wanted were on the other > side. I meandered over and acted like I was taking pictures of trees. Voice > behind me, "You can't photograph here." > > He got another security guard who walked me back to my car and took down my > car license plate number, name, and phone number. Then he wanted to see my > driver's license and I told him, "I don't think so, I think you have enough > information." I figured I was trespassing in a way on the parking lot, so I > didn't push it. But I was sort of surprised, neither did he. He did not ask me > for my camera, CD card, or ask me to reformat. And I went on my way. I > suppose a > big company like that they don't want a mini-lawsuit. And I felt the info. > gathering was just for intimidation. Anyway, I was prepared for this and they > didn't disappoint me. > > Doe I never did get a really good refinery shot, though. :-(
While I suppose they had every right to do what they did (walk with you back to your car, and ~ask~ for the info they did, you also had every right to ~not~ answer them. They're just security guards, and you have no obligation to provide them with ~any~ info. That being said, yes, if you were in a company parking lot you were on private property, and they did have every right to ask you to leave, but that's about all they could do to you, is ask you to leave, failing which they could have you charged with trespassing. At no time do they have any right to seize your equipment or images. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
