fallen xxi Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Fox Charlotte reported two men were arrested for "suspicious activities" which included taking photos of Carowinds from outside the grounds. Officials confiscated their camera and also found photos of downtown Charlotte buildings. News Link: http://www.myfoxcharlotte.com/myfox/ And CMPD "obviously" has nothing better to do. If bull**** like this keeps going on with pointless arrests in my home town, serious crimes will grow in Charlotte. I would understand a group of men taking pictures..or something of that sort...but this is rediculous, now people can't take pictures of Charlotte's landmarks and it's signature amusement park without being ridiculed or arrested, I'm dissapointed in this, very dissapointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 People being arrested/harassed for taking pictures is an ongoing problem around the world. I've been reading a lot of articles about this happening in the UK, where there seems to be a capaign against almost any public photography. Locally, I know that taking any sort of pictures/video of the Bay bridge will get you police attention very quickly. A few years ago, a good number of people were harassed by security guards at Six Flags Ohio, where they claimed copyright to everything in the park, and you needed permission to take pictures (an excpetionally stupid policy that no one could ever get a straight answer about). I haven't heard of any other parks cracking down on photography, but given how the news media has convinced the dumber members of our society that terrorists are hiding behind every rock in their town, I'm sure we're going to be seeing more of this. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterguy99 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Hey, I work at Carowinds and live outside of Charlotte. Charlotte is a huge banking city and I am glad for CMPD to take care of possible danger. And this makes me personally feel as if Charlotte is doing something to prevent something worse from happing, Im not saying these guys were doing anything wrong and they are suppost to be innonce until proven guilty, so after its all done with we will know if it was just harmless photos of uptown Charlotte and CAROWINDS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I can see both sides. If it is was just Carowinds, then yeah, the PD really are stretching it. But if you listen to the story, they also had pictures of the bank towers. This sounds like a legitment probable cause once they looked at the memory cards. Otherwise, going by just taking pictures are Carowinds, that is kinda pushing it, unless they were on Carowinds property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XII Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I hate America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pufferfish Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Wow, how did I miss this in the news? I understand the swiftness to action though. Charlotte is a very major city and Carowinds is probably one of the biggest tourist destinations in our area. I remember back around 9/11 Charlotte was reported as being one of the top targets. I'd much rather be safe than sorry, so I'm glad these men were stopped. I'm not saying that they are guilty of anything, I'm just saying that if they were, they can't do what they were going to do. Some things just shouldn't be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkkyj Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I hate America. Then leave. Keep in mind that the nearest exit may be located behind you. edit: Oh, you're 16? My friend used to say stupid stuff like that when we were that age. It seems likely to be an attempt to sound provocative... especially among citizens from other countries (who would usually ask my friend "are you crazy?"). maybe you'll change your mind, maybe you won't. Guess where my friend still lives? Yep, good ol' U S of A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsalas08 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 How many times do people post trip reports on this website which include photos from the many places they visit. The story only mentions that they had pictures of the theme park and banking towers, what it doesn't mention is that they probably had many other photographs as well on the camera. The police over reacted in detaining these men and the media sensationalized this story. How many of us have pictures on our cameras right now of our home parks, hope you didn't take pictures of any financial institution because now you are terrorist! I can understand asking them about taking the pictures, and if their on someones elses property I can understand why the cops would ask them to leave, but this is stretching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 It seems to me that if taking pictures of a major tourist attraction and a large city's downtown area constitutes "suspicious activity," then all of us will be in prison at some point. Still, the news story was sketchy, at best, and we don't know all the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DATman Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I took pictures in NYC of the buildings. Does that make me a terrorist? Perhaps there is more to this story that hasn't been let on to the public. Who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I hate America. Then leave. Keep in mind that the nearest exit may be located behind you. I'm cautioning both of you to keep this conversation civil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceace12 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Also, they probably didn't say everything. They said they were acting suspicious, it could mean a number of things. Err on the side of caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkkyj Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I took pictures in NYC of the buildings. Does that make me a terrorist? Perhaps there is more to this story that hasn't been let on to the public. Who knows. not if you're WHITE. It sounds bad, but I have a feeling that was a contributing factor to the "suspicion." