New York City is considering (at the request of the NYPD, but with concurrence from the mayor) outlawing photography of the subway system. Security wonks think it’s a good idea, concerned that terrorists might take (or use) such photos to plan bombing attacks, etc. Photographers, who love to take moody cityscape shots of the subways, are up in arms.
Problem is, I can see both their points. Yes, if terrorists want, they can probably figure out a way of getting photos (small digital cameras, etc.) to do it. On the other hand, why make it easy on them? On the gripping hand, I like subway shots. If I ever get to NYC, I’ll probably want to take some myself. And all that said …
A personal While walking alone in London several years back, I found myself cutting through a deserted block behind the Waterloo Barracks (I believe it was). There was nobody around, except for me (in kind of scruffy travel clothes), stepping out of a side street, and two armed soldiers guarding the back garage entrance, a half-block away across the street.
I had my camera, and seriously considered how cool a picture they would make. Then I thought, “And how comfortable do you think they would be with that? Might they wonder why I was taking pictures of this entrance? They’ve had IRA bombing attacks here before. They have nothing else to look at here but me, and they have big guns, and is it worth doing something that could be considered suspicious just for an interesting photo?”
So I didn’t. I just continued walking down the block, their eyes on me.
Did that make me chicken, smart, or considerate? Or all of the above?
The situation is not analogous, by any means, but …
My preference is to err on the side of knowledge and freedom, rather than secrecy and security. But neither position can be considered as an absolute, and kneejerk reactions in either direction on this seem ill-considered.
(via, among other places, Totten)