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Oh crap! I better warn everyone on our future trips not to take pictures of famous landmarks and roller coasters! I'd like to hear the full story on this... Oh, and on what planet is Charlotte considered a 'very major city'!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkkyj Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I'm cautioning both of you to keep this conversation civil. Sorry--that sort of talk sends me off sometimes. XII may have been kidding, who knows... and he/she is young, and young people are known to say things like that sometimes. XII: you can hate the people that jump to conclusions, but this country is not full of them, so ease up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallen xxi Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Oh crap! I better warn everyone on our future trips not to take pictures of famous landmarks and roller coasters! I'd like to hear the full story on this... Oh, and on what planet is Charlotte considered a 'very major city'!?!? Since it became the top banking city in the south. Also, gimme a break...these people were most likely not white males, and to be honest it's just descrimination. More details will probably be released on this and either I or anyone else in Charlotte will release any infomation. But at this point, there really ISNT a "full" story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 ^Yes, but ask people across the world and I still don't think it's a 'very major city'. Wait, I figured it out...isn't this the plot to Fligh Club!!? Destroy the banking centers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 ^Yes, Charlotte has become a major financial center. That being said, I do think that paranoia reigns in our country, and that terrorists would be more interested in more "high-profile" targets, such as LA, New York, or Chicago. As I said earlier, the story was pretty short on details. Perhaps more details will emerge later (unless these guys have been shipped off to Guantanamo Bay). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallen xxi Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Well, major is New York and Chicago....Charlotte is easily the fastest growing city in America right now, so I would call it somewhat major. But let's not go back and forth, hah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkkyj Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Destroy the banking centers!!! banks!? ha ha ha... i've got all my money in US Postal Service "Forever" stamps! I'm rich! RICH! RIIIICH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianojohn Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I haven't heard of any other parks cracking down on photography, but given how the news media has convinced the dumber members of our society that terrorists are hiding behind every rock in their town, I'm sure we're going to be seeing more of this.dt The first (and LAST) time I went to Lake Winnie, I was harassed by a security guard for taking pictures of the roller coaster since (in his own words) "there were not any of my family members in the picture." Well, seeing as I was at the park alone and merely taking pics for my own collection, I was very put off by his insinuation. I wrote a letter to the park who basically claimed it was for security. Regardless, I will never go back there again. Or I will take an instamatic or 35mm camera! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 This thread is on the fast track of being closed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 At Opry Mills in Nashville this weekend, one of the security guards rolled up to me on his Segway, and casually, asked if I was taking video. I told him I was a tourist and had taken a little video of each carousel there, but mostly still pictures. He was relaxed about it and said "We kinda discourage taking video, you know, terrorist s***,. You're not filming a bunch of exits or major things are you?"I said no, just touristy stuff and still pictures. Offered to show him what I had and he declined and was pleasant about it. This guy has obviously seen suspicious people before and used his good sense. Translation: Maybe these folks at Carowinds could've taken a more sensible approach instead of an over-reactive one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VivaLaVibora Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I took pictures in NYC of the buildings. Does that make me a terrorist? Perhaps there is more to this story that hasn't been let on to the public. Who knows. not if you're WHITE. It sounds bad, but I have a feeling that was a contributing factor to the "suspicion." I imagine those people were suspiciously Muslim, and thus they are automatically treated like they are going to do something wrong. Muslim is a religion!!! Don't people get that. Anyone else taking pictures of Carowinds, no one cares about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoasterkid Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 So wait a minute, Charlotte has an estimated population of 630,000 and it's considered a "Major City" and is at serious risk of a terrorist attack? Wow, I guess I should be worried then. I live in a "suburb" of Toronto, and our population is 668,000. We're also a booming city (one of the VERY few North American cities that's debt free...probobly the largest) that is a major centre for corporations and commerce in general. Unless there are some serious details they're leaving out of these reports this sounds like a classic case of over-reaction. There's a serious issue with police enforcement in the area if multiple people are being harrassed for simply taking pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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